Is it just me or does boxing seem empty right now

[The Big Dunn]

I think the sport is transitioning in the US. Floyd is retired and he dominated so much of the discussion when it came to boxing. Manny has been out and what little wasn't Floyd, was him. Canelo, Fury, Chocalito, KOv, GGG, Stevenson-all the noteworthy champions are not US born. The most well known US fighters-Wilder and Broner-are not really all that.

I think with Rousey losing and McGregor winning, so much of the talk is about them and MMA.

[mann187]

I think there's a few reasons for that.

1. Mayweather and Pacquiao were consistently doing great numbers and skewed fans idea of what a top talent boxer can produce.

2. Boxing is very fractured right now with many rival promotions unwilling to work together.

3. The Mayweather/Pacquiao effect. 2009 would have produced a better fight between the two but you'd be an idiot to claim that it would have done better financially. So now you have top fighters unwilling to fight other top fighters at the moment because they believe, and perhaps rightly so, that if they wait a while and "let the fight build" it will be worth more.

4. Because of reasons 2 and 3 a lot of top talent boxers may be considered at the top of their division, but they lack any career defining wins that put them into that special category. They're not building legacies but building towards big money fights.

Excellent post, hopefully people will learn to accept Mayweather/Pacquiao are gone or going. If the Heavyweights live up to the hype i think we will be in for a treat over the next 7-10 years.

[ea22]

I feel the same way, looking at it objectively there is a lot of bull**** fights being made, you know it's bad when there is a problem making Ward vs Barrera. It might get better later down the year but right now the fight schedule looks underwhelming.

[sicko]

Things pick up this weekend with a decent Heavyweight Card on Showtime but I think they're waiting for the Football Season to end, you DO NOT want to go head to head with NFL Football Playoffs

That being said, boxing wide open for that next Superstar and it doesn't have to be just 1 guy either, the more Superstars we can have develop (Regardless of who is their manager, Promoter and what network they fight on) the better it will be for the sport!

But yeah things does seem kinda dry, it is like OK Cotto vs Canelo was the last big Boxing Event...NOW WHAT? The match ups announced and made official so far won't get the Casuals attention that is for sure!

[nivek535]

boxing is emptier than pbc's stock portfolio!

is that really pbcs stock?

[Mr. Punch-Out!!]

As of right now, there's no big name fights that has been confirmed yet so that's why everything has been quiet. Had Canelo vs. Golovkin been next or even Wilder vs. Fury, you can expect everybody to be tune in. It has nothing to do with Pacquiao or Mayweather (who people were already growing tired of in recent years).

It may also have to do with the increased interest in MMA (specifically UFC) due to two memorable events within the past few months (Rousey-Holm and McGregor-Aldo).

[Tom Cruise]

I think its been coming for a while to be honest. Guys like Mayweather, Pac, Cotto, Wlad have been slipping for years but until Fury beat Wlad none of those guys had been beaten by one of the young/prime fighters in theor division. Even Hopkins well into his late 40s was campaigning right at the top of his division.

Rigo could have been that guy but he is already old and his career went down the ****ter after beating Donaire.

If there were potential great WW's around i feel they would have beaten Mayweather in the last year or so of his career at least. And Manny beat his biggest young (ish) threat twice already. Even JMM was only beaten by close decision by Bradley at 40 years old and few weightclasses above his best.

By all rights we should have matchups between guys who have beaten the greats of the last era, but we dont. Not many anyways

Basically dont think the talent level of the guys in their prime for the last five years or so has been that high. Especially in the flagship divisions like HW, WW, MW.

Theres some promising fighters coming through like Verdejo, Spence, Joshua etc but no guarantee they will make it.

I hoping for a big HW era coming soon. We are due one.

[_Maxi]

Boxing is in a great place right now! Tons to talk about!

I think you are just nervous and have those calm-before-the-storm butterflies because you know your dude Broner from Cincy is still ducking a semi retired Maidana, and Wilder has about as long to live, as Fury lets him.

One of my fighters is always on top, so I don't know that feeling.

That's the problem! we shouldn't care about "talking about". We should get good fights regularly! and we don't.

[-MAKAVELLI-]

boxing sucks right now...there's very little im lookin forward to so far

[LoadedWraps]

I think the sport is transitioning in the US. Floyd is retired and he dominated so much of the discussion when it came to boxing. Manny has been out and what little wasn't Floyd, was him. Canelo, Fury, Chocalito, KOv, GGG, Stevenson-all the noteworthy champions are not US born. The most well known US fighters-Wilder and Broner-are not really all that.

I think with Rousey losing and McGregor winning, so much of the talk is about them and MMA.

That's stupid and sad. I hate to keep spitting out the same example, but more fans need to be like me. You can't even tell where I am from based on fighters I cheer for, as you shouldn't. It doesn't even help to grow the sport, to be that way.

Other than Floyd, Bradley is the only fighter I have supported that is from the USA in a long time.

Can you imagine if I limited myself to only watch and cheer for guys like Broner, Wilder, and Bradley? How narrow minded and pathetic is that? You limit your own exposure to the sport.

I can't stand Broner as a person or fighter, nevermind where he is from. I like Wilder, but I like Fury more, and consider him better, and expect him to be the face of boxing. Bradley I have always been a huge fan of, but not because he is from the USA, but because of his story, personality, and character.

I can't stand nationalism in boxing when it means certain fighters will get shunned, ignored, or judged in a biased manner. If you can't be nationalistic from a rooting perspective and still be objective when it comes to boxing and talent, then you don't need to be nationalistic period.