Being a boxing fan thesedays is like being a weatherman in Saudi Arabia.

[Sledgeweather17]

isn't ward barrera a bad example? we should be getting ward-kovalev at the least but instead we get ward-paul smith and ward-barrera. thats kinda the problem. we know there are better fights out there so its hard to get excited for something like that. its like if you are eating an ok meal but you know you could be eating a much better meal but your waiter is just being a d-ick and won't bring it to you so you have to eat the ok meal.

Lol, you're a dumb ass man. Even Real Madrid and Barcelona need pre-season games against teams from low tier leagues in order to prepare for the start of the season. Injured players returning from long term injuries either play for the second team or stay on the bench for a while before they are thrown into the fire.

Why should it be any different for Boxing?

Ward has been out for years. He obviously needs to be eased back in before he is thrown into the fire. This is done for literally every other sport out there. Why should it be different for Ward?

[al-Xander]

Takes years to see top fighters fight the kind of fight fans want to see. Even when both fighters are available, they'd rather fight low level opposition. How many fantasy fights fans have posted and discussed at length that never made into reality?

Berto vs Ortiz 2 doe.

[DinoCop]

Awh man shut up, you talk nonesense. Has anyone did the numbers TBE made? Who was the guy that shook the world with that mega fight that watched throughout the world?
Frampton-Quigg, Garcia-Guerrero, Fury-Klitchsko, Kovalev-Pascal, Cotto-Canelo, GGG-Lemineux wasn't enough for you?
Now upcoming and possible fights of Khan-Canelo, Rigondeux-Frampton, Kovalev, BHop's last fight, Tyson-Klitcshko rematch, Ward-Barrera, GGG-Canelo, Pac-Bradley 3, MArquez-Cotto, Ortiz-Berto,

[CaneloMaidana]

isn't ward barrera a bad example? we should be getting ward-kovalev at the least but instead we get ward-paul smith and ward-barrera. thats kinda the problem. we know there are better fights out there so its hard to get excited for something like that. its like if you are eating an ok meal but you know you could be eating a much better meal but your waiter is just being a d-ick and won't bring it to you so you have to eat the ok meal.

Let's take into account this is Ward's first fight at 175 and he's said he'll fight Kovalev this year. Barrera is not great to me but he is close to Golovkin and Sanchez who I think have crossed the line in insulting Ward to avoid their fight. So he'll be able to take it out on Barrera.

[CaneloMaidana]

Takes years to see top fighters fight the kind of fight fans want to see. Even when both fighters are available, they'd rather fight low level opposition. How many fantasy fights fans have posted and discussed at length that never made into reality?

Berto vs Ortiz 2 doe.

Look at the Berto vs Ortiz 2 card. You're going to have StubHub magic on regular Fox with 3 action fights. It's perfect to grab casuals.

[Ryn0]

There is sweet **** all going on, and only the chance of a bit of rain once a year MAX. We're dying out here.

Al Haymon and Floyd have completely and utterly ****ed boxing up the ass and totally ruined it for everyone.

I have to say I have been feeling this way for a while now and my interest in boxing is waning. I can't remember the last big fight that lived up to expectations

I have unfortunately enjoyed more UFC fights than boxing over the last few years because for whatever reason, boxing is becoming boring. The fights just aren't very good and often don't mean anything in the larger context. Kovalev-Ward is the only I'm most looking forward to because it actually means something and seems evenly matched.

[_Maxi]

Floyd Mayweather moved up to 147 and even 154 (Oscar Dela Hoya) from 140 when all the big names and champs there were ducking him and look how well that played out for him. If GGG really wants stardom then he would do the same.

Plus, fighting for a title at a higher division doesn't mean you have to move up. Floyd has fought for many titles at 154 but he still a welterweight and held titles there too. It has been proven that you can do both.

If GGG really is so great, so much so that yawl claim is is better than even TBE/PBF, then why aren't yawl holding him to the same standards?

You claim GGG is outweighed by guys in his division and therefore shouldn't fight 168 guys? Lmao! What about Floyd? Floyd is even outweighed by guys like Crawford, Provodnikov, Amir Imam, Mathysse, and Garcia when those guys are/were fighting at a lower weight class, yet yawl want him to fight GGG.

This proves once and for all that deep down, yawl know this guy is only the best of the rest...actually, one of the best of the rest.

I hate to repeat this over and over again. Floyd didn't move up to 147, he grown up to 147... proof is that he was never able to make 140 again. Even for the fight against marquez he was supposed to weigh in at 144 and he couldn't. And don't mention the layoff please.... he always stays in shape.

And Floyd has said it several times... "I'm a natural welterweight". He's not a natural junior welterweight...

The only times he moved up was for VERY lucrative fights. (ODLH, Cotto, Canelo) (breaking news, Ward is not a very lucrative fight)

In the three occations, he only faced a risk against Cotto who anyway had been destroyed by Pacquiao already, so it wasn't a huge risk. Close fight with Floyd winning the championship rounds.

ODLH was shot, about to retire, and still he barely won a SD that many saw the other way around. Against Canelo... let me explain it. Canelo is basically the Chavez jr of the JMW, but with better boxing skills and will to train. He's always the heavier and that's how he manages to win. Floyd was smart enough to weaken him into 152, and in that way Canelo only weighed fight night 165, compared to his normal 172. (And no, Mayweather did not weigh 150 that night...)

So, I repeat, Floyd didn't took any big risk when moving up. He never faced Margarito, Williams, Martinez, Lara... guys that he could have faced at 154 that would have been a challenge in that division.

So go with your BS to spread it somewhere else... not to me.

[Mr.Fantastic]

There is sweet **** all going on, and only the chance of a bit of rain once a year MAX. We're dying out here.

Al Haymon and Floyd have completely and utterly ****ed boxing up the ass and totally ruined it for everyone.

It's not just them, it's the majority of the boxing world. There is some good people though but not enough.

[soul_survivor]

*Casual alert*

why? what exactly is happening in the world of boxing this year?

Heck, even a middle of the road fight like Porter v Thurman keeps hitting road blocks. Honestly, in a period of 12 months, there are only 2 fights I'm looking forward to: Wlad/Fury 2 and Khan/Canelo. That's it. 2 fights.

In terms of the UK, domestic cards are no longer broadcast on Sky and there's no way I'm shelling out for Boxnation, not to mention the domestic cards we have had so far have mostly been ****.

OP is spot on here.

[RSBonos]

I'd like to disagree but it definitely seems like a dry-patch. Things will workout when the money runs out and fighters/promoters will be forced to be more aggressive. It's ironic how Showtime is now the best thing running in the first part of the year.