Too much "Science of Boxing" not enough "Entertainment"

[Eff Pandas]

Unfortunately boxing is a sport. If this sport doesn't entertain you go to the circus or watch WWE

I get what you are saying, but its a little simplistic to suggest something that creates millions & millions of dollars for thousands & thousands of people all over the globe is simply a sport. Boxing is a business.

And as such things like the entertainment value for the consumers of this "sport" needs to be something considered ongoingly. I think thats one of the problems with boxing. No one person can steer boxing which leads to slower changes for the sport.

The NFL change rules or tweak rules to make the sport more fair &/or entertaining every year. MMA changed their scoring rules this year. Boxing keeps grinding doing the same thing expecting different results.

[j.razor]

Was it Bob Arum's fault that he **** the bed against Agbeko, too? Or when he was given another chance on a big ppv platform to impress against a handpicked bum and looked even worse?

And nobody who doesn't watch boxing on a regular basis has a clue who Rigondeaux is.

Poor Agbeko got a low-blow galore against mares. I would have returned the low-blows and if the ref would of took a point from me I would give 1 to the ref too. Lol

[BM dnobagaV]

Thurman had a barn burner with Porter eight months ago and people found reasons to complain about that fight too.

I don't get it. Thurman fought for ten rounds and outboxed him for two. It wasn't an amazing fight but it sure wasn't crap.
Garcia isn't a good fighter to watch because he has cement feet and cement arms.

[FinitoxDinamita]

Thurman and Garcia are basic fighters who showed basic science last night. Nothing sweet science about it.

[i love boxing]

Some of us are entertained by the actual science and skill level of top boxers.

[Tony Trick-Pony]

That's the problem of these fighters. Afraid to take risk to show the world that you are a level or two above a fighter. Floyd did it in the Lower weights, PAcquiao did it in the lower weights all the way to the 2009 welterweight.

Boxing is not also a sport but also an entertainment for people who watch. 95% of boxing fans are casuals, appeal to the casuals first and entertain them, and that means knock them out, don't be content with just being 'satisfied' of winning or getting the decision.

Yes, some take this way too seriously. When people watch a boxing match, they want a fight. You know, punches thrown. Possibly a knockdown. Who knows? Somebody might get knocked out. Both guys might go after one another. Each guy might believe in himself enough to be aggressive. What a concept! Actual entertainment.

[-PBP-]

I get what you are saying, but its a little simplistic to suggest something that creates millions & millions of dollars for thousands & thousands of people all over the globe is simply a sport. Boxing is a business.

And as such things like the entertainment value for the consumers of this "sport" needs to be something considered ongoingly. I think thats one of the problems with boxing. No one person can steer boxing which leads to slower changes for the sport.

The NFL change rules or tweak rules to make the sport more fair &/or entertaining every year. MMA changed their scoring rules this year. Boxing keeps grinding doing the same thing expecting different results.

The NFL has also taken measures to improve player safety which reduced the entertainment value of the sport. You can't even touch the quarterback or crush a receiver going across the middle anymore.

In this era of research on concussion studies and lawsuits arising from Ring deaths and injuries, it would be dumb to tweak the rules to encourage the athletes to take more damage. Plus it ****s up their money because they may suffer damage and have to sit out for the year and earn no income.

A fighter has a 5 year earnings window. Those earnings increase by winning.

[paulf]

In most sports - if you exclude endorsement deals - the highest paid players are the best players, not the most exciting ones. Tennis is an individual sport like boxing. There are boring tennis players but the ATP/WTA don't put them on the shelf just because there are boring. I wonder why boxing has never managed to work like that, like a real sport, where the money athletes made is based on merit rather than on entertainment value. Maybe because crooked promoters found people like you since day one and managed to make them believe that's the way it should be.

You've got it backwards. Professional sport doesn't just exist, and people can watch it to be entertained if they like, it exists solely to generate revenue by providing something people will pay money to see. That is what makes it professional sport. Not competition for competitions sake, like Olympic/amateur sport.

TV networks pay money to broadcast fights to entertain people. People pay money to go see a fight to be entertained. And such, if you have a really entertaining fighter, people are going to want to see him and not someone who can masterfully spoil their way to a UD12.

The fans do not owe any fighter a living, let alone superstardom, if they're not going out there and giving the people that they feel is their moneys worth. This is why the guy that stick his chin out there will usually draw far larger crowds than those that pop and jab and tie up all night.

[Eff Pandas]

In this era of research on concussion studies and lawsuits arising from Ring deaths and injuries, it would be dumb to tweak the rules to encourage the athletes to take more damage.

We are likely to be agreeing to disagree here. I'm of the belief that taking more punches is allowing fighters to take more damage. Your brain isn't loving getting hit 20 times bare knuckled or 100 times with 10oz boxing gloves so getting hit more times is worse even if it looks more "humane" due to a fighter wearing gloves.

There is also the problem with heavier boxing gloves allowing for people to overcome having their brain "shut off" one or more times in a fight with the 10 count thus receiving multiple injuries in succession which tends to led to the most severe negative problems including death for athletes. With lighter or no gloves your brain is typically just getting shut off once & the fight is over. And the ideal goal in the sport & that gets the fans most excited is seeing someones brain getting shut off.

A fighter has a 5 year earnings window. Those earnings increase by winning.

idk where you got 5 years from. Most guys got a no year earnings window in boxing & combat sports, but thats neither here nor there.

And yea earnings do tend to increase via winning & thats part of the problem if no one or few find you entertaining. In an asses in seats & PPV buys business, which boxing is, the sport should be shifted towards being more visually appealing than strategically interesting for hardcore fans of boxing. Or boxing just keeps getting smaller, as it has in the US for the last several decades, til some change is made in boxing or what people find entertaining.

[sicko]

Its a fighter job to win fights. To fight in a manner that helps them win.

You want to see Tom Brady scrambling every play? Want to see Shaq shooting threes?

EXCELLENT POINT and a PERFECT EXAMPLE of how fans want fighters to fight in a style that just doesn't fits them. Toe to Toe is fun to watch no doubt but I been watching boxing too long to expect and to demand every fighter fight like that.

WTF are they paying trainers for then, be prepared for EVERYTHING instead of Crying like a B1TCH after the fight on how the guy you fought didn't fight the style that you needed him to fight so that you can look good

You know a guy is a mover, CUT THE RING OFF, you know a guy is flat footed make him move his feet, you know a guy is faster than you use TIMING to off set his speed. These are things these new fighters are NOT DOING but instead of their fans holding them responsible they now comeback to forums like this and hold their favorite fighter OPPONENT Responsible and cry about the way he fought