Joshua's popularity seems to have gone up a lot.

[GhostofDempsey]

Once he suffers his first loss watch those follower numbers plummet. That is the nature of boxing today. A fighter goes from hero to zero in one fight and vice-versa. We live in a disposable society.

[Idgogay4AJ]

Who said boxing was dying in the UK?

Yeh there more boxing clubs and young kids taking it up than I've ever known, its great to see..

[juggernaut666]

I never stressed all this "boxing is dying" talk the last couple years. "Last nail in the coffin" blah, blah, blah.

Watching AJ come up as a prospect was probably like watching LeBron in HS. You just knew it was a matter of time before he was the biggest thing in boxing, maybe sports. I'm not an AJ-fanboy, just knew he was a superstar-in-waiting..

Thats the thing with boxing fans...they like to shoot down THEIR OWN sports stars where MMa fans embrace them...big differance in how both fan bases support the sport they follow. Its almost like the fans today hope boxers dont get better or try and discredit them from [past ones...what morons ,they must want or like mediocre fighters in exchange for top level ones!Part of the problem are shown on forums,even this one as those who CLAIM to know more than anyone but dont know much

[soul_survivor]

It's the general narrative in the US. "It's over, boxing's dead, blah blah blah"

Well in the US it's pretty much on its last legs.

[soul_survivor]

Yeh there more boxing clubs and young kids taking it up than I've ever known, its great to see..

Yeah and to think just 13 years ago it was pretty quiet. The amateur circuit was dry, with Khan being the only Brit entrant in the Olympics but his win and subsequent popularity really changed things. People tend t oforget how important he was to the sceen in those early years.

[Randall Cunning]

Yeah and to think just 13 years ago it was pretty quiet. The amateur circuit was dry, with Khan being the only Brit entrant in the Olympics but his win and subsequent popularity really changed things. People tend t oforget how important he was to the sceen in those early years.

The 2012 Olympics were a pretty big boost for all sports in the UK

[Kigali]

Well in the US it's pretty much on its last legs.

If that's the case UK boxing is already buried and feeding the maggots.

[soul_survivor]

The 2012 Olympics were a pretty big boost for all sports in the UK

Team GB had one Olympic entrant in 2004, a 17 year old kid who would go on to draw millions on national TV, headline in the US and draw celebrities to the sport like never before (not since Naz and Eubank anyway).

That led to Team GBs continued success in 2008 where the team was better than the one in 2012. The London Olympics were successful but they did not kick start the UK amateur revolution and increase the visibility of the pro sport, it was 2004-05, Amir Khan and Ricky Hatton. Without those 2, I British boxing reaches the heights we have seen now.

[Randall Cunning]

I think Hearn is one of the best at what he does, but he was also very lucky, a few things come together at the same time and he was in the right place to take advantage

[Randall Cunning]

Team GB had one Olympic entrant in 2004, a 17 year old kid who would go on to draw millions on national TV, headline in the US and draw celebrities to the sport like never before (not since Naz and Eubank anyway).

That led to Team GBs continued success in 2008 where the team was better than the one in 2012. The London Olympics were successful but they did not kick start the UK amateur revolution and increase the visibility of the pro sport, it was 2004-05, Amir Khan and Ricky Hatton. Without those 2, I British boxing reaches the heights we have seen now.

Yeah true, but a lot of money was put into sports in the run up to the Olympics that Im not sure would have been there if not for the Olympics