Anyone feel like boxing was a lot better 5 years ago?

[EasternEuroFan]

only guys like Alvarez and Joshua are true mainstream stars.

Even that is on a much smaller scale. They are popular in their respective countries/where they fight and nobody outside of those places care much apart from hardcore fans.

Manny & Floyd were the last fighters that i'd say were truly worldwide sporting stars that transcended boxing for time. Boxing today doesn't have any true global sporting stars. i know Manny is active but nobody cares anymore.

Mayweather is still by far the biggest name in boxing and he's retired.

[7NN]

You wanted to say 10 years, because 5 years ago the scene was a total ****fest compared to nowadays.

[MR. V]

The answer is yes. Boxing is, almost, total shid right now. Those are just facts.

I'm not as prime as some of the OGs here, but I've been watching boxing like an addict since Holyfield vs Rid**** Bowe 1 in '92, and I can confirm that boxing has easily been garbage the past 5 years. Or, at least on an unquestionable decline.

I blame it on the promoters not letting top talent fight top talent from other promotional companies. When that shid happen, fans and boxing were severely hurt. One could argue, irreversibly hurt.

[crillz]

With new fighters like Wilder, Fury, Joshua, Usyk, Eleider Alvarez, Charlo's, Andrade, Hurd, Spence, Crawford, Mikey, Thurman, Lomachenko, Davis, Ryan Garcia, Teofimo Lopez, Johnathan Romero, Shakur Stevenson etc and that's just naming only some undefeated talent never mind the Danny Garcia's, Porter's, Kahn's, Brook's, Alvarez's, Golovkin's, Jacobs, Sevenson's and Luis Ortiz's of the world. I'd say Boxing is doing great and might I say there are potential mega fights looming that could topple anything we've seen yet

[sugarsmosley]

i think closer to 7 years ago when things were the best

pacman,floyd,mosley,marquez,margarito,cotto,sergio ,bhop,ward,froch,klit.. i could probably think of more but all these guys were involved in big event after big event and it seemed like their was so much buzz and excitement u could just feel it when these guys were getting close to fighting.

nowadays its rare when i get that excitement from an upcoming fight, the ggg-canelo fights got me hyped, even the past couple loma fights got me kind of hyped but not as much. ive even resorted to watching some conor mcgregors UFC fights, because boxing really lacks the superstars with personality that draw you in. i mean just look at the declining PPV numbers and lack of viewership for fights. its not just ur average "cycle" that boxing goes thru, i think history shows this is different then that and boxing is in a serious downfall right now.

maybe im wrong, hopefully i am. i would welcome it. i would be happy to see boxing rise up over the next few years and gain some momentum. but it just seems like we've been on a steady decline since the may-pac debacle

[sugarsmosley]

and yeah like someone already said, pwill bless his heart was already finished 5 years ago. i believe ricky hatton got knocked into retirement in 09 and who really ever liked david haye? lol

[soul_survivor]

Does 'star power' really matter? You've probably just got a bit jaded, man. Just go back to enjoying the boxing and let the 'star power' sort itself out. There's good fights on across the globe if you take the time to look for them and they don't have to be between A listers to make compelling viewing.

Hell - Saucedo vs Hooker this weekend promises to be a good 'un in my book. And why not get your ass on the Pick 'em thread, or fantasy betting if you want to add a little ****e?

There are some good fights no doubt but where are the best fights? The welterweight division is almost under one umbrella yet over the last 3 or so years they have not yet all fought each other.

We've still got the WBC belt at heavyweight, once the most prestigious title being nothing more than a joke.

The light middle division has disappeared.
Things were heading tin this direction five years ago but we still had some terrific top level fights and going back further, ten years or so, we had pacquiao the greatest boxing star on the planet fighting a who's who of top opponents, mayweather also the greatest star fighting a lesser level but better than today's lot and the super and light heavy divisions were lookin healthy.

Boxing is kinda pathetic now.