Boxing in the '20s

[Motorcity Cobra]

hahahahah one of the true great posts



I don't hope for its failure and the sport is quite healthy in Europe.

The particular upset you mention is not the norm though and the fact that we are talking about a fight made to be a mismatch...and that's the problem.

I am gonna update the thread with some positives later.

If the sport is so healthy in Europe why are their fighters coming here?!?!? The sport is healthier in Japan than it is in the US and Europe.

I don't understand why y'all just type stuff without thinking.

[soul_survivor]

Part 2 - The Solution

The sport is in a state of disarray and revolution and this is what I think will happen -

The heavyweight division will not find an undisputed champion and Wilder will be applauded by the US media networks hellbent on securing US presence in the division.

Boxing economics, for far too long, has helped top fighters avoid one another by paying them huge amounts to fight nobodies. Wilder's career is a major case in point, however, it seems the noose is tightening. Regardless of the result of the fury fight, Wilder and his team have urn out of options. The same, sadly, can not be said of fighters in lower divisions where the belts are much more divided.

We are likely going to see AJ v at least one of Wilder v Fury, just because so many other roads are now closing. The winner of that fight will rightly be regarded as the best heavyweight on the planet...and a single, recognisable heavyweight is always great for the sport, examples range from Ali in the 60s/70s, through Tyson in the 80s and Wlad in the late 00s and early 2010s.

Showtime will shy away from the sport and maybe completely abandon it like HBO or only put on special event PPVs.

The sport has already shown resilience and diversification in the face of HBOs departure. It has moved onto several different platforms, whether they be TV, PPV or streaming services. It is unlikely that DAZN will become a major, must use sporting app but it could pave the way for many more. Heck, imagine if one of the streaming giants decided to get in on the act? Or if the economics of PPV no longer remain viable (and they aren't), the big US netwokrs will have to show the sport, at least the big events, through something other than extortionate $100 PPV.

In large swathes of Europe, especially Germany, the sport is relatively easy to view and with Wlad in his prime, his fights could be viewed by millions on terrestrial TV.

In the UK, the sport has gone through mass change, and Sky's hugely costly system will not pay off, if AJ stops being a star retires, losing too many times...I think Skys coverage will go the way of HBO and Showtime, as will BT Sports. But other avenues will open and with terrestrial TV looking to get back in on the act, there are many more windows open for what will becomes the sports biggest market.

The PPV model and high price for fighters fighting nobodies has already skewed the fight structure. The 2015 May/Pac fiasco almost destroyed the sport, this decade may see something much worse...a complete darkening of the sport in the US.

It is difficult to foresee the sport being a mainstream commodity in the US but the death of that market has opened up doors all across the world. The sport and its champions are more international than ever before. World class names comes from every corner and promote their sport in markets people did not talk much about at the turn of the century.

The increase in titles will completely warp divisions, franchise, super etc championships will become so widespread, the idea of a world title will be all but lost to everyone except the minority of hardcore fans.

This is a problem that will not be solved, it may actually get worse with each media entity creating their own champion. The only way around it is for fans to vote with their wallet.

There are ways around this and they can be discussed later.

This is the potential hope for the future and this is what boxing fans should be hoping for, rather than media rivalries, ethnic rubbish and fandom which blights the sport, inhibiting the best v best.

[soul_survivor]

If the sport is so healthy in Europe why are their fighters coming here?!?!? The sport is healthier in Japan than it is in the US and Europe.

I don't understand why y'all just type stuff without thinking.

In recent times, some of the most important fights have been held anywhere other than the US. The WBSS finals have been held in Moscow and the UK, the two biggest heavyweight boxing events of the decade have featured AJ, a UK fighter, selling out Wembley and then earning in excess of 50 million in Saudi Arabia. Add to that several top cruisers and heavies fights across Europe in financially successful and entertaining bouts.

It's not just in terms of where the fights are taking place but also WHO the fighters are. The US may still be a big financial market for SOME divisions but the biggest names in the sport are now European (AJ, Usyk and Loma), bar Canelo.

You dont have to like it, just deal with it.

[boogbx]

hahahahah one of the true great posts



I don't hope for its failure and the sport is quite healthy in Europe.

The particular upset you mention is not the norm though and the fact that we are talking about a fight made to be a mismatch...and that's the problem.

I am gonna update the thread with some positives later.

Boxing has always been political
Since it’s a sport that you can bet on like all sports. The mob ran boxing back in the day and I wasn’t around but I imagine a lot of shady stuff happened.


Truth is that’s all in the sport, the sports essence is defying the odds.

We’ve seen 4 insane upsets in the past year or so.

Ruiz-Joshua 1
Cancio-Machado 1-2
J-Rock- Hurd
Harrison- Charlo
Cano-Linares
Sor Rungvisai- Chocolatito

The list goes on and on. Upsets and politics is all in the game.

[soul_survivor]

The 20s???? I think most of this happened already or is just a thing in boxing.

The title thing has been going on for a couple decades easy. Most casuals couldn't tell you the #1 guy in more than 2 or 3 divisions since the 80s.

I know, I am stating that it has gotten far worse and could get far worse.

PPV makes & has made high level boxing a niche sport. That's not cuz of MayPac. It's cuz most mfers didn't wanna pay for ANY fights from the days of Oscar, Tyson or SRL or going back to the days of the primitive version of PPV called Closed Circuit or going back even further when you couldn't even watch the big fights live. You had to go to the theater a week or two after the fact to watch them. It's revisionist history that mfers just started to have to pay to watch the big fights let alone its everyone's favorite guy to blame, Floyd's, fault somehow.

The issue, as stated, is not just the PPVs themselves but the cost and quality. There was a reportedly $300 million pay off divided between Mayweather and Pacquiao for their PPV, this shifted the entire economic balance of the sport. If it now costs that much to bring your two biggest stars into a ring for a sub par sparring session, how much does it cost for lower level stars? Or how about championship quality fighters fighting top quality opposition?

I don't have to theorise any of this, we have seen it happen over the last ten years and it is only getting worse. Not quite sure why you think it's all Mayweather's fault.

I wish bigger more structural shifts that were legitimately influx & could revolutionize the sport were going on like rules were streamlined, we had one champ, boxing had real & clearly defined tiers of skill like other sports had & there weren't so many divisions that few care about but unfortunately that sh^t is no where close to happening still.

Well duh...which is why the issues I raised need to be addressed

Read above

[Eff Pandas]

Read above

Didn't say it was Floyd's fault if you understand my comment mocking those blaming Floyd. I think it's an nutty statement to suggest MayPac "almost destroyed boxing". Boxing hurts boxing daily more than any boxer could in their lifetime.

As to the price, inflation is a mfer. It's the same ole sh^t it's always been.

[soul_survivor]

Didn't say it was Floyd's fault if you understand my comment mocking those blaming Floyd. I think it's an nutty statement to suggest MayPac "almost destroyed boxing". Boxing hurts boxing daily more than any boxer could in their lifetime.

As to the price, inflation is a mfer. It's the same ole sh^t it's always been.

First off stop typing like a gangster wannabe.

Second maypac is an event and it has damaged the sport more than ever, as per the response I wrote. Take the time to read it.

[Eff Pandas]

First off stop typing like a gangster wannabe.

Second maypac is an event and it has damaged the sport more than ever, as per the response I wrote. Take the time to read it.

Wtf was gangsta wannabe about what I typed?

You said in the OP & I quote "The 2015 May/Pac fiasco almost destroyed the sport". I read it. It's a ridiculous statement.

Nor did it damage the sport. And if it did why did Floyd vs Conor sell as many PPV's as they did?

Right now PPV's are low cuz the names aren't big. Some of you guys don't understand what sells PPV's. Casuals being interested is what sells PPV's not top guys fighting...unless they are big names who also happen to be top guys fighting. And right now is the first time in a long time we got a gap in big names doing PPVs in the US with the biggest star going to DAZN. Price gots nothing to do with nothing. When Manny fights Conor or Floyd comes back to fight Manny or Conor again you'll see.

Also you "boxing is dying" or "almost died this one time" & various other type guys are being too f#cking dramatic all the time. It's not that serious. Boxing always has had & always will have ups & downs, but it will always exist in some form, as it likely has, cuz fighting is such a basic human competitive activity.