Boxing, a thing of the past

**LeeMc** · 08-18-2006, 09:49 AM

Boxing's mainstream coverage, and therefore support, is on the decline. However, I don't think that that is a really bad thing. Here in the U.K football (soccer) is the most popular sport but a lot of people like it just to impress or because it has become trendy. What you find is that a lot of people, maybe even the majority, talk rubbish about the sport. It is hard to find football conversations which are not ruined by people offering opinions they have read in the newspapers and not formed themselves or by people who know nothing about the history or anything happening outside of England.

Boxing is different. While I might not agree with every view or opinion I read on here the vast majority of posters put thought into what they believe. They won't just like the American or British guy because of an accident of birth. They will watch plenty of action from outside their shores or at least follow the development of various overseas fighters.

Boxing might not enjoy the support it does deserve but it is left with the true fans and therefore the most informed.

j · 08-18-2006, 11:00 AM

in america, boxing in general hasn't been extremely popular for a long time.

i believe that there are many reasons for this, not just one.

take a look at espn's sportcenter - they have no coverage at all of boxing unless something extraordinary happens like tyson biting off a third of holyfield's ear.

i'd say one of the bigger reasons for boxing not being as big as it used to is the lack of boxing coverage by the more major media networks. combine that with corruption from promoters such as don king and klaus-peter kohl and boxing appears as a more insignificant and less credible sport.

remember the tournament that don king completely rigged in the 1980's? that was covered on everything from major news networks to non-boxing and non-sport related magazines. that, for one, was a significant blow to boxing. that event has seemed to be covered up for the most part, except that it is mentioned on atleast one of his biographical videos.

Boxing might not enjoy the support it does deserve but it is left with the true fans and therefore the most informed.

well, that would be a nice thought, but look at a lot of the posters on this site - not to mention the ones on other sites. i've read a lot of opinions formed upon little knowledge of certain topics. too many to name actually. and i'm not even going to go into the insane opinions that are formed by some. all in all, a good portion of boxing fans are as idiotic as fans of any other sport - such as football fans who only root for the team representing the state they live in while having some unfounded hatred for anybody who favors a different team.

overall, boxing is seeming to be getting a little more exposure now in 2006. even the outdoor life network has picked up both live and classic boxing. so, just maybe, things are looking up as far as boxing exposure is concerned.

**Toddy** · 08-18-2006, 11:03 AM

boxing is a thing of the past over here. anyone can name and tell you about any boxer from years ago but now, all the gyms are closin down barely anybody knows any boxers. hell some people think mike tyson is still boxin. as for watchin it on t.v. there is still some people that watch but seem to forget what heppened a few minutes later

**Abe Attell** · 08-18-2006, 11:49 AM

Originally posted by Hatton Hitman

boxing is a thing of the past over here. anyone can name and tell you about any boxer from years ago but now, all the gyms are closin down barely anybody knows any boxers. hell some people think mike tyson is still boxin. as for watchin it on t.v. there is still some people that watch but seem to forget what heppened a few minutes later

It is the normal cycle, of going up and down, well at least it used to be: Up when a great fighter is on the rise and becomes Champion and down when nobody of interest is fighting.
Maybe it is the better Economy in the States/Europe that is causing such a devastating blow to boxing...kids just don't care to fight, starting in the street, like they used to

; seems most kids today would rather play video games or get high, instead of being useful in entertaining the neighborhood with street-fights. Because kids don't have to worry about where their next meal comes from they don't have a need for sports like boxing; if they are hungry they have dreams of becoming the next Michael Jordan, Pele, Jay Z or Paris Hilton :*******:...I may be wrong, but didn't Rome close down the Coliseum with the rise of the "Peaceful" religion, Christianity? Yes, it would be great to live in "Peace", but how boring is that: No more fights, no more wild sex/orgy parties, no more need for "sinful acts, what a shame. I think the Romans thought they knew what they were doing by helping Jesus fulfill his prophecy, but boy were they wrong.

Then again, now that I think about it, I forgot one person every ****** kids likes to look up to, SCARFACE; the great immigrant who struggled so hard in his new country and became a buisness man

...so there are great things still going on in my city like gang fights, murders, orgy clubs (though they are starting to shut down) and strip clubs, not to mention what the ****** people call "Training", which if you need me to desribe is this: when you have one women (usually somebodies girlfriend) willing to **** a number of guys that are usually friends of the boyfriend, one after the other, or better known as the "gang ****"; the oh so lovely robberies, which if you are lucky you can be "gangsta" by receiving a gun shot or a stab wound to show to your "peeps"; and so many more.

Maybe it is just the lack of Patience these kids have today; they just don't want to work hard and long for something, always wanting the quick pleasure/solution.

**Kball15** · 08-18-2006, 12:00 PM

i would like to blame DON KING for single handedly destroying the beautiful sport of boxing. He made it go from a clean sport to a sport that is now corrupt in every way. Every person, including judges, have their price and DON KING can pay that price and then some.

secondly. Boxing is far from a dead sport. Its decline in popularity is pretty drastic, but it is still a popular sport.

Sportscenter does a thing on every HUGE ppv fight. they did the rahman fight and they did the mosely fight. The problem with getting highlights is u gotta pay for 'em from HBO.

Lastly, boxing has horrible exposure. The fights u see on ESPN2 are garbage. For us, the 'hardcore' fans, it is a great thing to have. But when a person who is sorta into boxing tunes in, he sees enourmous mismatches and sloppy boxing. Boxing at its worst. ITs a huge turnoff and people WILL turn away from the sport unless they air augustus-ward fights from now on.

ESPN CAN be a big role-player in the comeback of boxing if they wanted to. Currently, ESPN pays $6 million to main events. Main events then hooks ESPN up with some 'evenly matched' and exciting cards. ESPN could do this on their own. they have the big name and they certainly have enough money for it. With that same 6 million dollars they could have fighters that get onto showtime. ESPN could play a huge role in boxing and would be awsome to watch for EVERYONE!!!

And in case u didnt notice, boxing is currently on a slow yet steady comback state. there isnt a person that i have ever met that doesnt like the idea of boxing. they all enjoy hearing that a big fighter won or lost, and like watching a good knockout. EVERYONE likes the idea of boxing except those anti-violence freaks. Its just that boxing does not have the right exposure. They dont place builboards at bus stops or on busses like the movies do.

In the next decade, expect an increase in boxings popularity, not a decrease

**Abe Attell** · 08-18-2006, 12:10 PM

True, but you still need an exciting fighter: a fighter with Skill and Personality/Character...like a Dempsey, Louis, Ali, Tyson, etc.
A young fighter too, not some guy in his 30's starting out that took up the sport 5 minutes ago

**Toddy** · 08-18-2006, 12:16 PM

Originally posted by Abe Attell

It is the normal cycle, of going up and down, well at least it used to be: Up when a great fighter is on the rise and becomes Champion and down when nobody of interest is fighting.
Maybe it is the better Economy in the States/Europe that is causing such a devastating blow to boxing...kids just don't care to fight, starting in the street, like they used to

; seems most kids today would rather play video games or get high, instead of being useful in entertaining the neighborhood with street-fights. Because kids don't have to worry about where their next meal comes from they don't have a need for sports like boxing; if they are hungry they have dreams of becoming the next Michael Jordan, Pele, Jay Z or Paris Hilton :*******:...I may be wrong, but didn't Rome close down the Coliseum with the rise of the "Peaceful" religion, Christianity? Yes, it would be great to live in "Peace", but how boring is that: No more fights, no more wild sex/orgy parties, no more need for "sinful acts, what a shame. I think the Romans thought they knew what they were doing by helping Jesus fulfill his prophecy, but boy were they wrong.

Then again, now that I think about it, I forgot one person every ****** kids likes to look up to, SCARFACE; the great immigrant who struggled so hard in his new country and became a buisness man

...so there are great things still going on in my city like gang fights, murders, orgy clubs (though they are starting to shut down) and strip clubs, not to mention what the ****** people call "Training", which if you need me to desribe is this: when you have one women (usually somebodies girlfriend) willing to **** a number of guys that are usually friends of the boyfriend, one after the other, or better known as the "gang ****"; the oh so lovely robberies, which if you are lucky you can be "gangsta" by receiving a gun shot or a stab wound to show to your "peeps"; and so many more.

Maybe it is just the lack of Patience these kids have today; they just don't want to work hard and long for something, always wanting the quick pleasure/solution.

i agree completely. now the BIG issue over here is religion, protestant and catholic. there are fights and even killins over it everyday, but the problem is the fights are never 1 on 1 its mostly 3 on 1 or even 6 or 7 on 1 which is the image of a "hard man" and even if you win the fight they come back in greater numbers. so it looks like its the easy way out for most of us kids these day and there are only a few who work for what they really want.

Boxing, a thing of the past