Why aren't boxers known as much as they use to be?

[Larry the boss]

Why are UFC fighters more popular than?

they arnt...i cant name 5 of their fighters

[*TonyMontana*]

I don't think that's true
With Twitter and everything you can literally stalk your favourite boxer
Back when I was on Facebook I used to chat to Boone
Pacquiao has a whole Continent behind him
Floyd broke all records
Everybody and their mama knows Amir Khan is a glass jawed clown

Go see if those same fans from that era would pay our ppv prices

[Sheldon312]

they arnt...i cant name 5 of their fighters

I mean why is UFC more popular

[anonymous2.0]

honestly the sport went downhill after guys like Sutherland and Rainford retired

Sutherland is what got me into boxing

[Larry the boss]

I mean why is UFC more popular

It really isnt to be honest

[anonymous2.0]

Back in the 70's everybody knew who Ali, Foreman, and Frazier were. In the 80's everybody knew who Hearns, Duran, Wilfred, Hangler, and Leonard was. In the 90's everyone knew who Tyson, Roy, and Holyfield were. Why aren't any of these current boxers known more by the general public when they have access to social media and other outlets that fighters of the past didn't have?

Top of the list: Not as many prominent American fighters. Out of the four major belts and the 17 weight classes, there's only about a dozen American titlists.

PPV. There's so many PPV fights nowadays I'm PPV fatigued. Some fights I don't watch.

Lack of quality opponents/classic fights. Our big man Deontay Wilder is an undefeated American HW champ with an amazing KO% but he's had no quality dance partners.

Lack of presence/charm/charisma. Tyson Fury fit the bill but he's basically retired, and he's only one guy. Andre Ward has the charm and charisma of a sweaty boxing glove.

Lack of exposure. Back then people were in the news, on TV, making appearances, and being celebrities. Mikey Garcia and Tim Bradley are great fighters but they disappear until they have another fight. Gary Russell jr, a name I bet you haven't thought of for a while until now, has been MIA for a year.

Lack of fights. Guys just aren't fighting as much as they should. Why should a casual get invested with a boxer that fights 2-3 times a year when they can watch their favorite QB play 16 games a year?

No Super Bowl or equivalent. I think boxing is really missing out on not having an event like that. You can pin the World Cup or Super Bowl to a calendar for the next hundred years as a sports fan make those days your own personal holiday. My dream would be if a sanctioning body said, "Okay, every year for the entire month of May all of our belts are on the line, from Straw to Heavy. Our belt holders must adhere to this schedule."

Too many distractions today. There's so much information to look at online, so many celebrities, entertainers and other athletes competing for your attention boxers have fallen way deep into the cracks.

[MasterPlan]

Back in the 70's everybody knew who Ali, Foreman, and Frazier were. In the 80's everybody knew who Hearns, Duran, Wilfred, Hangler, and Leonard was. In the 90's everyone knew who Tyson, Roy, and Holyfield were. Why aren't any of these current boxers known more by the general public when they have access to social media and other outlets that fighters of the past didn't have?

There was only like 12 channels back in 1972.

[GhostofDempsey]

The local boxing clubs and arenas are all but gone. There was a time when there were live fights every week in a town near you. You could cheer on your favorite hometown fighter. They toured the region and country taking fights each week. Those days are about over. Television killed the local venues.

Boxing as a sport isn't as popular in the U.S. because times have changed as well. We are a kinder, softer, gentler PC generation. Too many castrated suburbanite husbands who would rather watch The Bachelor with their alpha-female wives and play video games after yoga class. There isn't as much interest in the sweet science. We live in a time where golfers are considered athletes on the same level as basketball players.

[al-Xander]

Why aren't boxers known as much as they use to be?

Because they're not as active as they used to be. Fighters who fought once last year: Thurman, Porter, Broner, Peterson, Jacobs, Berto, Quillin, Stevenson, Lara, Andrade, Jermell Charlo, Dirrel, Degale, Bradley, etc. Few otthers fought twice and it would be a miracle to see them fight 3 times.

It's pathetic.

[MrRolltide91]

They're not. The ufc has a more focused marketing machine so they can hype whoever they choose very efficiently but even with that, who is a household name in the UFC? No one who's currently active (I'm counting Rousey as retired) and McGreggor is the closest thing to it, primarily due to the Mayweather talk. Mayweather is 10x more known than McGreggor.

Their PPVs are doing well but they deliver stacked cards. 2 years ago, when they were showcasing one popular fighter per card, they did lousy numbers. Don't forget, we're only 2 years out from a boxing ppv that may have generated more revenue than a whole year of UFC events.

There's a lot of hype surrounding the UFC right now and they're doing well again, financially, but don't make the mistake of thinking they have a lot of stars.

Sometimes they still do lousy numbers