The big problem with boxing

[Chepppaaa]

you get punched in the face.

it is a simple sentence, a simple definition what boxing truly is. i tried to make sense of all the ducking, all the nonsense, all the big fights not happenning, when there is oviously enough money and fan attention to make it happen. down the line, there is something bigger, something more important than everything, even more important than money, but that the fact, that you get punched in the face and the better opposition you face, the better skilled, the stronger faster opponent you have infront of you, the more chances are there that you gonne get punched in the face, a lot.

and u know what, i can understand it, as much as i do hate big fights not happening, i can understand it that you wouldnt get into a ring with a prime golovkin, a prime kovalev, who gonne 90 % ko you, hurt you or a prime rigondeaux, who 100 % gonne outclass, shame, ridicoule you. thats big problem, the big irrational, you risk it all, your pride, even your life, when you get into the ring with the best.

but maybe than, guys like adonis, canelo, ward and frampton should start a new career as a tennis or golf player, something you dont get punched at all.

[ttornado]

It's a business masquerading as a sport...

[Cygnus475]

You have a point, buy I think the primary reason for all the ducking is the business and marketing side of things. Floyd mayweather made being undefeated and having an aura of invincibility popular concepts. Everyone is deathly afraid of losing now even if the opponent doesn't hit hard. (See rigondioux, bradley, ward, etc).

Not wanting to get brutally knocked out by a power punching boogeyman man in front of your family and fans and risking your health in general is a fairly straightforward explanation. I wish there was more regulation like other sports so the best fight the best and we know who's number 1. If you don't like getting hit you're in the wrong sport, tough luck.

[CaptainSpacerod]

Frampton ?

[littlepug]

Benn/Eubank/Collins wouldn't have made as much had they chased down the titans of the division, it made more sense to stay in uk as they were earning well

[gilgamesh]

The big problem with Boxing is the best not fighting the best.

It would be like if The Warriors and The Cavaliers were to win the Western Conference and Eastern Conference Finals in the NBA, and then for the Championship NBA Finals we got to see The Warriors vs The Minnesota Timberwolves who weren't even in the Playoffs, but now the Warriors get to make more money with much less risk of being beaten.

NBA fans wouldn't stand for that. Boxing fans shouldn't either.

[Lackeos]

IMO, there's a big problem with the fact that a lot of fans believe a fighter when he says he's super avoided. If you give a boxer more credit for what he says than what he actually does, then you're letting them off the hook without having to sincerely try to fight good opponents. It's like they're not really fans of boxers getting into the ring and boxing, they're just fans of talking tough on twitter.

[ttornado]

Frampton ?

Didn't fight Rigondeaux

[SaadOffTheDeck]

The big problem with Boxing is the best not fighting the best.

It would be like if The Warriors and The Cavaliers were to win the Western Conference and Eastern Conference Finals in the NBA, and then for the Championship NBA Finals we got to see The Warriors vs The Minnesota Timberwolves who weren't even in the Playoffs, but now the Warriors get to make more money with much less risk of being beaten.

NBA fans wouldn't stand for that. Boxing fans shouldn't either.

Nah, there are very few 'best' in the sport. The talent pool has massively dwindled. Fury and Wlad are the top 2 in the rankings for a reason(though I think Joshua would smoke either) and their fight was sewage.

[CaptainSpacerod]

Frampton ?

Didn't fight Rigondeaux

In terms of cherrypickers and avoiders Frampton would come way down any list.

Floyd should be the first name mentioned

[Kalan]

you get punched in the face

You get punched in the face, the temple, behind the ear, in the solar plexus, the liver, the stomach, the kidneys, and in the nuts on occasion. But you take that risk so you get a chance to punch somebody else, beat them up, and knock them out. You practice defense a lot so you DON'T get hit. I don't see that as a problem. I see duckers, cowards and cherry-pickers as the biggest problem Boxing has.

My solution is to have 1 World champion in each weight division - and once you become a top 3 contender you lose control over who you can fight next... The champion has to fight the number 1 contender... and the number 2 contender has to fight the number 3 contender for the next shot at the title... Anybody other than the top 4 boxers in each division can fight whoever they want, when they want... The USA, UK, Russia, Ukraine, Mexico, Argentina, and Germany should each appoint 2 members to a 14-member rating committee. They have to be ex-boxers or active or ex-trainers...with no pundits or commentators who don't have a professional boxing background allowed on the committee. Every month they all need to submit their top 10 for each division by email by the 1st of the month, but the rankings of boxers who have title fights and elimination fights scheduled could not be disturbed until after they fight.

[Chepppaaa]

The big problem with Boxing is the best not fighting the best.

It would be like if The Warriors and The Cavaliers were to win the Western Conference and Eastern Conference Finals in the NBA, and then for the Championship NBA Finals we got to see The Warriors vs The Minnesota Timberwolves who weren't even in the Playoffs, but now the Warriors get to make more money with much less risk of being beaten.

NBA fans wouldn't stand for that. Boxing fans shouldn't either.

exactly

[jamesmcdonnell]

you get punched in the face

You get punched in the face, the temple, behind the ear, in the solar plexus, the liver, the stomach, the kidneys, and in the nuts on occasion. But you take that risk so you get a chance to punch somebody else, beat them up, and knock them out. You practice defense a lot so you DON'T get hit. I don't see that as a problem. I see duckers, cowards and cherry-pickers as the biggest problem Boxing has.

My solution is to have 1 World champion in each weight division - and once you become a top 3 contender you lose control over who you can fight next... The champion has to fight the number 1 contender... and the number 2 contender has to fight the number 3 contender for the next shot at the title... Anybody other than the top 4 boxers in each division can fight whoever they want, when they want... The USA, UK, Russia, Ukraine, Mexico, Argentina, and Germany should each appoint 2 members to a 14-member rating committee. They have to be ex-boxers or active or ex-trainers...with no pundits or commentators who don't have a professional boxing background allowed on the committee. Every month they all need to submit their top 10 for each division by email by the 1st of the month, but the rankings of boxers who have title fights and elimination fights scheduled could not be disturbed until after they fight.

Nice idea, but there are far too many vested interests and corrupt bodies in boxing to ever allow that to happen.

The general public also no longer cares enough about boxing.

Boxing's biggest and most pernicious problem, is that it is the only sport I can think of, that is effectively staged by promoters and networks, in the absence of an overall governing body which has ultimate authority.

[ttornado]

In terms of cherrypickers and avoiders Frampton would come way down any list.

The whole process of first taking the belt then returning it just to make the Quigg fight doesn't look good.

[littlepug]

you get punched in the face

You get punched in the face, the temple, behind the ear, in the solar plexus, the liver, the stomach, the kidneys, and in the nuts on occasion. But you take that risk so you get a chance to punch somebody else, beat them up, and knock them out. You practice defense a lot so you DON'T get hit. I don't see that as a problem. I see duckers, cowards and cherry-pickers as the biggest problem Boxing has.

My solution is to have 1 World champion in each weight division - and once you become a top 3 contender you lose control over who you can fight next... The champion has to fight the number 1 contender... and the number 2 contender has to fight the number 3 contender for the next shot at the title... Anybody other than the top 4 boxers in each division can fight whoever they want, when they want... The USA, UK, Russia, Ukraine, Mexico, Argentina, and Germany should each appoint 2 members to a 14-member rating committee. They have to be ex-boxers or active or ex-trainers...with no pundits or commentators who don't have a professional boxing background allowed on the committee. Every month they all need to submit their top 10 for each division by email by the 1st of the month, but the rankings of boxers who have title fights and elimination fights scheduled could not be disturbed until after they fight.

thats the ideal solution but it wouldnt work as only a few would be making big bucks and the rest would earn sod all, plus as fans we would have hardly anything to watch. Have you boxed yourself Kalan ?

[boxing_rocks]

you get punched in the face.

... and you voluntarily agree to risk that for money.

Military and police get shot at, but how many soldiers say "Going to Iraq is too high risk vs reward ratio. I am not going there" ?

[Impractical Poster]

The business chose a toilet for a pool and it is in the process of flushing.

This, and the fact that a lot of young talent are heading the MMA route as a choice of combat sport rather than boxing. Well, in the U.S. anyhow. Whether other countries continue to follow this trend, I believe, depends on whether or not Zuffa sells the UFC. The reason the health of MMA is where it is today and continues to grow is because of Lorenzo and Dana. If they jump ship, who knows what is going to happen. But, if the growth of MMA continues in the same direction it's going, the talent pool in boxing will dwindle on a global scale.

I understand boxing fans don't like to hear this and don't accept it, but it's real.

[SaadOffTheDeck]

The business chose a toilet for a pool and it is in the process of flushing.

This, and the fact that a lot of young talent are heading the MMA route as a choice of combat sport rather than boxing. Well, in the U.S. anyhow. Whether other countries continue to follow this trend, I believe, depends on whether or not Zuffa sells the UFC. The reason the health of MMA is where it is today and continues to grow is because of Lorenzo and Dana. If they jump ship, who knows what is going to happen. But, if the growth of MMA continues in the same direction it's going, the talent pool in boxing will dwindle on a global scale.

I understand boxing fans don't like to hear this and don't accept it, but it's real.

MMA is way better than Boxing from a match up and business standpoint. If they sold it, I doubt anyone would leave. The Chinese dude would just make the majority of the profit and Dana would get 400 milliom, the fertitas 3.2 billion and the arab conglomerate 400 million. No reason for that guy to change the model other than bringing cards to China. Pay those guys to keep running it.

[Chepppaaa]

you get punched in the face.

... and you voluntarily agree to risk that for money.

Military and police get shot at, but how many soldiers say "Going to Iraq is too high risk vs reward ratio. I am not going there" ?

a lot

[boxing_rocks]

you get punched in the face.

... and you voluntarily agree to risk that for money.

Military and police get shot at, but how many soldiers say "Going to Iraq is too high risk vs reward ratio. I am not going there" ?

a lot

Are they allowed to stay in the army ?

[Ilya Muromets]

.........

[Chepppaaa]

... and you voluntarily agree to risk that for money.

Military and police get shot at, but how many soldiers say "Going to Iraq is too high risk vs reward ratio. I am not going there" ?

a lot

Are they allowed to stay in the army ?

i dont know

[Kalan]

Thats the ideal solution but it wouldnt work as only a few would be making big bucks and the rest would earn sod all, plus as fans we would have hardly anything to watch. Have you boxed yourself Kalan ?

Fans are not concerned about World Titles. That was evident when Antonio Tarver and Glen Johnson fought each other and Tarver was stripped for it because he felt it was idiotic to pay sanctioning fees to 5 different org... Tarver said, "You mean I have to pay fees to the WBC, WBA, WBF, IBA, and IBO??? Fuk man, why don't 15 more orgs recognize me as champ and demand fees. Just wipe out my whole paycheck??? Fuk these fees. Do you think the fans care if I own all these phony titles and belts??? Fuk 'em. Don't pay the fees. Maybe pay the IBO. They have the most reasonable fee. We only need one Belt. Everybody in the world knows I'm the Light Heavyweight Champion. We don't need 25 orgs telling everybody I'm the champ. Those dead heads don't promote the fight. They exist to extort money from boxers."

Joe Louis's biggest pulling fight was a non-title fight with Max Baer... Jack Dempsey pulled more fans and money for his non-title fight with Jack Sharkey than Title Fights with Willard, Brennan, Miske, Gibbons, Carpentier, and Firpo.. It's not the title. It's the fight.

[victor-romeo]

There are not that many good fighters, and the ones that are don't fight each other that often..

[Controversial]

too much money, too many protected fighters steered towards title shots without being really tested, few title eliminators between the true world class top contenders, too many weight divisions, too much politics, poor matchups dressed up as real tests....