You make a great point - but here's another for yaBuncey wrote:Injured rib.
Injured hand.
Neither used as an excuse after the fight - I did a bit of digging and found out after. Neither using as an excuse now.
As a bit of an aside, but still related, there were national newspaper boxing writers who never wrote a word at the weekend about this fight. Please, let's not fall into their trap and validate their decision not to cover it by slagging it off.
Consider this:
Prizefighter...ignored by press.
British titles week in and week out...ignored by press.
Barker in Atlantic City...just a couple of writers.
This was on paper and was in reality a fantastic domestic fight with the WBO's bauble as an extra.
The 70s, 80s and 90s was not all John Conteh and Chris Finnegan...go and look at some of the shite fights in tiny, tiny venues with men fighting for peanuts. I remain amazed at the negativity that surfaces on forums.
Adios.
Young boxing fans dont give two tosses about the daily rag print press, and not many buy them. Only boxing publications get purchased.
Apart from maybe riding the bus, or boarding an Aeroplane for a flight, the newspaper is not the force it once was amongst under-30's anymore.
The red tops are largely consumed by men in vans, who flick through whilst drinking their tea during their lunch hour on their dash board. The more 'intelligent' newspapers are usually Sunday morning fodder.
Of all the friends and family I know, hardly any now make it their daily duty to purchase a paper. It's not even their main priority for a Sunday either when they fetch some bacon and a sliced loaf.
The mobile devices like Blackberry, iPhone and especially iPads pick up news instantly via Twitter, Facebook and news sites. Infact many newspapers like the Guardian and Times now have an iPad version you can subscribe to on the fly.
In closing, sure the tabloid people might have let it slip - but I'd bet the internet has increased 1000% with websites, contributors and forums in the last 8 years.
And that's the trend that needs focus. Because if you examine advertising revenue spent by blue chip companies, after Tv and internet... newspaper advert spends barely get a look in anymore.
Books are like vinyl = timeless.
Newspapers = Cassette tapes
