Boxing Gaining Mainstream Momentum

[wrimc]

I think the past couple of weeks has been a great example of how boxing can gain mainstream attention from press and the media in general. We had some good coverage in the lead up to Froch Groves. Since the fight however there has been plenty of interest due to the thrilling nature of the battle and of course the controversial way it ended. I found that the coverage spilled over to Bellew Stevenson with some decent column inches being devoted to that fight as there were some interesting angles to take on Stevensons past and the weigh in scuffle.

I hope that that momentum will continue into this week when Barker will defend his title in Germany and there will be another good example of a top level fight for a world title involving a Brit and prime time.

What can we garner from this.

1 The Public are interested when there is something to talk about controversy, a good fight, needle etc etc

2 The public want to see British fighters face off against each other in competitive world title fights.

3 The interest is there when you can string together top level boxing events

4 Characters are needed to create a narrative good v bad, underdog story local hero.

I think these few weeks are a good blueprint for how boxing in Britain needs to go forward in the future if it its to create and maintain a large fanbase.

[TJ77]

Do you not think that the appalling stoppage will only serve to cement the perception that alot of the public have that our sport is fixed.
Not my opinion but one im sure alot of people hold that opinion.
Yes it was a great fight for a casual to see and be drawn in and then "boom" just as I thought boxing is rigged turned off again.
We need at least one genuine champion who is fan friendly and will create a national warmth of support.
Hearn should get Groves round for xmas turkey and sign him and build him then you might see a mainstream audience materialise.
Froch isn't likeable to hard core fans let alone casuals

[hurlock]

It's about marketing the fighters & making shows appealing to the fans.
Some people only will attend a show if they know the fighter or if maybe they support the same football team & supporters attend the boxing matches. Boxers have to make themselfs stand out most do go on twitter & build relations & network to an audience & create fans.the internet is highly respected the music industry give out contracts to people that have aqquired aload of views & hits as they have proven marketable.

[Finn]

bad decisions havent harmed football in fact fans have made efforts to keep the sport the way it is rather than introduce video playback.

I think boxing is becoming mainstream again froch, khan, haye and hatton recently have had hugely marketed fights, most casual sports fans were talking about hattons comeback, hayes fight with fury and the one that actually happened with chisora and the froch v groves fight. Its also helped having C5 showing chris eubank jr, degale and fury to get the public interested again.

What we need to make sure happens is a froch v groves rematch because that will be absolutely huge in this country.

[wrimc]

Do you not think that the appalling stoppage will only serve to cement the perception that alot of the public have that our sport is fixed.
Not my opinion but one im sure alot of people hold that opinion.
Yes it was a great fight for a casual to see and be drawn in and then "boom" just as I thought boxing is rigged turned off again.
We need at least one genuine champion who is fan friendly and will create a national warmth of support.
Hearn should get Groves round for xmas turkey and sign him and build him then you might see a mainstream audience materialise.
Froch isn't likeable to hard core fans let alone casuals

I see what you are saying but dont agree with the point. I think really obvious unjust decisions hurt the sport. I think what happened in the Groves Froch fight is what I would call a legitimate point of debate. Whatever side of the argument you fall on it provokes discussion. It is this talking point factor that is good for the sport. How often do people talk about an offside goal in football or a handball? I would put an "early" stoppage in that bracket.

I think that a Froch Groves rematch is a must and a failure to deliver that would hurt the sport especially with all the coverage it has garnered its a massive moneyspinner. Both sides have a point to prove I think.

I think regualr fights of a good standard with decent media coverage gets people interested. I will be interested to see how Bellew and in particular the Barker fight does in terms of ratings bearing in mind it is on at prime time.