Is Boxing in a no win situation tonight?

[caldo2025]

For 15 years, Boxing has been longing for relevance and tonight they finally have the attention they've craved. "Be careful what you wish for" is a cliche that I feel applies. A sport that has operated in the shadows in a modern day "Wild West" is now under a microscope and a spotlight so bright that tonight, they need to be perfect. With the record setting money exchanging hands in Vegas and the millions of people spending their hard earned money on PPV, I can't even imagine what would happen if this goes wrong. What if this fight ends after 5 because a butt or a low blow? What if the judges tabulate an inconceivable verdict? What if Kenny Bayless blows it? What if the fight is just horrible? Can you imagine the worlds reaction if this night doesn't come close to living up to the unattainable hype it's generated?

IMO, Boxing is in a no win situation. For boxing purists, it's Christmas Day today and I personally don't care if these two throw 5 punches a round. For me, just seeing these two in the same ring matching wits is enough for me. But I think that Boxing has way more to lose than gain tonight. The casual or novice fan will not be impressed unless we have a Rocky II ending and Manny just beats the count for the win. This fight has NO CHANCE of living up to the hype tonight and i'm curious to see what it will mean to Boxing.

I'm surprised at my own negativity on such a glorious day but I worry about my sport tomorrow morning. What do you think? Is this attention and spotlight going to be good for Boxing?

[NateJR]

For today it's a great thing for boxing. Great fights with top tier fighters on network television is great for boxing. The reality of it is, after Mayweather and Pacquiao are gone, the day of paying for PPV or being a subscriber to HBO or Showtime just to watch a lucrative fight, those days will be over. Alvarez and Cotto are the only other 2 fighters who are PPV caliber fighters, with Cotto reaching the end of his career just like Floyd and Pacquiao. Canelo can continue to believe he's a PPV star, but the reality of it is he's not a PPV star, he's a PPV fighter and he seems to be the only young fighter out there with the mind set that he's fighting PPV or he's not fighting at all.

Yes it will be a bad night for boxing as a whole if the fight ends up sucking, a controversial outcome would be horrible, but boxing has a lot more to offer after this and even if it turns out to be a bad night for boxing, it will very likely redeem itself in the future. There's a lot of young talent in boxing and a lot to get even the casual fan excited when it comes to the future of boxing and they will be able to watch a good amount of top level fighters fighting on network television going forward.

[ECMoney]

The reality of it is, after Mayweather and Pacquiao are gone, the day of paying for PPV or being a subscriber to HBO or Showtime just to watch a lucrative fight, those days will be over.

Give your head a shake. You sound like every other sports reporter across North America who never covers boxing and comes out of the woods for this big fight.

I went to Tyson vs Lewis in 2002 and everyone was saying the same thing then. This is it. On the undercard was this little Filipino buzzsaw who nobody knew anything about. You think anyone could imagine he would go on to be a big ppv success. And mayweather is another story.

Since Tyson/Lewis which set ppv and gate records and supposedly that was it for boxing, within the next 13 years three fights eclipsed the gate and ppv records. several ppv Stars during that period and countless more to come.

Golovkin and Lomachenko have that big star potential. Others can reach that star level but time will tell and the beauty of it is right now nobody knows who and when.

In 2002 if you told me mayweather and pacquiao would become huge ppv Stars I would have laughed and told you to take a walk.

[Badhusker]

I hope for two things after tonight's fight. One is that whoever wins does it in convincing fashion. The other is that both Mayweather and Pacquiao both retire. Its time to open boxing back up to the fans, the people, and rid the sport of prima donnas that allow money to control the sport. I realize that will always be a big part of it, but the sport will improve after Floyd and Manny are done.

[Rodian]

boxing already won. this is the most attention boxing has gotten since Tyson-Lewis

and Tyson was washed up and a train wreck back then, he was not given attention because of his boxing ability.

[Tanzio]

No, there are exponentially more winning scenarios for boxing today. One of the few losing scenarios is if one of the fighters ended up in a coma and died a week or more later.

What if that had happened with Hagler v Hearns?

Even if there is a controversial decision (the most likely scenario this evening) pretty much everyone wins. These conflicting styles lend themselves to a controversial decision, and the combatants recent fights is evidence enough that this likely will end in a close decision.

No matter which way a close decision goes it will lead to a rematch because it will be considered controversial by a significant % of the public. If Manny loses a close decision the rematch will be bigger than this one. If FMJ loses controversially, the rematch will be significantly bigger than this one.

Why? Because there are massive race based components attached to this fight, and because there will be such a huge celebration of FMJ haters that they will want one more dose of that sweet medicine.

If Manny ktfo FMJ (and he is not severely damaged) it will be huge for boxing. Given how FMJ fought v Maidana twice, and what SSM was able to accomplish with a significantly younger and sharper version of Floyd, I am much less certain of the outcome today than I was a few years ago.

The interest in this fight runs very deep. Those roots will grow in the vast majority of scenarios.

I find it amusing how so many people who know so little declare boxing dead. It has been the trend in my lifetime to try to make something come true by claiming it is already true or continuing to proclaim that it is about to happen.

The return of The Son Of God. What are the chances that he returns a she?

"Print Is Dead"

The trumpeters you hear do not herald the end of boxing.

[jont]

The biggest problem with this promotion in my opinion was the fact that greed put a damper on the potential of such a big event. If there was at least one real fight that matched aggressive punchers against each other, then many other true boxing fans may have bought the fight. Provodnikov and Matthesse would have been great for tonight... Gonzalez and Sosa could have been added as well. Don King's big ppvs of the 90's were great as he had big name fighters on them... Im not sure of who the promoters are for the proposed additional fights are.. as maybe those fights could not occur on the same card but boxing loses on putting on a real show tonight regardless of the outcome of the BIG fight from a boxing fanatic's viewpoint

[Tanzio]

The biggest problem with this promotion in my opinion was the fact that greed put a damper on the potential of such a big event. If there was at least one real fight that matched aggressive punchers against each other, then many other true boxing fans may have bought the fight. Provodnikov and Matthesse would have been great for tonight... Gonzalez and Sosa could have been added as well. Don King's big ppvs of the 90's were great as he had big name fighters on them... Im not sure of who the promoters are for the proposed additional fights are.. as maybe those fights could not occur on the same card but boxing loses on putting on a real show tonight regardless of the outcome of the BIG fight from a boxing fanatic's viewpoint

This is not about you.

I do believe that the calculations with regard to the undercard are flawed.

[Lackeos]

There's definitely a lot that boxing stands to lose tonight. 2 million ppv buys, but that probably translates into 15 million or more viewers, including the non-paying. Boxing could gain fans tonight with a great show, or permanently lose potential fans who were giving it a chance. If we see something anywhere close to the disgrace that was Mayweather - Ortiz, then boxing might as well pack-up its things and quit being a sport. Even on an average night, I can pretty much promise that the entertainment factor of this fight won't be there, the refereeing has the potential to be controversial, and the judging has the guarantee of being controversial. This is the wrong fight with which to be showcasing the sport.

[Chepppaaa]

For 15 years, Boxing has been longing for relevance and tonight they finally have the attention they've craved. "Be careful what you wish for" is a cliche that I feel applies. A sport that has operated in the shadows in a modern day "Wild West" is now under a microscope and a spotlight so bright that tonight, they need to be perfect. With the record setting money exchanging hands in Vegas and the millions of people spending their hard earned money on PPV, I can't even imagine what would happen if this goes wrong. What if this fight ends after 5 because a butt or a low blow? What if the judges tabulate an inconceivable verdict? What if Kenny Bayless blows it? What if the fight is just horrible? Can you imagine the worlds reaction if this night doesn't come close to living up to the unattainable hype it's generated?

IMO, Boxing is in a no win situation. For boxing purists, it's Christmas Day today and I personally don't care if these two throw 5 punches a round. For me, just seeing these two in the same ring matching wits is enough for me. But I think that Boxing has way more to lose than gain tonight. The casual or novice fan will not be impressed unless we have a Rocky II ending and Manny just beats the count for the win. This fight has NO CHANCE of living up to the hype tonight and i'm curious to see what it will mean to Boxing.

I'm surprised at my own negativity on such a glorious day but I worry about my sport tomorrow morning. What do you think? Is this attention and spotlight going to be good for Boxing?

the sad thing is, people in general are so bored with their lifes in general, that they watch everything, the most boring shi&/(t they watch it. nfl = boring, most nba games = boring, every floyd fight = boring. i mean, i wouldnt say people love to watch boring stuff, but they just dont know what to do with their time and wach stupid boring shi/()=t, instead of going out with friends or doing sports themselves, just making something cool.

as far as the floyd - pac fight goes, if its becomes boring, than nothing happens afterwards, because like i said, people will always watch tv, regardless of what. holyfield-tyson II in 2 or 3 round with the bad ending and all the headbutts, lewis-tyson, i mean, both were ppv mega events and both failed, one ended to early and the other one was boring, same as de la hoya-mayweather, oscar tried to chase floyd for 12 rounds and floyd was being slick and just doing enough to slightly win a round and win a boring ud. so, 3 mega events with multi million views and what did happen afterwards, a disaster? no, nothing, because people simply dont care what they watch. they will watch the stupidyst shi&/(t, like wlad fights hahahahaha.....oh please.....have mercy

[MachoTime]

Is Boxing in a no win situation tonight?

They were sure talking about this on the sports radio talk shows last night. A interesting point was how many bettors were betting on the fight becoming a draw. Some of the Sports Talk Heads were going on and on about this..scenario :??

[jas80s]

It's another big night for boxing and that is a good thing....But, no matter what goes down, I believe two things...

1. Big fights will ALWAYS attract people in droves...it's always been the case, and it always will be...

2. Boxing will NEVER be a mainstream, top tier sport in terms of coverage and public perception again. It will always be a niche sport that people nonetheless enjoy. It's not football (either kind).

Nothing that happens tonight will change those things, in my opinion. There is a chance to bring in some new fans if the fight is good, but even they will likely drift away as boxing's inherent problems return to undermine fights we want to see in the coming months and years. In the end, this is a sport for hardcore fans now and we aren't going anywhere.

[Chepppaaa]

It's another big night for boxing and that is a good thing....But, no matter what goes down, I believe two things...

1. Big fights will ALWAYS attract people in droves...it's always been the case, and it always will be...

2. Boxing will NEVER be a mainstream, top tier sport in terms of coverage and public perception again. It will always be a niche sport that people nonetheless enjoy. It's not football (either kind).

Nothing that happens tonight will change those things, in my opinion. There is a chance to bring in some new fans if the fight is good, but even they will likely drift away as boxing's inherent problems return to undermine fights we want to see in the coming months and years. In the end, this is a sport for hardcore fans now and we aren't going anywhere.

nonsense. boxing can change from a niche sport fast to mainstream, like it used to be in the robinson, ali, even the leonard, hagler, hearns, duran, chavez days.

the only reason why it is not have been so in rescent time he that boxing didnt have enough star power. floyd is boring, the heavyweight champion of the world is ultra boring and guys like ggg and kovalev are upn comers, with not so much personality. so only one star that matters and that pac. exciting style, great fights.

would boxing have more stars, than we would easily be mainstream. imagine prime mosley, prime oscar, prime trinidad, prime vargas, now around 147-160. with potential match ups with mayweather, pacquiao, canelo, cotto and golovkin. exciting match ups, exciting fights, exciting super stars and people would die to watch those events, believe me, we need more quality!!! and obvious fights, that should be made, to build boxing. its a shame that kovalev-adonis or rigondeaux-cruz does not happen.

[jas80s]

It's another big night for boxing and that is a good thing....But, no matter what goes down, I believe two things...

1. Big fights will ALWAYS attract people in droves...it's always been the case, and it always will be...

2. Boxing will NEVER be a mainstream, top tier sport in terms of coverage and public perception again. It will always be a niche sport that people nonetheless enjoy. It's not football (either kind).

Nothing that happens tonight will change those things, in my opinion. There is a chance to bring in some new fans if the fight is good, but even they will likely drift away as boxing's inherent problems return to undermine fights we want to see in the coming months and years. In the end, this is a sport for hardcore fans now and we aren't going anywhere.

nonsense. boxing can change from a niche sport fast to mainstream, like it used to be in the robinson, ali, even the leonard, hagler, hearns, duran, chavez days.

the only reason why it is not have been so in rescent time he that boxing didnt have enough star power. floyd is boring, the heavyweight champion of the world is ultra boring and guys like ggg and kovalev are upn comers, with not so much personality. so only one star that matters and that pac. exciting style, great fights.

would boxing have more stars, than we would easily be mainstream. imagine prime mosley, prime oscar, prime trinidad, prime vargas, now around 147-160. with potential match ups with mayweather, pacquiao, canelo, cotto and golovkin. exciting match ups, exciting fights, exciting super stars and people would die to watch those events, believe me, we need more quality!!! and obvious fights, that should be made, to build boxing. its a shame that kovalev-adonis or rigondeaux-cruz does not happen.

Fair enough, I am not going to sit here and argue that something is literally impossible. But, I stand by my statement. I do not see it happening ever again. I would be happy to be wrong, but to me it doesn't seem likely unless the way boxing works underwent a major, major overhaul. Those guys you mentioned WERE around not too long ago, and I wouldn't describe boxing as being a mainstream sport when they were; we might differ on that perception...

[BAD INTENTIONS]

Who gives a fornicate? This fight isn't for the world, it's for boxing fans. Everyone will watch, but if you don't REALLY care about boxing, then you don't REALLY care about Mayweather/Manny.

Just shut up and enjoy the fight.

[DaveyMac]

Don Elbaum once showed me an old copy of Police Gazette from I believe 1892 when Corbett beat John L. Sullivan.
The headline was "Boxing is Dead".

It's been 123 years and people are still saying it. :)

[kidbazooka1]

Mark my words if Canelo can continue winning he has all the ingredients of a ppv star.

Mexicans in the states go crazy over there fighters.

Once Floyd and Manny are done taking care of business Canelo will be waiting to take that throne no doubt in my mind.

[HomicideHenry]

Boxing... after tonight... and I suspect for some time... will have a long road to recover. Let's face it. THIS IS THE ONLY FIGHT everyone in the world, even non-boxing fans, have a remote interest in. After tonight what is really left to crow about? Sure us hardcore fans will always watch, but this is the only "cross-over-appeal" match we have to offer.

[littlepug]

The fight or event as a whole will hopefully inspire tomorrows champions to lace em up, think that's the best we can hope for

[Badhusker]

Mark my words if Canelo can continue winning he has all the ingredients of a ppv star.

Mexicans in the states go crazy over there fighters.

Once Floyd and Manny are done taking care of business Canelo will be waiting to take that throne no doubt in my mind.

He will, but only if they avoid fights vs GGG. I would even pick BooBoo to beat Canelo. I like Canelo, but Floyd (not that big of a welterweight) and 36 yrs old, made Canelo look like an amateur at best.

I would pick guys like Thurman and Crawford to be the next big stars.

[HomicideHenry]

Boxing... after tonight... and I suspect for some time... will have a long road to recover. Let's face it. THIS IS THE ONLY FIGHT everyone in the world, even non-boxing fans, have a remote interest in. After tonight what is really left to crow about? Sure us hardcore fans will always watch, but this is the only "cross-over-appeal" match we have to offer.

So youre saying the resurgence of boxing on primetime network TV and a multitude of new channels carrying boxing like Spike, BET and TruTV counts for NOTHING?!?

The steady growth of the Latino population in the US is probably an even BIGGER factor than that, unless you consider the Hispanic market a non-factor.

To me, I speculate whether or not, the "resurgance" is nothing more than a bubble, or something that will remain. We haven't really had boxing stay on television on network television since the early 90's. Sure we had the Contender, but look how well that panned out once Stallone walked away from it. And let's face it, matches on FNF's and on other channels, are usually between journeymen or fringe contenders--- and regardless it doesnt matter, cus unless someone watches a man's career from start to finish, the general public by and large dont know who the hell is "the goods" or isnt.

Just because boxing is on primetime television, doesn't mean it will stay there. The facts are, there are more fans in MMA, and there are far more dojos than there are boxing gyms in America and worldwide. This fight, is the biggest thing the sport has, and will have for a long time to come. Unless there are alot of upsets, and new stars to take the world by storm who are just as gifted as Manny and Floyd, then we will have quite a wait.

Then again, it has always been the Welterweight-Middleweight divisions that have kept the sport afloat. When Ali was gone, it was Leonard-Hagler-Duran-Hearns that kept it not only alive, but thriving. It goes in cycles. I have a feeling after this... we're going to be left with a small moment of glory, say three or so months, and then it will be back to people not knowing who the heavyweight champion is, or for that matter who any champion's name is outside of the Pacquiao-Mayweather winner (if there is one tonight).

[Rodian]

the less people who need to punch each other in the face to make a living the better the world is. Its a sign of progress that boxing is in a "decline"

[Badhusker]

You know we did have the Tyson/Lewis/Holyfield era, which was fun to watch. You may be right about boxing not staying on regular TV, but do think it is a good start, and may help bring some fans back. Other than that, you make some good points.

[IRLangmaid25]

It was an opportunity to put the sport into the mainstream shopwindow and to showcase to of it's biggest attractions with a contrasting set of styles, and the counter-puncher won although the casuals will moan about Mayweather's output etc.

However the Americans may struggle to fill the gap when the likes of Mayweather and Cotto who have their respectively followings in the Afro-American and Puerto-Rican community. While as a Brit Anthony Joshua is being billed as the sports big attraction and potential crossover star.