Is British boxing heading for a decline ?

[rd350lc]

Is it me or are we heading for a lean spell after some great years of boxing on these shores ?
The drugs thing seems to be really coming to the fore ( probably always been there ,but largely undetected ) and has really made a negative impact for me .
Also doesn't seem to me like there are many big fights in the pipeline and also can't think of many prospects coming through that are going make it on the world scene .
Anybody think the same or am I being a pessamistic old sod ?

[dr_devious]

Its been going downhill for a few years imo, the domestic output over the last couple of years has been woeful

[Boxerbeetle]

Yeah I definitely think so. The AJ money train is in serious risk of being derailed permanently, Matchroom have seriously overstretched themselves with the DAZN deal as well as Sky, B0xnati0n is basically wound down, and Sky, BT and ITV are now all putting on regular PPVs which takes boxing yet further away from the mainstream.

On the bright side, US boxing seems to be on the up, and we have more access than ever via the Internet, so it’s not all bad news.

[Loftgroov]

I do feel like the UK "next gen" aren't quite the calibre of the current crop.

When you consider those who have either retired, or are firmly on their way to retirement, in recent years..... Froch, Groves, Degale, Khan, Frampton, Brook etc etc... its a fair few world level fighters and there aren't many coming through I can see reaching the same level.

The same can be argued for boxing generally though.

[Boxerbeetle]

I do feel like the UK "next gen" aren't quite the calibre of the current crop.

When you consider those who have either retired, or are firmly on their way to retirement, in recent years..... Froch, Groves, Degale, Khan, Frampton, Brook etc etc... its a fair few world level fighters and there aren't many coming through I can see reaching the same level.

The same can be argued for boxing generally though.

I do believe you mean ‘NXT GEN’

[rd350lc]

I do feel like the UK "next gen" aren't quite the calibre of the current crop.

When you consider those who have either retired, or are firmly on their way to retirement, in recent years..... Froch, Groves, Degale, Khan, Frampton, Brook etc etc... its a fair few world level fighters and there aren't many coming through I can see reaching the same level.

The same can be argued for boxing generally though.

I thought Josh kelly was definitely going to make it to the top , but after seeing his last couple of fights not so sure now .

[littlepug]

Yeah we are not exactly going through a golden period, no real domestic rivalries to speak of, crap matchmaking, unnecessary PPVs and a lot of lads being thrown to the wolves without being ready, someone needs to pick up the baton and start making British title fights an important part of the tv boxing landscape again, Dubois v Gorman was a glimpse of how it should be done, the British title was in the spotlight and 2 young and hungry lions were contesting it,, never mind building a fighter up safety first it HAS to be done this way to maintain interest at grassroots level and to prepare future contenders for the world stage.

[rd350lc]

It's a certainty that the Lonsdale belt needs to be made a big thing again .

[brilo33]

Is it me or are we heading for a lean spell after some great years of boxing on these shores ?
The drugs thing seems to be really coming to the fore ( probably always been there ,but largely undetected ) and has really made a negative impact for me .
Also doesn't seem to me like there are many big fights in the pipeline and also can't think of many prospects coming through that are going make it on the world scene .
Anybody think the same or am I being a pessamistic old sod ?

i just think we have been spoilt with the ammount of world champions we have had brit n ire in last say 15 years, un heard of the amount of world champs .look at callum smith the boy looks unbeatable , tyson fury ,josh taylor , then we have billy joe ,Yafai,burnett, warrington ,Dubois, cash,fitzgearld . Sam Bowen ,conlon , many more, and also the sport its self is very strong, there some great champs out there in every weight,

[Boxing Prospect]

Thankfully an Olympic cycle coming up, so some of the faces of 2020 ill give the sport a boost in 2021

[KiwiRider]

I do feel like the UK "next gen" aren't quite the calibre of the current crop.

When you consider those who have either retired, or are firmly on their way to retirement, in recent years..... Froch, Groves, Degale, Khan, Frampton, Brook etc etc... its a fair few world level fighters and there aren't many coming through I can see reaching the same level.

The same can be argued for boxing generally though.

I thought Josh kelly was definitely going to make it to the top , but after seeing his last couple of fights not so sure now .

True that. I can add Ritson, Cheeseman, Davis, and probably Fowler as well.
There are some young LHW and HW guys we will have to wait and see how they do when actually challenged at a Euro/world level. I'm still not fully convinced of Warrington either

[oogiebe]

I hope not. It's better for the sport to have a healthy UK boxing scene.

[brilo33]

I do feel like the UK "next gen" aren't quite the calibre of the current crop.

When you consider those who have either retired, or are firmly on their way to retirement, in recent years..... Froch, Groves, Degale, Khan, Frampton, Brook etc etc... its a fair few world level fighters and there aren't many coming through I can see reaching the same level.

The same can be argued for boxing generally though.

I thought Josh kelly was definitely going to make it to the top , but after seeing his last couple of fights not so sure now .

big kelly fan as well. i thought he boxed well in his last fight withRobinson, as long as he come back, i would say more pro boxing style, he stepped up big for that fight, gain lot of experience , cant go missing ,showboating means nothing,but i think kelly will come back

[brilo33]

I thought Josh kelly was definitely going to make it to the top , but after seeing his last couple of fights not so sure now .

True that. I can add Ritson, Cheeseman, Davis, and probably Fowler as well.
There are some young LHW and HW guys we will have to wait and see how they do when actually challenged at a Euro/world level. I'm still not fully convinced of Warrington either

you know your stuff kiwi, got Okolie, forgot Buatsi this man is champ in the making , yarde , john ryder,Charlie Edwards

[handsofstone]

I'm forever te optimist, a lot of great young fighters coming through, Sky have acknowledged that they have to improve so looks like them and matchroom will at least try to take it up a gear plus once the DAZN machine kicks in in during the next year/18 months some interesting fights especially up at Heavyweight and Middleweight plus a few other divisions sitting nicely, TBF Usyk's heavyweight invasion alone has got me buzzing, Warren's got a few of his prospects ready to step up, ESPN and PBC are upping their game to compete in the market, WBSS finishes shortly which will make a couple of divisions more clear, we've even had a couple of undisputed fights in the last couple of years for first time in over decade


Theres still a sh1tload of issues but I personally don't let it affect my overall love for the sport

[Black Sam Bellamy]

A lot of empty seats in the arenas, I think the interest is definitely waning. Promoters need to do more.

[brilo33]

I'm forever te optimist, a lot of great young fighters coming through, Sky have acknowledged that they have to improve so looks like them and matchroom will at least try to take it up a gear plus once the DAZN machine kicks in in during the next year/18 months some interesting fights especially up at Heavyweight and Middleweight plus a few other divisions sitting nicely, TBF Usyk's heavyweight invasion alone has got me buzzing, Warren's got a few of his prospects ready to step up, ESPN and PBC are upping their game to compete in the market, WBSS finishes shortly which will make a couple of divisions more clear, we've even had a couple of undisputed fights in the last couple of years for first time in over decade


Theres still a sh1tload of issues but I personally don't let it affect my overall love for the sport

even looking at the super 8 last year , what with smith won it fighting groves in the final, groves haf his fights with eubank jr, his fight with cox was good , the drugs stuff latley has cast a shadow, which is a shame , but i think boxing on the whole is strong

[Nightmare Roy]

A lot of empty seats in the arenas, I think the interest is definitely waning. Promoters need to do more.

A lot of folk are put off by the pissed and coked up idiots I think, I’ll go with my Mrs to an England match at Wembley but I would take her to a big fight, too many helmets about.

[Ruthless-RKO]

With BrItish boxing booming a couple of years ago.. now it just seems there’s no money here.. all the big dogs are fighting in USA now. We are left with crap shows.

Also, we don’t even get any decent US shows here.

Bnation are picking up more European fights.

No one has picked up Gervonta Davis’ fight, although that should be ITV4 at least seeing as PBC have a deal with ITV.

[Cyclops]

A lot of empty seats in the arenas, I think the interest is definitely waning. Promoters need to do more.

That’s good, though. It reminds me of when I first got into boxing and you could just get tickets easily no problem. I’ve actually been able to go to events again and even had our seats upgraded at Dubois-Gorman so we had a wicked view. Plus it means they actually have to make decent fights. I don’t want it to be this big huge thing. Wembley was supposed to be a special one off, not a standard. I remember thinking the 02 was a massive venue for a fight.

[KiwiRider]

True that. I can add Ritson, Cheeseman, Davis, and probably Fowler as well.
There are some young LHW and HW guys we will have to wait and see how they do when actually challenged at a Euro/world level. I'm still not fully convinced of Warrington either

you know your stuff kiwi, got Okolie, forgot Buatsi this man is champ in the making , yarde , john ryder,Charlie Edwards

Yep
I guess I'm a little pessimistic with untested boxers. It stems from being all charged up over prospects who cut a swarth through domestic rivals (Ritson for example) and then fall flat -literally- when stepping up to proven opposition. I can't count over the last 45 years I've been following boxing how many times I've been hot over a prospect, only to realise that they "aren't all that"
It has been a bit worse for me over the last ten years because I have seen more NXT Gen shows than were televised in the past.

[brilo33]

you know your stuff kiwi, got Okolie, forgot Buatsi this man is champ in the making , yarde , john ryder,Charlie Edwards

Yep
I guess I'm a little pessimistic with untested boxers. It stems from being all charged up over prospects who cut a swarth through domestic rivals (Ritson for example) and then fall flat -literally- when stepping up to proven opposition. I can't count over the last 45 years I've been following boxing how many times I've been hot over a prospect, only to realise that they "aren't all that"
It has been a bit worse for me over the last ten years because I have seen more NXT Gen shows than were televised in the past.

I can't count over the last 45 years I've been following boxing how many times I've been hot over a prospect, only to realise that they "aren't all that".THAT is the game though kiwi, that is why it is so special to see a champ come through, no one has a devine right, but there loads of prospects, we are even forgetting about luke campbell going against the best boxer ,i have seen skill wise ever. when i was growing up we had eubank benn naz , boxing is on a huge wave still ,another fighter i like
Lee Reeves

[Onetimeonly]

With BrItish boxing booming a couple of years ago.. now it just seems there’s no money here.. all the big dogs are fighting in USA now. We are left with crap shows.

Also, we don’t even get any decent US shows here.

Bnation are picking up more European fights.

No one has picked up Gervonta Davis’ fight, although that should be ITV4 at least seeing as PBC have a deal with ITV.

Hearn has to be under a ton of pressure. He's alienating the real fanbase to desperately get Americans to care, and they never will.

[ewenhay]

With BrItish boxing booming a couple of years ago.. now it just seems there’s no money here.. all the big dogs are fighting in USA now. We are left with crap shows.

Also, we don’t even get any decent US shows here.

Bnation are picking up more European fights.

No one has picked up Gervonta Davis’ fight, although that should be ITV4 at least seeing as PBC have a deal with ITV.

Hearn has to be under a ton of pressure. He's alienating the real fanbase to desperately get Americans to care, and they never will.

Yep. Totally sold his soul for the dazn coin.

There's a huge gap between Joshua and the rest of his stable in terms of revenue generation. Whyte is probably his no. 2 and that's hardly an amicable long term thing now.

If he loses Joshua for whatever reason the rest of the pickings are pretty slim. I can't see Sky renewing their deal with him at the same levels without the prospect of any Joshua ppvs either.

A lot depends on Joshua for Hearn

[Onetimeonly]

They're losing so much money. I think he might have a star in Haney.