Is that it for boxing

[Old bones Ian]

So no attendance at sports events, probably for foreseeable future, small hall boxing just can't survive without crowds.

The bigger promoters won't keep on paying the boxers good money if they are not making it, viewers are going to cut subscription to save money.

I'm just a bit despondent with it all.

[Noxy]

You’re right, it’s not just boxing either. All spectator sports are being hammered. There’s no end in sight either.

[banjo]

The government needs to bail them out then.

[Boxerbeetle]

It’s bullish!t, all because the government can’t organise a piss up in a brewery. If we had a proper testing regime, should be no reason why sports fans couldn’t attend live events.

[Nightmare Roy]

Game over for a lot of sports and events, hope this gets sorted soon, can you imagine never being able to got to a sporting event or a gig? Depressing.

[cormack]

Boxing will stumble on ..

studio style / matchroom did the garden set up in the summer / maybe more tournament style programmes

Fighters will earn less as will everyone else , maybe PPV can be more of a thing but at very low rates to encourage take up .
Remember that the pubs / clubs and bars are getting shut at 10 pm.
I expect some of the elder statesmen who have earned good money will bow out rather than fight for a low purse , whilst the younger and hungrier fighters will see the opportunity to make a name for themselves .

And then there is Dana !!
he seems to be biding his time to come into boxing and we may be not far from that now .
Maybe the UFC model can add something , fighters there dont earn anywhere near as much as their boxing equivalents .

[maverick23]

Promoters need to step up and give fans/potential viewers a bigger reason to watch.

FW’s lockdown shows have been, on the whole, poor with the majority of his main events being substantial mismatches. Most of the main events have been about the next fight - Joyce, Dubois, Frampton, Yarde and Arthur.

Why couldn’t Yarde and Arthur have fought each other?! With the exception of the 2 shows that had big lead in audiences (from champions league I think) all of them had rubbish viewer numbers.

I thought Matchroom did well with Fight Camp but the upcoming line up doesn’t look too great and it’s poor they’ve had no shows in September.

Small hall promoters have my sympathy but even as someone who watches all boxing on TV I wouldn’t be interested in watching many small hall shows. Too often they’re packed with one sided fights with the bulk, or in some cases all, of the cars being prospects against journeymen. Hopefully some of them are able to get some TV deals though.

[IRONFIST]

Of course it's not over for boxing, boxing survived the 1918 pandemic and will survive this one.

[steve689]

Yeah I think boxing will survive. It always does.

[mickey1975]

Amateur boxing is really struggling, a few clubs have already gone and England Boxing aren’t even meeting until February.

[jamesmcdonnell]

The fact that boxing lacks an overall governing body and is so fractured means it will suffer more than other better organized sports.

[gilgamesh]

The Great Depression was a good time for Boxing as a whole, and considering another severe Economic depression is right around the corner, that might be one of the few things we have to look forward to.

All the spoiled, overpaid boxers who've made 10's of millions might go ahead and call it a career, but Boxing will go on. It always does.

[DrDuke]

Boxing will overcome it. Yes, the commercial nature of the sport will have its disadvantages. Commercial success usually makes greed only stronger, that's why we see all these promotions not willing to organize potentially unprofitable events. But with orginizing nothing they would earn nothing for sure. While people will always be willing to see two men punching each ther in faces. That's why boxing will find some way.

[knockout]

Tough times especially for those prospects who have recently turned over or are about too.

All their eggs in one basket based on what the “model” was before CV19 ... now all that has turned upside down.

The trouble is at the moment it’s so complicated getting overseas fighters...

Warren and Hearn really need to work together to put on decent shows. If the shows are good enough people will pay to watch .... but the days of Whyte and Chisora making millions for effectively a British title fight seem to have gone. That bubble must have surely burst.

Dana White has a monopoly on MMA pretty much, so as James Mc said , it’s easier to keep the show going compared to Boxing with no one governing body with egos and sharks all over the place.

Cut the top end purses to reduce costs, match fighters from different stables evenly, forget about the unbeaten record bollocks. Good events will pull numbers. No one is going to the pubs or clubs, people are sat at home bored desperate for some entertainment

[DrDuke]

Warren and Hearn really need to work together to put on decent shows. If the shows are good enough people will pay to watch .... but the days of Whyte and Chisora making millions for effectively a British title fight seem to have gone. That bubble must have surely burst.

That's right. I don't believe it's THAT hard. Best should fight best, not just those who are under the same promotion.

[knockout]

DrDuke - the only two thing getting in the way are promoters ego and promoter greed

[coneye]

For the immeidiette future , tv is the only way forward ,, boxing if evenly matched can draw an audience ,, ppv shows well stuff em anyway ,, they will learn to put the best in with the best or they will fold ,, everyone is just gonna have to learn million dollar paydays for the likes of whyte and chisora , have finished ,

[Fray Bentos]

Of course not! Boxing survived five years of World War II when most boxers were drafted into the armed forces and sent off overseas - in fact, the biggest outside gate for a fight ever in the UK was the fight between Len Harvey and Freddie Mills - Mills won by KO in the 2nd and both were in the RAF - Harvey was an officer and Mills was an NCO.

What might happen is that for now until they can get crowds back - that boxing shows will have to be more competitive if they want to attract people to watch it - no more 60-54 journeyman 'messabouts' to pad a record of a prospect - who will want to watch that? It might be good for boxing in the long run.

[Steveh583]

Men will never tire of watching other men hit each other

[jamesmcdonnell]

Of course not! Boxing survived five years of World War II when most boxers were drafted into the armed forces and sent off overseas - in fact, the biggest outside gate for a fight ever in the UK was the fight between Len Harvey and Freddie Mills - Mills won by KO in the 2nd and both were in the RAF - Harvey was an officer and Mills was an NCO.

What might happen is that for now until they can get crowds back - that boxing shows will have to be more competitive if they want to attract people to watch it - no more 60-54 journeyman 'messabouts' to pad a record of a prospect - who will want to watch that? It might be good for boxing in the long run.

The world has changed a great deal since then. Other sports have become huge multi billion dollar franchises with huge global tv deals.

I think boxing will limp on, but will continue to become more and more marginalized.

[Black Sam Bellamy]

I think boxing fans need to re-adjust their expectations too. With no paying punters, the B side on these televised cards is going to suffer. The business model has been tipped on its side.

[Fightnight Scores]

It will survive, or at least keep trundling along, but as mentioned throughout the thread, this crisis is going to hit everybody hard and we will all have to adjust and that goes for boxers.
They will surely have to be content with not making as much money as they used to, or were striving for. Not so sure that it will be so straight forward for them to just shrug their shoulders and say "yeah alright then, great..get me in the ring".....

[coneye]

Of course not! Boxing survived five years of World War II when most boxers were drafted into the armed forces and sent off overseas - in fact, the biggest outside gate for a fight ever in the UK was the fight between Len Harvey and Freddie Mills - Mills won by KO in the 2nd and both were in the RAF - Harvey was an officer and Mills was an NCO.

What might happen is that for now until they can get crowds back - that boxing shows will have to be more competitive if they want to attract people to watch it - no more 60-54 journeyman 'messabouts' to pad a record of a prospect - who will want to watch that? It might be good for boxing in the long run.

Agree , personaly i think it will be good for boxing , evryone is going to struggle , and if the promoters want the hard earned dollar , WELL there just gonna have to make even fights or get stuffed ,, I personaly will not make Fury AJ ,, Saunders , Whyte , the list is endless , any richer , by paying for ppv non competetive foghts ,, and i doubt the main stream tv will either ,, Even your local show , stuff em if there not competetive simply do not part with your money ,

[cormack]

Men will never tire of watching other men hit each other

true
But for them to want to commit to this as a lifestyle , hard training camps and getting punched in the face regularly they need to be paid enough money to make it worthwhile .
Lets not forget its a relatively short career and most boxers are below the top level anyway and will leave the sport around age 30 but without a lucrative TV deal as a new career .

[mickey1975]

Nobody seems bothered about the amateurs!