We need a Naz or Eubank to get boxing buzzing again

[Quixall]

An awful lot of people wouldn't know who Floyd Mayweather was, never mind Bernard Hopkins, Roy Jones Jr, even less Carl Froch, Andre Ward and as for Ricky Burns, that would be a complete blank stare !!

It's not just terrestial television that needs to be brought back into the frame, a boxer also has to have a character and a personality, something the public can catch onto and that was certainly the case with Naz, Benn, Eubank, Bruno etc.

[Khaosai-Galaxy]

Boxing just needs to make sense, if it doesnt make sense, people wont care.



Eg Derek Chisora challenging for the world title.

[stujones]

They all need their heads knocking together..... your suggestion could work but everyone is more concerned with preserving their own slice of the pie, rather than the sport as a whole.

Too insular in their thinking, but then the world is in a dire economic position and nobody has the time, cash or resources to make bold moves.

Those that do, the few, don't give a damn about the sport, they give a damn about the money... that's their prerogative

Fair play to Hearn and co, they've made inroads in 2011, got a good stable and are starting to shout from the rooftops. Hatton is coming along nicely too.

Fingers crossed there is a breakthrough...

Yeah, Hearn is making noises - however, he has a very cosy bed with Sky. No chance his fighters will be on terrestrial TV.

[magnus]

Boxing just needs to make sense, if it doesnt make sense, people wont care.



Eg Derek Chisora challenging for the world title.

Thank God for the WBF and their recently announced Celtic/Irish/Emerald titles then, that should clear up the title picture.

[iftkwoody]

Eubank and Naz are probably the 2 main fighters that gave me the inspiration to fight. They were the fighters I loved to watch as a kid and it was more their persona and image that attracted me I think.

I am not trying to copy eubank but I see boxing as entertainment and the ringwalk for me was a big thing, I try to emulate what I belive to be an excellent ringwalk If you watch the eurosport version on youtube of my last fight you wiill see me waiting to enter just trying to build tension and giving the crowd a show I think that is missing from boxing. To be fair I know my entrance isn`t as glamorous as Naz or Eubank but I`m trying lol

I am trying to create an atmosphere with my entrance and I find that the people that watch my fights generally say after "great fight mate, the ring entrance was amazing" so I see that as a job well done.

I`m not saying it`s all about the ringwalk but it does add a little something to the experience for the spectators. Also I think if boxers were given a better p[latform as to let the public see them and get to know there personalities and build up some good guy bad guy rivalries boxing would benefit massively. Just look at the attention degale groves got for their fight that's the first fight in ages that non boxing fans were queing for and all beacause degale had the front to say what he wanted all be it very immature and pathetic at times but it made people either hate him or love him and people were intrigued.

Trust me some of the characters i`ve met in boxing if you gave them exposure you would definately get your moneies wort

[stujones]

An awful lot of people wouldn't know who Floyd Mayweather was, never mind Bernard Hopkins, Roy Jones Jr, even less Carl Froch, Andre Ward and as for Ricky Burns, that would be a complete blank stare !!

It's not just terrestial television that needs to be brought back into the frame, a boxer also has to have a character and a personality, something the public can catch onto and that was certainly the case with Naz, Benn, Eubank, Bruno etc.

People do have short memories, for a time in the build up for Hatton vs Mayweather - the fight was on the front and back pages of the news. Hatton got third in sport personality the year he lost to Mayweather.

What Channel 5 is showing is that there is still a "taste" for the sport. I still think there is a mainstream market there - and this is just Tyson Fury, a decent, but not world class, amateur with a good name and size - not the most likeable fella in the game and certainly not the most skillfull... yet he is drawing in millions with very very little publicity (how many adverts have you seen for Fury) and this is just for Channel 5 - which doesn't have the broad appeal of the BBC or ITV. The sport just needs the right TV deal and the right promotion. Having world title fights on a minority channel, with very little media output isn't what the sport needs.

[coghaugen11]

Fury's name, height and traveller status are interesting!

[Finn]

...then again, The Cobra started out on the Beeb and that went tats-up... shame he never got to capitalise on that early good start.

Then again, he got the big fights, couldn't have fought better, especially if he faces Bute this year as planned.... just not received the acclaim he deserves for being one of the best UK world champs of his generation

Froch has been in exciting fights, but the guy is not that exciting out of the ring. Eubank and Naz were one man carnivals.

My advice would be for kel brook to start doing some major ring entrances, didnt he used to do the ring flip on the way into the ring and dance when he won fights? we need some of that, if anyone knows brook tell him to dance when punching his opponent in his next fight or strike some posses

[Quixall]

An awful lot of people wouldn't know who Floyd Mayweather was, never mind Bernard Hopkins, Roy Jones Jr, even less Carl Froch, Andre Ward and as for Ricky Burns, that would be a complete blank stare !!

It's not just terrestial television that needs to be brought back into the frame, a boxer also has to have a character and a personality, something the public can catch onto and that was certainly the case with Naz, Benn, Eubank, Bruno etc.

People do have short memories, for a time in the build up for Hatton vs Mayweather - the fight was on the front and back pages of the news. Hatton got third in sport personality the year he lost to Mayweather.

What Channel 5 is showing is that there is still a "taste" for the sport. I still think there is a mainstream market there - and this is just Tyson Fury, a decent, but not world class, amateur with a good name and size - not the most likeable fella in the game and certainly not the most skillfull... yet he is drawing in millions with very very little publicity (how many adverts have you seen for Fury) and this is just for Channel 5 - which doesn't have the broad appeal of the BBC or ITV. The sport just needs the right TV deal and the right promotion. Having world title fights on a minority channel, with very little media output isn't what the sport needs.

But Hatton had to fight the best fighter on the planet in Mayweather to get that exposure. Ricky and David Haye were perhaps the last of the boxers from this country that most people would have heard of or about. All i'm saying is that because we don't get to see much boxing on terrestial televison and all the big fights are on sky or allegedly, your average soprts fan who would consider boxing doesn't tune in. Terrestial television can help build up fighters names, but they also need a personality, which is a fair point to mention Tyson, because although he is average, he is exciting and has a personality on him. Woodhall, Reid, even Calzaghe struggled because they didn't have the personality, so it's very important in selling yourself. The reason we all got to know about Leonard, Duran, Hagler and Hearns was through free television, but those guys could fight and they all had a good persona or personality to trade off. What we need is casual sports fans of the likes that supported Hatton andd who would tune in to see what they considered the very best, not like us who will watch the sport at all levels

[Bricks]

What boxing needs is a Naz or Eubank AND regular terrestrial TV coverage...although the reasons for why terrestrial channels aren't interested has been discussed at length.
Channel 5 do a sterling job but it's the BBC or ITV that would get the boxing juices flowing again for the casual fan.

Cmon mate, the whole terrestrial debate is so outdated and tired.....with all the channels/internet/iphones/ipads/poker games around today would it really make any difference if any of these guys were on ITV and not SKY anymore. It wouldnt make them any more exciting, and since you dont get guys fighting once a month or every 3 weeks like naz and eubanks and tyson used to , you dont get the same build up etc. Boxing was on BBC for a long while during 2001-2004 and on ITV during 2006-2008...I dont think it makes a difference these days....people can follow the big fights in a pub if they really are interested...there just isnt the interest or interestig fighters these days.....all these eastern europeans have limited appeal and there arent any tysons/fraziers/SRL/Hatton/Naz's around these days.