Anyone else getting a bit bored of boxing? Reasons why...?

[CharlesListon]

I know where you're all coming from. Too much money at stake at the top end. British and Area Title fights are still well worth watching. You still get 50/50 fights, sadly they just seem to be moving away from them at TV level who seem obsessed with 'World' Title fights or preserving an '0'.

[lefty]

With the OP on this one.

It's just too much hard work. I can't get into some of the average stuff matchroom put on - some of quiggs fights are laughable, billing Crolla as some massive superstar and the Ricky Burns opponents. (Bar Crawford who was mandatory) etc etc.

Sky's complete overhyping of everything and the cheesiness of ringside is beyond comparison. Jonny Nelson doing some corny intro and then getting the theatrics from smith, the complete opposite of reserved and subtle but slightly awkward ed Robinson ('oh no he didn't' - say something remotely critical about Ed), it's just a bit if a mess. Throw in some jargon and buzz phrases such as 'our sport' 'boxing man' etc, just make me want to cry.

Then you have boxing journalists and internet writers (how could they ever be journo's!) all acting as best buddies on twitter as if they are the only ones in the know and acting as guardians of the secret. Yet consistantly wheeling out the same tripe. I get this feeling that they believe that they are in some special club and nod and wink at each other as if to say 'yeah, I work in boxing'

The fact that the best just aren't fighting the best often enough. (Nothing new but tiring)

Other things that are making me lose interest;

Twitter 'fans'

Boxers banging on about how hard they train all the time on twitter. It's kind of expected, I mean it is your job. I don't need to hear about it every two minutes. Some insight is good but just constantly talking about hard sessions isn't of interest. Much like 'journalists' who bang on about how hard they work. For me hard work is a given in any industry for those who want success.

Twitter fans (who are mainly casual boxing fans) tweeting eddie hearn and calling him mate.

Death of the boxing forums. So quiet these days.

Everyone and their gran thinking they can be the next Kugan Cassius ( he's famous now)by pointing a smartphone in a boxers face.

Bang on post. Something that really makes me cringe is when you see certain fans tweeting boxers and referring to them as champ. I just find it cringey. I guess it's respectful and all but i'm not as fan.

[charliebox324]

Boxing Would Be Massive If There Where More 50/50 Fights Easily Done If Promoters Work Together.As The Saying Goes Good Fights Puts Bums On Seats.These Days Away Fighters Record Never Given.I Understand Young Fighters Need To Learn Craft.But A 10 Fight Bill Should Have At Least 3 Or 4 50/50 Bouts On.Some Shows During Bouts You Can Hear A Pin Drop.Where If A Bout Is Competative The Place Is Rocking!!!!

[lefty]

Boxing Would Be Massive If There Where More 50/50 Fights Easily Done If Promoters Work Together.As The Saying Goes Good Fights Puts Bums On Seats.These Days Away Fighters Record Never Given.I Understand Young Fighters Need To Learn Craft.But A 10 Fight Bill Should Have At Least 3 Or 4 50/50 Bouts On.Some Shows During Bouts You Can Hear A Pin Drop.Where If A Bout Is Competative The Place Is Rocking!!!!

I also think that boxing would be a lot more popular if aside the from the 50/50 matchups, boxers were actually better promoted. To me boxing promoters dont seem to actually do a great deal of actual promoting. They just seem to get hold of boxers who can shift a lot of tickets and put them on shows with olympians and so on. Promoter doesnt actually seem like the correct term to me. Event organiser or something would be more apt.

[Kilburn]

I feel the disillusionment of many on here but tend to look on the brightside where I can. Upcoming highlights for me are Donaire v Walters, Eggington v Vassell, Ryder v Khomitsky and Stiverne v Wilder (if it gets made).

Together with the rise of Anthony Joshua (please no Audley fight), as well as stateside prospect Julian Williams and the frightening looking super middleweight Gilberto Sanchez.

Also looking forward to seeing James Kirkland put his final run together.

[MightyWarrior]

With the OP on this one.

It's just too much hard work. I can't get into some of the average stuff matchroom put on - some of quiggs fights are laughable, billing Crolla as some massive superstar and the Ricky Burns opponents. (Bar Crawford who was mandatory) etc etc.

Sky's complete overhyping of everything and the cheesiness of ringside is beyond comparison. Jonny Nelson doing some corny intro and then getting the theatrics from smith, the complete opposite of reserved and subtle but slightly awkward ed Robinson ('oh no he didn't' - say something remotely critical about Ed), it's just a bit if a mess. Throw in some jargon and buzz phrases such as 'our sport' 'boxing man' etc, just make me want to cry.

Then you have boxing journalists and internet writers (how could they ever be journo's!) all acting as best buddies on twitter as if they are the only ones in the know and acting as guardians of the secret. Yet consistantly wheeling out the same tripe. I get this feeling that they believe that they are in some special club and nod and wink at each other as if to say 'yeah, I work in boxing'

The fact that the best just aren't fighting the best often enough. (Nothing new but tiring)

Other things that are making me lose interest;

Twitter 'fans'

Boxers banging on about how hard they train all the time on twitter. It's kind of expected, I mean it is your job. I don't need to hear about it every two minutes. Some insight is good but just constantly talking about hard sessions isn't of interest. Much like 'journalists' who bang on about how hard they work. For me hard work is a given in any industry for those who want success.

Twitter fans (who are mainly casual boxing fans) tweeting eddie hearn and calling him mate.

Death of the boxing forums. So quiet these days.

Everyone and their gran thinking they can be the next Kugan Cassius ( he's famous now)by pointing a smartphone in a boxers face.

Too true

[Datsue]

With the OP on this one.

It's just too much hard work. I can't get into some of the average stuff matchroom put on - some of quiggs fights are laughable, billing Crolla as some massive superstar and the Ricky Burns opponents. (Bar Crawford who was mandatory) etc etc.

Sky's complete overhyping of everything and the cheesiness of ringside is beyond comparison. Jonny Nelson doing some corny intro and then getting the theatrics from smith, the complete opposite of reserved and subtle but slightly awkward ed Robinson ('oh no he didn't' - say something remotely critical about Ed), it's just a bit if a mess. Throw in some jargon and buzz phrases such as 'our sport' 'boxing man' etc, just make me want to cry.

Then you have boxing journalists and internet writers (how could they ever be journo's!) all acting as best buddies on twitter as if they are the only ones in the know and acting as guardians of the secret. Yet consistantly wheeling out the same tripe. I get this feeling that they believe that they are in some special club and nod and wink at each other as if to say 'yeah, I work in boxing'

The fact that the best just aren't fighting the best often enough. (Nothing new but tiring)

Other things that are making me lose interest;

Twitter 'fans'

Boxers banging on about how hard they train all the time on twitter. It's kind of expected, I mean it is your job. I don't need to hear about it every two minutes. Some insight is good but just constantly talking about hard sessions isn't of interest. Much like 'journalists' who bang on about how hard they work. For me hard work is a given in any industry for those who want success.

Twitter fans (who are mainly casual boxing fans) tweeting eddie hearn and calling him mate.

Death of the boxing forums. So quiet these days.

Everyone and their gran thinking they can be the next Kugan Cassius ( he's famous now)by pointing a smartphone in a boxers face.

It's impossible to pick holes in this, the incestuousness, chumminess & grating fvcking sycophancy of the boxing meedja universe.

But I still lurves me the fights. I just do my best to ignore all the rest, & only went on Twitter once, to try to chat up Gus The Fox.

[danamba7]

With the OP on this one.

It's just too much hard work. I can't get into some of the average stuff matchroom put on - some of quiggs fights are laughable, billing Crolla as some massive superstar and the Ricky Burns opponents. (Bar Crawford who was mandatory) etc etc.

Sky's complete overhyping of everything and the cheesiness of ringside is beyond comparison. Jonny Nelson doing some corny intro and then getting the theatrics from smith, the complete opposite of reserved and subtle but slightly awkward ed Robinson ('oh no he didn't' - say something remotely critical about Ed), it's just a bit if a mess. Throw in some jargon and buzz phrases such as 'our sport' 'boxing man' etc, just make me want to cry.

Then you have boxing journalists and internet writers (how could they ever be journo's!) all acting as best buddies on twitter as if they are the only ones in the know and acting as guardians of the secret. Yet consistantly wheeling out the same tripe. I get this feeling that they believe that they are in some special club and nod and wink at each other as if to say 'yeah, I work in boxing'

The fact that the best just aren't fighting the best often enough. (Nothing new but tiring)

Other things that are making me lose interest;

Twitter 'fans'

Boxers banging on about how hard they train all the time on twitter. It's kind of expected, I mean it is your job. I don't need to hear about it every two minutes. Some insight is good but just constantly talking about hard sessions isn't of interest. Much like 'journalists' who bang on about how hard they work. For me hard work is a given in any industry for those who want success.

Twitter fans (who are mainly casual boxing fans) tweeting eddie hearn and calling him mate.

Death of the boxing forums. So quiet these days.

Everyone and their gran thinking they can be the next Kugan Cassius ( he's famous now)by pointing a smartphone in a boxers face.

I agree with a lot of your points but you do sound bitter. Why does casuals calling Eddie Hearn mate annoy you? It really isn't anything to get wound up about. And IFL TV are successful for a reason, it's obviously something that's wanted. I actually like their content because you get to see the personalities of boxers/trainers/promoters. Football could do with something similar so fans would get to hear something other than "well at the end of the day, it's all about the 3 points"

[deadpan]

Cheating refs and judges, which blights boxing more than any other sport. And the fact that company man pundits will either rationalise it or ignore it completely.

[Counter-puncher]

Everyone and their gran thinking they can be the next Kugan Cassius ( he's famous now)by pointing a smartphone in a boxers face.

I agree with a lot of your points but you do sound bitter. Why does casuals calling Eddie Hearn mate annoy you? It really isn't anything to get wound up about. And IFL TV are successful for a reason, it's obviously something that's wanted. I actually like their content because you get to see the personalities of boxers/trainers/promoters. Football could do with something similar so fans would get to hear something other than "well at the end of the day, it's all about the 3 points" [/quote]

that's a decent point actually. whether you like Kugan et al or not, the generally higher accessibility of Boxing People compared with footballu, does give the opportunity for a bit more of an interactive relationship, and I guess its basically a good thing that someone is taking advantage of it.

[orbtastic]

The thing that turned me off Football for good was the constant rolling punditry on SKY and TalkSport et al. It's almost speculation for speculation's sake at times, just to have something on the ticker.

The thing that's made me lose interest in boxing ATM is the whole Matchroom/SKY thing. It's virtually a monopoly which is being constantly rim-jobbed by SKY, so they're promoting the promoter at times. I get that it's their job, sell the product but it's like a supermarket stripping their shelves of all other sausages but their own and saying "wow, look at the sausages we have in store for you today, they're so good!".

That Darren Barker SKY special just before the Sturm fight was execrable. It summed the whole thing up for me, which is a shame as Barker is a good guy. Made only worse by Nelson on the train in the German market...it just weirded me out.

[dbf]

With the OP on this one.

It's just too much hard work. I can't get into some of the average stuff matchroom put on - some of quiggs fights are laughable, billing Crolla as some massive superstar and the Ricky Burns opponents. (Bar Crawford who was mandatory) etc etc.

Sky's complete overhyping of everything and the cheesiness of ringside is beyond comparison. Jonny Nelson doing some corny intro and then getting the theatrics from smith, the complete opposite of reserved and subtle but slightly awkward ed Robinson ('oh no he didn't' - say something remotely critical about Ed), it's just a bit if a mess. Throw in some jargon and buzz phrases such as 'our sport' 'boxing man' etc, just make me want to cry.

Then you have boxing journalists and internet writers (how could they ever be journo's!) all acting as best buddies on twitter as if they are the only ones in the know and acting as guardians of the secret. Yet consistantly wheeling out the same tripe. I get this feeling that they believe that they are in some special club and nod and wink at each other as if to say 'yeah, I work in boxing'

The fact that the best just aren't fighting the best often enough. (Nothing new but tiring)

Other things that are making me lose interest;

Twitter 'fans'

Boxers banging on about how hard they train all the time on twitter. It's kind of expected, I mean it is your job. I don't need to hear about it every two minutes. Some insight is good but just constantly talking about hard sessions isn't of interest. Much like 'journalists' who bang on about how hard they work. For me hard work is a given in any industry for those who want success.

Twitter fans (who are mainly casual boxing fans) tweeting eddie hearn and calling him mate.

Death of the boxing forums. So quiet these days.

Everyone and their gran thinking they can be the next Kugan Cassius ( he's famous now)by pointing a smartphone in a boxers face.

I agree with a lot of your points but you do sound bitter. Why does casuals calling Eddie Hearn mate annoy you? It really isn't anything to get wound up about. And IFL TV are successful for a reason, it's obviously something that's wanted. I actually like their content because you get to see the personalities of boxers/trainers/promoters. Football could do with something similar so fans would get to hear something other than "well at the end of the day, it's all about the 3 points"

Maybe I am a bit bitter and enjoyed it more 10 years ago. The 'mate' thing was more of a joke. Weirdly I preferred it when promoters weren't so accessible. And there was a slight mystique to it all. At least al Haymon is keeping that dream of mine alive.

I wasn't slating IFLTV - yeah they work hard, it's their choice but the service is good.

[Datsue]

The thing that turned me off Football for good was the constant rolling punditry on SKY and TalkSport et al. It's almost speculation for speculation's sake at times, just to have something on the ticker.

The thing that's made me lose interest in boxing ATM is the whole Matchroom/SKY thing. It's virtually a monopoly which is being constantly rim-jobbed by SKY, so they're promoting the promoter at times. I get that it's their job, sell the product but it's like a supermarket stripping their shelves of all other sausages but their own and saying "wow, look at the sausages we have in store for you today, they're so good!".

That Darren Barker SKY special just before the Sturm fight was execrable. It summed the whole thing up for me, which is a shame as Barker is a good guy. Made only worse by Nelson on the train in the German market...it just weirded me out.

That's the thing I keep ranting about: the boxing is no longer the product.

The narrative being sold by the promoter is the product.

It's like fvcking No Logo is happening to boxing, the realest thing in the fvcking world.

All that is solid melts into air, or something.

[orbtastic]

Look at this gas we have for you, it used to be solid! The journey the gas has taken is incredible, let's make a one hour special about it and show it on repeat and let's have adverts about the special!

[dalcumly]

I think promoters and their TV masters put on shows the same way as the theatre or music. They see it as a way of making money and providing entertainment. The sporting aspect is secondary.

If they can get spectators to pay their money to watch the 'star' perform with little or no threat of having that 'star quality' diminished in the shape of real live opponents, then that's what they'll do.

This is the real reason boxing is failing as a mainstream sport. The casual fan will be interested when there is a huge event ( Froch v Groves) but wouldn't contemplate going along to the local town hall to see boxing for boxing's sake.

The same would happen in top level football if we didn't have regulated leagues and cups. What we would get is the summer tours of the USA by Man Utd and Liverpool playing in front of American sports fans in meaningless games until the average fan began staying away.

[stujones]

DBF - you are right in what you say, but sadly a lot of what you have written about is because the TV execs (of terrestrial channels and even sport channels) and Newspaper editors are not saying "cover that fight".

I think that while some internet reporters (or whatever you want to call them) might be thinking "whoohoo free fight ticket", I believe in the main the intentions are good. Without them there would be extremely little coverage on the domestic scene.

I remember when Sky first got into domestic boxing in a big way (with the Warren contract). Most "proper" newspapers had column inches, albeit not much room, previewing Spencer Oliver vs Patrick Mullings. That's how I heard about that.... now.... good solid British title fights would not get any mention if it wasn't for website. Now, we off course could argue if some fights do warrant as much as others. For example, it seems some british based (I assume).com boxing sites devote as much attention to Quigg vJamoye as Mayweather vs Medina (understandable, easier to interview the Brits in Britain). However at the same time, without such sites I would fear about the attention good solid British fights would get in the mainstream media alone.

However, I think this could cause interesting debate. We all seem to reminisce about the 70's/80's/90's like it was a golden period. Was it all that great? I've got in my video/dvd collection a number of full shows from that era. The shows last about 1 hour, cover the single fight and that was it. Many a World title fight held in Britain was never shown, even when there was a camera crew in the arena (Crisanto Espenia anyone).... plenty of British title main events were never broadcast also. However, it seems like today we have more domestic boxing shown than before, but less adverts (and I don't mean from dedicated boxing shows like ringside, I mean mainstream commercials) promoting it.

The average boxing fan, who still talks about Mike Tyson etc, will not be subscribed to allegedly or will tune into Ringside... but they might watch a TV advert when the footy is on.... and to get the feeling again, you need the pub banter going. If these become talking points in the pubs, landlords will show the fights and eventually the papers will give it the inches. Three biggest events in recent years - Froch vs Groves 1 and 2 and Haye vs Chisora, all three got fantastic column inches and at least locally was shown by lots of pubs in my area - got the blokes talking and people were hyped. Even though the latter always looked like a mismatch to me. What about Quigg vs Jamonye - whats the odds on the pubs putting Xfactor or Strictly on? No build up, apart from on Ringside and dedicated shows.... needs to have adverts in the footie etc.

I'm convinced there is a market for boxing in the mainstream. The viewing figures on 5 show this despite the poor marketing. When Hennessy was on ITV 4, he would get them record numbers and Williams vs Harrison attracted 12 million.

[whiskey]

100% with you. I just cancelled sky sports as im bored of ringside and the hearn bills..Anything half decent is ppv...when i get my BN delivered every week i used to finish it by saturday..latest copy still not finished.i think we are just bored of knowing whowins each fight 90% of the time before it starts.as we get older we are also more wise about the cynical approach that the powerful in boxing have toward the fans. They think we are stupid and will pay for substandard fare whatever..
And quite how tv companies and promoters can determine the destiny of world titles is quite frankly appalling..fed up with it ...want the 80's back

There is a worrying trend of more and more people cancelling Sky.

I see your point about the "same old, same old" but in reality it's the actual COST of the subs / packages that makes it's difficult to justify, than the quality.

I'm not a millionaire, but i can afford Sky - but when you don't care for other sports except for boxing, you get an extremely raw deal. I have like 4 or 5 sky sports channels and honestly I don't even watch any of them unless it's a weigh in on Sky News (which iFLTV usually cover anyway) and then the fight card itself.

And the marquee events end up on box office.

So as a boxing fan, we get a really poor deal out of the equation. Little boxing and when it's good, it's even more money on top.

I've canned all the movies, cartoon channels for my kids, documentaries and everything else except for the basic sub plus Sports.

Instead I have gone over to Netflix whom have all the series there on demand, so i can watch them one after the other. The kids have more choice on netflix than anything else I've seen. And with regards movies - well I just pre-order the Blu Ray off amazon, and then after watching it I quickly list it on ebay and get most of my money back for it - so it's almost cost neutral in that sense. But I get to choose the movie I want, not what happens to come out on Sky.

It's just the boxing value for money now that bothers me, that there seems no way of overcoming.

When Netflix is £7 for 4 devices (iPad, Xbox etc) and Sky is at least 10 times that - you have to say enough's enough. Especially when the 1080p picture is so good on Netflix and they are even starting 4k picture quality.

I stated Sky Satellite would be dead and buried inside 5 years and I stand by that. We are getting more and more into online shows without a dish. Hence Sky rushing out Now TV to try and capture some of it, but it's too late now.

The amount of younger people who have Netflix or online television like amazone Prime is something like 20-1 compared to those people who get a dish. That customer base is growing fast, and the older folks are tired of paying for a million stations of sh*t on Sky they never watch.

If Fight Pass cornered the online boxing, it could eventually see them not even need sky funds to put shows on.

[MightyWarrior]

In short, Adam Smith has been a complete effing DISASTER for boxing in the UK.

He's at fault for putting out the TOE CURLINGLY AWFUL Ringside shows, and the bloated massive 4 hour shows built around an Eddie Hearn so called "world champ" against some stiff. and allowing Hearn to serve up any old crap on the regular shows, and as soon as he steps up and makes a decent fight, it PPV.

[Datsue]

In short, Adam Smith has been a complete effing DISASTER for boxing in the UK.

He's at fault for putting out the TOE CURLINGLY AWFUL Ringside shows, and the bloated massive 4 shows built around an Eddie Hearn so called "world champ" against some stiff. and allowing Hearn to serve up any old crap on the regular shows, and as soon as he steps up and makes a decent fight, it PPV.

[black panther]

If I couldn't come on here during work so much I'd really be out of touch with boxing.

Definitely a bit bored. Just fed up of the complete lack of 50/50 fights at all levels.

I mean I was really excited about Murray vs Crolla but in reality we could be getting fights like these at least once a month. There is enough talent on the domestic scene. Someone cited the middleweight division which was a good example; Macklin, Barker, Andy Lee, Martin Murray, Billy Joe Saunders....not one fight between them.

The good fights just don't get made from domestic level to world level. The excuses are pathetic; wait until both have a world title....or if they have a world title wait until we've made a few soft defenses.

I also had a similar love affair with MMA like the OP. Don't watch that at all now so it's not like that is a distraction.

[Counter-puncher]

In short, Adam Smith has been a complete effing DISASTER for boxing in the UK.

He's at fault for putting out the TOE CURLINGLY AWFUL Ringside shows, and the bloated massive 4 shows built around an Eddie Hearn so called "world champ" against some stiff. and allowing Hearn to serve up any old crap on the regular shows, and as soon as he steps up and makes a decent fight, it PPV.

[black panther]

In short, Adam Smith has been a complete effing DISASTER for boxing in the UK.

He's at fault for putting out the TOE CURLINGLY AWFUL Ringside shows, and the bloated massive 4 shows built around an Eddie Hearn so called "world champ" against some stiff. and allowing Hearn to serve up any old crap on the regular shows, and as soon as he steps up and makes a decent fight, it PPV.

X 100

There just isn't any quality control. I mean at least on HBO they reject fights on a regular basis based on the fact that they aren't deemed of a high enough standard/competitive.

[reggaereggae]

With the OP on this one.

It's just too much hard work. I can't get into some of the average stuff matchroom put on - some of quiggs fights are laughable, billing Crolla as some massive superstar and the Ricky Burns opponents. (Bar Crawford who was mandatory) etc etc.

Sky's complete overhyping of everything and the cheesiness of ringside is beyond comparison. Jonny Nelson doing some corny intro and then getting the theatrics from smith, the complete opposite of reserved and subtle but slightly awkward ed Robinson ('oh no he didn't' - say something remotely critical about Ed), it's just a bit if a mess. Throw in some jargon and buzz phrases such as 'our sport' 'boxing man' etc, just make me want to cry.

Then you have boxing journalists and internet writers (how could they ever be journo's!) all acting as best buddies on twitter as if they are the only ones in the know and acting as guardians of the secret. Yet consistantly wheeling out the same tripe. I get this feeling that they believe that they are in some special club and nod and wink at each other as if to say 'yeah, I work in boxing'

The fact that the best just aren't fighting the best often enough. (Nothing new but tiring)

Other things that are making me lose interest;

Twitter 'fans'

Boxers banging on about how hard they train all the time on twitter. It's kind of expected, I mean it is your job. I don't need to hear about it every two minutes. Some insight is good but just constantly talking about hard sessions isn't of interest. Much like 'journalists' who bang on about how hard they work. For me hard work is a given in any industry for those who want success.

Twitter fans (who are mainly casual boxing fans) tweeting eddie hearn and calling him mate.

Death of the boxing forums. So quiet these days.

Everyone and their gran thinking they can be the next Kugan Cassius ( he's famous now)by pointing a smartphone in a boxers face.

Some great points, ESP about Ringside. I can't stand the 'jolly' cheesiness and atmosphere. Boxing is a serious game, people get hurt, badly. A few jokes are fine, but the tone is horribly inappropriate.

With regards to IFL, I can't even watch them and I used to watch everything boxing related.

I think my interest started to lapse around the first Haye - Fury cancellation, then the second, then Chisora pull out, then Fury...

I mean bad luck and whatever, but there seem to be way more pull outs these days.

[Counter-puncher]

difficult to like Smith, isn't it?

well, I say difficult to like him. difficult to watch him and not want to smack him around a bit, is probably closer to the mark.....

[Counter-puncher]