What happened to BOXiNG

[m8rk76]

I always think of great nights when I stayed awake to watch Barrera Morales, Corrales Castillo and Gatti Ward. What happed bosing used to be not only so accessible but it seemed the best fought the best. Maybe it’s just my nostalgic thinking, perhaps it’s always been a game or avoiding danger until absolute nessisary but what cannot be denied is the accessibility of the sport.

So fragmented all these competing networks and online platforms some suck like (DAZN) that are not available in the UK. I remember recording some lesser fights, action I caught up on the day after, nowadays you need subscriptions to several networks, BT, Sky, allegedly, and one Edward Hearn has us paying PPV for has been BumFights, like seriously be made that Bellew a multi millionaire and no one is going to convince me that he is nothing more than slightly above average.

They say BOXiNG at an all time high, really, that because AJ...... reality is he done nothing sine the Kilitschko win and we are now expected to pay ppv to watch a foregone conclusion

[fizzjambo]

Multiple belts are responsible for poor match making (from the fans persepctive) at the top level more than anything else. Till that’s sorted it’ll never really change. Plenty heavyweights we’re avoiding each other when Barrera and Morales were going at it - it’s always happened

[stujones]

Multiple belts are responsible for poor match making (from the fans persepctive) at the top level more than anything else. Till that’s sorted it’ll never really change. Plenty heavyweights we’re avoiding each other when Barrera and Morales were going at it - it’s always happened

When Barrera vs Morales were going at it - the Heavyweights were pretty much a one man show....... Unless you really wanted to see Lewis vs Jones Jnr.

[Steveh583]

People were saying the exact same thing back then. Boxing fans are moany old women.

[oogiebe]

Simply put, we have too many sanctioning bodies, as well as promotional companies, all tied together (and apart) by mighty money.

[banjo]

Boxing has always been an absolute circus to be fair.

People will go on about the sanctioning bodies and corruption and so on and then they'll say how they wish boxing was like it was in the days of Sugar Ray Robinson - when the Mob ran the sport.

[skanksta]

Boxing is the only sport that makes you wish it was run by someone ethical like FIFA or the IOC

[oogiebe]

Popularity is just not there. PPV's like Tyson/Lewis brought over 2m buys. Paq/Mayweather over 4M buys. These days they were crowing over 325 thousand for Wilder/Fury. No one fights anyone anymore and fighters are more than ever, protecting their zeros. Geez, SRL was even more popular after dropping his 0 to Duran and then beating him in the rematch. Spread the blame to all facets of the sport, as well as the rise of MMA/UFC.

[oogiebe]

Boxing is the only sport that makes you wish it was run by someone ethical like FIFA or the IOC

Imagine!? LMAO!

[skanksta]

Imagine!? LMAO!

Soccer is a sleazy consumerist circus, but the best fight the best every year and everyone knows what the real titles are.

[oogiebe]

Soccer is a sleazy consumerist circus, but the best fight the best every year and everyone knows what the real titles are.

I hear ya'. I was laughing at the irony of it all!

[MasterG]

Funny how no one has blamed George Groves.

[m8rk76]

I honestly feel there must be an element to the reach these days. Even early 2000s fighters had to fight to gain notoriety.

These days they just promote the hell on social media and make average fights events.

Sad days

[black panther]

Richard “The Secret” Williams.

[jamesmcdonnell]

I blame Wilt Chamberlain.

[oogiebe]

I blame Wilt Chamberlain.

LMFAO! Bring back Kalan!!!!

[Onetimeonly]

Boxers are overpaid. There were always fights among the best that didn't happen, there was just more best.

[gilgamesh]

Popularity is just not there. PPV's like Tyson/Lewis brought over 2m buys. Paq/Mayweather over 4M buys. These days they were crowing over 325 thousand for Wilder/Fury. No one fights anyone anymore and fighters are more than ever, protecting their zeros. Geez, SRL was even more popular after dropping his 0 to Duran and then beating him in the rematch. Spread the blame to all facets of the sport, as well as the rise of MMA/UFC.

It's kinda funny the way you say "These days" as if Pac vs Mayweather was decades ago or some sh*t. It was like 4 years ago

[jamesmcdonnell]

It's kinda funny the way you say "These days" as if Pac vs Mayweather was decades ago or some sh*t. It was like 4 years ago

I did think that, I wondered maybe if it was longer again than I thought.

[leejonesjnr]

The era you are living in is never a golden age, time changes things.

[oogiebe]

It's kinda funny the way you say "These days" as if Pac vs Mayweather was decades ago or some sh*t. It was like 4 years ago

Mayweather was the last fighter who can draw such numbers. It does feel longer than four years ago!

[oogiebe]

The era you are living in is never a golden age, time changes things.

I love this era of fighters! It doesn't change the fact that boxing's popularity has waned significantly.

[gilgamesh]

The era you are living in is never a golden age, time changes things.

"We can't seem to change the future, and we can't seem to change the present, but we can change the past. We do that all the time" - Bob Dylan

[MasterG]

Money and TV rights have destroyed boxing. The other thing is, like in many sports, the average Joe knows hardly any boxers. Back before all this PPV and boxers having to fight for a particular TV station boxing was frequently on TV via free satallite stations and terrestrial TV. There was many sports stars that the average housewife could name because they were frequently on TV or had a personality.

Every one knows Frank Bruno, Ian Botham, George Best and Alex Higgins. Why is that? Because they were household personalities.

Ask the average man in the street to name 2 current middleweights, 1 flyweight, 2 featherweights you are very likely to get a blank look.

I personally think boxing has gone a different direction to how it was in the 70s to mid 90s. The cost of following boxing has increased in all ways, live or TV.

I followed Chris Eubank back in the day saw him fight live at a reasonable cost and saw many fights on TV for free. If this was the case these days I doubt I would have ever seen his fights on TV for what they are charging, unless free streaming that is.

Boxing back in the 80s boxing had so many middleweights at a superior level it was unbelievable, they all had to fight each other back then.

Also another reason boxing back then had a meaning, today it's like the Premiership, a business. Boxers are wanting top dollar and for them to get that it comes at a cost for the supporter.

You have also have to have boxers that connect with people, Tyson Fury and travellers for example. Apart from Fury I can't think off the top of my head who else connects with certain people, may Josh Warrington for the city of Leeds. You won't sell tickets if you haven't got a following and to have a following you need either a personality or are exciting to watch.

Boxing in the 2000's is different to the 80s era, but this is another era for boxing so it's bound to change over time.

[gilgamesh]

Money and TV rights have destroyed boxing. The other thing is, like in many sports, the average Joe knows hardly any boxers. Back before all this PPV and boxers having to fight for a particular TV station boxing was frequently on TV via free satallite stations and terrestrial TV. There was many sports stars that the average housewife could name because they were frequently on TV or had a personality.

Every one knows Frank Bruno, Ian Botham, George Best and Alex Higgins. Why is that? Because they were household personalities.

Really bad example. Other than Bruno I never heard of any of those guys.