BoxRec

My question is how much of a factor was the entrance of Clay /Ali to the pro game on restoring popularity to the fight game after a series of tough blows that seemed to damage the sport. The deaths of Davey Moore and Benny Paret, and the bad reputation and criminal record of Sonny Liston seemed to have the sport at an all time low.There were some other factors too. How much popularity did The Louisville Lip restore?

Boxing was dying out. The death of Paret caused a major backlash...networks quit showing boxing and gate receipts were way down, but along cam Ali to breath new life into the sport. If Ali had not came, then boxing very possibly could have died out, probably not, but then again, look at it today...ten, or twenty more years of the current state of boxing and it will be nothing but a memory!

barry wrote:Boxing was dying out. The death of Paret caused a major backlash...networks quit showing boxing and gate receipts were way down, but along cam Ali to breath new life into the sport. If Ali had not came, then boxing very possibly could have died out, probably not, but then again, look at it today...ten, or twenty more years of the current state of boxing and it will be nothing but a memory!

Barry you honestly feel that boxing will die out in America? In other countries boxing is still popular.

>>>Barry you honestly feel that boxing will die out in America?<<<

I certainly hope not, but with the way things are going now I can't help but think that it will. Unless there is a big shift change in who runs boxing then the alphabet orgs will continue to do things that benefit nothing but their pockets. They continue to milk all they can out of each division sometimes having three title holders in one class...the interim, the regular and the the super...first it was the weight classes, which they have just about milked all they can, though they will probably add at least two, or three more weight divisions withint the next ten, to twenty years, but now they have put their focus on how to milk titles...Like I said, the three "world" titles and then they have around 6 to 10 intrernational, intercontinental, continetal america's, Latin American and many other titles. If something is not done to set the org straight then boxing could very well be on it's final leg. Hell, there is already a large percentage of everyday people who think boxing is no different than pro wrestling!

>>>Has there ever been a period in boxing where someone like Lou Savarese could make $8 million over the course of 5 or 10 years?<<<


I guarantee that he could not make any where near that now. The only reason he did anyway was because he fought Tyson when Tyson was still commanding 10+ million a payday, but sorry there are no more Tyson,s and De La Hoya may only fight one, or two more times...Arturo Gatti is almost done as well...the big money maker in boxing will proabably be Floyd Mayweather, who is lucky to get 3 million for a very high profile fight! No if something is not done to police the Orgs then boxing will have to go back to its days of traveling with a carnival and taking on the "tough" of whatever town they visit each week. Right boxing is in horrible shape. I cannot recall the last time that there were no heavyweights who could demand a multi-million dollar paycheck...today's heavyweights are lucky, very, very lucky if they can get five million for a bout and that number is very doubtful...only a small handful of the lower weight fighters can fill an arena and as a result they most certainly cannot demand a big payday. There are a few exceptions of course but overall, boxing is in the pits right now!

Decagon wrote:Boxing will never die. Financially, it's in great shape right now. Has there ever been a period in boxing where someone like Lou Savarese could make $8 million over the course of 5 or 10 years?

For a very few people there is money to be made. But just about everybody else associated with the sport requires another way to actually make a living while they are trying to join those elite few. Of course, in most areas of the US there isn't even any way to get involved in the sport, since there are virtually no gyms and no live fight cards. If you live in a casino town, or one of the few remaining cities where there are boxing gyms and frequent live fight cards you can at least attempt to make a career of it.

Savarese? I think barry covered that well, although I would add that Savarese was a ranked white HW and that always helps. Check out the purses of the current HWs adn you'll see a completely different story. Also consider that is very seldom that a fighter actually "takes home" any where near the announced purses.

I really believe the sport in America is on life support and fading fast. Don't get me wrong, boxing will definitely not die out. In countries like Mexico, the Philippines, Thailand, and many places in Europe boxing will still be big. But in America, no one really cares anymore. Virtually all of my friends are hardcore sports fans, yet very few of them follow boxing any more. I really think that unless an American heavyweight can come and capture the minds of casual fans, the sport is done in America. None of the American champions right now, Jermain Taylor, Floyd Mayweather, Jeff Lacy, etc. have that intangible that allows them to transcend the sport like Oscar de la Hoya, Sugar Ray Leonard or Julio Cesar Chavez. And until another American champion has that intangible, I don't think we will see much of boxing in America.

There are concerns at the grass roots level also. Kids are not as interested in the sport as they once were. Maybe its that they have too many other activities , I dont know. I tried starting up an amateur gym / program here near Chicago, and it hasnt worked out very well. You work with them teach them the fundamentals ,eventualy they spar,naturally they get a little bloody nose or cut lip whatever. Afterwards you tell him good job see you tomorrow,but of course there is no tomorrow its bye,bye,.

expug wrote:There are concerns at the grass roots level also. Kids are not as interested in the sport as they once were. Maybe its that they have too many other activities , I dont know. I tried starting up an amateur gym / program here near Chicago, and it hasnt worked out very well. You work with them teach them the fundamentals ,eventualy they spar,naturally they get a little bloody nose or cut lip whatever. Afterwards you tell him good job see you tomorrow,but of course there is no tomorrow its bye,bye,.

They took boxing out of schools in UK and it's been a huge mistake. Violence and violent crime is on the up and generations are growing up without any exposure to the discipline and the respect that boxing instills in people. All my opinion, of course.

expug, it's sad to hear that your efforts are not working out.

Ali definitely put boxing back on the map, he helped the sport mostly by attracting peoples interest back.

Ali was a promoter, a fighter, a poet and a dancer...