Let's discuss the future of boxing

[Skav]

I got this from LF but wanted people's views here on the sport's near future.

 

There are only a handful...well, not even a handful of fights that are actually going ahead. Cotto vs Mayorga, Montiel vs Donaire and Froch vs Johnson.

 

There are only about 7 fights that I even want to see: Groves vs Degale, Mayweather vs Pacquiao, Mayweather vs Martinez, Haye vs Klitschko, Pacquiao vs Martinez, Gamboa vs Lopez and Khan vs Bradley/Alexander.

 

I thought 2010 was one of the worst years for boxing in a long time, and it doesn't seem to be getting much better this year, at least not yet. 2010 had a strong year, and perhaps this year will also end strongly, but it was too late to say that 2010 was a great year by the time things looked up.

 

With the best not willing to fight the best, too many PPV's for trivial cards, too much money being involved, promoters not willing to organise the best fights until they've milked every last penny from their star fighters and the organisations also screwing things up, where is boxing heading to?

 

Will it eventually become an internet exclusive sport?

 

Bradley vs Alexander are two examples of how boxing should go, and I am hoping that they will set a trend, but maybe it's wishful thinking.

 

People have nothing great to discuss on the boxing forums now.

 

Thoughts?

[iamasadlittleboy]

I'm really looking forward to the future. The sport goes in cycles and sometimes it's the lower weights that has the excitement, other times it's the bigger weights. We have some great fighters, some brilliant prospects and some brilliant "collision courses" (just hoping they collide now)...

[WelshDevilRob]

2010 was a bad year overall - very slow and only really caught fire in the Winter.

 

Last 2 years have seen fights being postponed or cancelled and thats always bad.

 

2007/2008 from memory were fantastic years and we got loads of quality match-ups and good fights.

 

I think its too early to say how this year will pan out. But as a hardcore fight fan there are always great fights in the lower divisions. As I always say, the internet allows us to see more fights than ever before so really we have been spoiled. (UK fans)

[Jabandmove]

I do worry about the long term future of boxing with the failure to produce high profile fights over the last couple of years. There is competition now with UFC and MMA events and boxing as a whole needs to face up to those.

 

There will always be the hard core fans who can appreciate a quality fight card but the casual support may cross over if boxing is not careful.

 

There are a lot of things that wll never change due to greed by numerous organisations!

[Skav]

I do worry about the long term future of boxing with the failure to produce high profile fights over the last couple of years. There is competition now with UFC and MMA events and boxing as a whole needs to face up to those.

 

There will always be the hard core fans who can appreciate a quality fight card but the casual support may cross over if boxing is not careful.

 

There are a lot of things that wll never change due to greed by numerous organisations!

 

Never say never. Something needs to change the way these organisations now work. Admittedly, I don't know what.

[davemurphy]

I'd like to be optomistic, but it isn't yes, especially here in the USA where Boxing seems to be waning much more than in the rest of the World. What I'm most concerned about at the moment is with regard to LIVE BOXING, and once again is more of a concern here than abroad. Tommorow night in Detroit, we're going to have one of the best matchups in the sport between Bradley and Alexander (at very least, the #2 and #3 best fighters in the popular JWW Division, and some would argue maybe the Top Two).......but as of a week ago, ticket sales were in triple didgits. It's also MORE than just the weak local economy and the lack of a local Detroit name (Bradley is from California, Alexander from St.Louis,Mo). What worries me is that Promoter Gary Shaw doesn't EVEN CARE there will be a sparse crowd onhand. Once he got his TV money from HBO, he didn't care. With the TV Networks becoming CENTRAL to things, almost AS a Promoter themselves but in fact only worried about airing it and not anyone attending it, are we headed for a time when Fights actually take place in a Studio? I don't want to see Boxing become something like a small time Pro Wrestling circuit where it's something they're happy to be on TV. If you don't have a large crowd onhand and cheering, then guess what Gary Shaw? The Product looks like shit on TV when it appears to be taking place in Library.

[Crusader]

Boxing is one of the most popular sports in the world at level affiliations are few nations where there and I think the world will exist as long as two people will fight with their fists, but there is no doubt that the last period was just exhilarating, the exciting clashes between the best fighters are as 'the sacred graal', too many interests and a lot of confusion, has more than thirty-five years I follow boxing and never seen so many fights deleted..jump agreements with teasing by children of asylum, WBC, WBA, IBF, etc...invent every day a whore crap, unless it is made a bit of cleaning at all levels expect even worse...

[Jabandmove]

I do worry about the long term future of boxing with the failure to produce high profile fights over the last couple of years. There is competition now with UFC and MMA events and boxing as a whole needs to face up to those.

 

There will always be the hard core fans who can appreciate a quality fight card but the casual support may cross over if boxing is not careful.

 

There are a lot of things that wll never change due to greed by numerous organisations!

 

Never say never. Something needs to change the way these organisations now work. Admittedly, I don't know what.

 

IMO there needs to be 1 champion at each weight class. I also know this will never happen as it is greed from all angles. With 3, maybe 4 recognised world bodies (WBA, IBF, WBC and arguably WBO) that produces 4 champs. Which in turn produces 4 lots of rankings and totally dilutes the quality of the challengers. Getting a world title shot is far too easy now and too many 'champions' have got there the easy way.

 

Boxing needs a worldwide governing body, like FIFA in football but without the incompetance and corruption mlol/ Then all regulations would be the same, and promoters/tv companies would lose some of the control they have over the sport.

[Skav]

I do worry about the long term future of boxing with the failure to produce high profile fights over the last couple of years. There is competition now with UFC and MMA events and boxing as a whole needs to face up to those.

 

There will always be the hard core fans who can appreciate a quality fight card but the casual support may cross over if boxing is not careful.

 

There are a lot of things that wll never change due to greed by numerous organisations!

 

Never say never. Something needs to change the way these organisations now work. Admittedly, I don't know what.

 

IMO there needs to be 1 champion at each weight class. I also know this will never happen as it is greed from all angles. With 3, maybe 4 recognised world bodies (WBA, IBF, WBC and arguably WBO) that produces 4 champs. Which in turn produces 4 lots of rankings and totally dilutes the quality of the challengers. Getting a world title shot is far too easy now and too many 'champions' have got there the easy way.

 

Boxing needs a worldwide governing body, like FIFA in football but without the incompetance and corruption mlol/ Then all regulations would be the same, and promoters/tv companies would lose some of the control they have over the sport.

 

Absolutely agree. I just wish there was something that could knock out those other pointless organisations.