How to save boxing

So I've seen many threads of this ilk, they are repeated fairly regularly, but for what it's worth here are my thoughts on how to 'save' boxing. In my view there are two main problems:
1) Not enough new fans are being drawn in
2) The best fighters don't fight frequently enough

Now obviously 1) is dependant somewhat on 2), but I think you can draw in casual fans with half-decent fights, it just takes more good fights to keep them interested. Anyway, the solutions are:

1) Boxercise! Or whatever you want to call it. More people these days go to the gym and want to keep fit. Boxfit classes are based on 3 minute rounds with 1 minutes rest in between, alternating between various activities like skipping, shadow boxing, hitting the bags, circuits etc. They are a proper workout and can introduce people to boxing (of sorts), some of whom will hopefully go on to watch boxing on TV. Basically more of these classes across the country = more interest in boxing.

2) More 'Super Six' round robin type tournaments, properly backed by the big networks and mainstream media, in the classic weight classes. You will always have the biggest stars, the Mayweathers and Pacquiaos, who don't need to enter these tournaments and you can't really force them to fight no matter what. But the guys wanting to get there (Berto, Froch, Khan, Donnaire etc.) could be basically forced to fight three times a year by the big networks, at the risk of not being shown on TV at all. The beauty of these tournaments is that they can be finished within 18 months, with a clear winner who the public all know is the top man. He can then fight the top man from the next weight class, the winner from the last time the tournament occured, or defend his title when the tournament starts again next time. The important thing is that these tournaments run over as short a time scale as possible, so if someone pulls out through injury or suffers a surprise defeat they are out of the tournament but can just start the next one and go from there. Basically the hard core fans will still watch regular, ad-hoc shows, and the casuals get a once-a-month tournie match up (with mainstream publicity) where they can follow their favourite fighters.

And we can all just ignore the alphabelts.

What are your thoughts (go easy on me )?

Less belts, less divisions, nothing else is needed.

rowley wrote:Less belts, less divisions, nothing else is needed.

What he said. The current situation is ridiculous. I wrote something about it months ago, and if you can be bothered to trawl through my bitterness you'll see that the situation is becoming nigh-on unmanageable.

https://www.606v2.com/t1783-weights-belts-champions-title-holders-and-the-kitchen-sink?highlight=kitchen+sink

Less belts and less divisions is practically unattainable now, they're all but ignored anyway. More Super Six type tournaments are needed, no doubt about it. It gets the best fighters fighting eachother with everyone knowing where they stand. Nobody has said that Bute has been ducking have they, he's been frozen out because he hasn't participated. The line is drawn and people know where they are.

That, actually, is the bottom line. Fans need to know what is going on. The sport needs structure and I think tournaments are the way forward.

To paraphrase:

One Governing Body, One Belt, One Champion

No BoxNation - potential fans are locked out automatically of 75% of fights.

I really don't see why it should be unattainable though. This mindset only exists because we have been conditioned to accept nonsense as the norm. Said it on an earlier thread but how long did it take the promoters over here to stop putting on WBU, WBG, WDA fights when Sky put their foot down and said enough was enough. Trust me if HBO and Showtime put their foot down promoters stateside will fall in line in similarly quick time.

It needs a universal, unified governing body. One organisation which will oversee all aspects of the professional game from the making of matches to the standard of drug testing. One ranking system which gives an accurate indication of true skill and which consistently and fairly matches deserving opponents.

Boxing is perfect as it is. The only thing we could do with is Mayweather v Pacquiao, May 12th maybe?

rowley wrote:Less belts, less divisions, nothing else is needed.

Completely agree. Can't see it will ever happen though, which was why I was arguing (similar to your comments a few posts later) that it's up to the TV/media companies to sort it out. I think a regular tournament, almost league like, is the best way to get regular fights that allow people to really see the most competitive fights. I still don't see how you could force Mayweather-Pacquiao, but it should at least make sure there are enough good fights out there. Imagine if someone said to Bute: "Your in the Super 6 or you won't be on TV for 2 years". He'd soon step in line!

BALTIMORA wrote:It needs a universal, unified governing body. One organisation which will oversee all aspects of the professional game from the making of matches to the standard of drug testing. One ranking system which gives an accurate indication of true skill and which consistently and fairly matches deserving opponents.

Can't see it happening without commercial pressure, if ever - solution is to for the media to force fighters into fighting for the right to be recognised as the best.

Fifa type organisation that works in the background - not at the front where there is potential for corruption. Professional and impartial judges/ referees. Give the regional channels the local fights on tv (just record rather than live) and bigger domestic scraps on national Tv.

More PED's.

If no KO winner after 12 rounds weapons are allowed until there is a KO.

Card girls should be naked.

Bob Arum, Frank Warren and Don King should be forced to fight to the death to decide who the main promoter would be, once we get a winner he should be shot and we then look for a good promoter.

If a fight isn't entertaining enough by the 4th round they should put a lion or grizzly bear in the ring as well.

Amir Khan should have his computer confiscated.

More catchweight fights.

More sanctioning bodies.

It's the only way to do away with the bad old days of rigid weight categories and powerful corrupt sanctioning bodies.

ShahenshahG wrote:Fifa type organisation that works in the background - not at the front where there is potential for corruption.

Sorry Shah, I don't follow football, but I know enough that I can safely say FIFA is corrupt. It doesn't really matter where the organisation is positioned in respect of governance, money and power corrupts people and any "new" all powerful boxing commision would fall prey to the same vices.

As mentioned already, it will take the TV networks to drive real change in the sport, not any commissions or promoters.

Mind the windows Tino. wrote:

ShahenshahG wrote:Fifa type organisation that works in the background - not at the front where there is potential for corruption.

Sorry Shah, I don't follow football, but I know enough that I can safely say FIFA is corrupt. It doesn't really matter where the organisation is positioned in respect of governance, money and power corrupts people and any "new" all powerful boxing commision would fall prey to the same vices.

As mentioned already, it will take the TV networks to drive real change in the sport, not any commissions or promoters.

Perhaps - but remember - A sole body in charge of the game = big time power for those who make it a success. Football may be corrupt - but its still big money and it runs rather smoothly. TV/Media does have big power - but the sport is dying as entertainment and the opportunity to make big money like Fifa will push it back onto our screens.

Thing is - if you want to save boxing - then you have to accept corruption for the time being and just try to keep it down. Once its back on our screens then we can make a push for our local representative to suggest changes here and there and make him go through with it.

The only way to truly reign them in - is up to us and we could never do it. We just don't have the exposure of football - or the success that we do in other sports to make up for that lack of exposure.

Fifa is in effect the least crap option.

I guess the mods don't feel oscar is the saviour....... truffitt.

Michaels, Sean wrote:I guess the mods don't feel oscar is the saviour....... truffitt.

Would appear not Sean, try and work a lord of the rings reference in next time, am sure that will be fine.

It's Union, he's always had it in for me...... Will have to send him some fluorescent wrist bands and glowsticks as a peace offering.

Fellas, maybe some clarification is due.

It is regrettable that ' Trash talk ' has been shut down. However, its purpose was expressly to keep the main page free of the kind of meandering banter which destroys worthy boxing threads. Had ' Trash talk ' not been systematically abused it would not have been shut down.

Either way, it is not going to be duplicated on the main page.

Windy have too much respect for you to argue the point and am sure you have had your fill today but the first off topic, jocular or irrelevant post on this thread came from the moderation team not the users. If this is to be a serious boxing forum where only the topics the thread was written about are discussed surely that rule should be observed across the board.

rowley wrote:Windy have too much respect for you to argue the point and am sure you have had your fill today but the first off topic, jocular or irrelevant post on this thread came from the moderation team not the users. If this is to be a serious boxing forum where only the topics the thread was written about are discussed surely that rule should be observed across the board.

So it should, jeff.

I sincerely apologise to everybody if I missed it. Have been running round like a headless chicken today with the closure of ' Trash talk, ' resultant PMs, behind-the-scenes discussions, etc.

Thanks for the heads up. I'll check it all through.

EDIT : My mistake, fellas. Duly corrected, and sincere apologies. Thanks again for pointing it out, jeff.

One body-headed by Sepp Blatter or Pat McQuaid!

Seriously, the present set up goes right back to the aristocracy putting up "purses". The present bodies are the direct descendents of that vanity.

Add the small matter of BIG, BIG money, the likes of Sky, and the inexhaustable supply of morons willing and ready to pay up front to see the latest hyped-up bum.

I forget which boxer some years ago said that WBC stood for "We'll Be Crooks", but he said it all. Oh, nearly forgot the ex-con with the electric hair.

More frequent fights-I'm not sure on that one. A whole new debate there.

rowley wrote:Less belts, less divisions, nothing else is needed.

and no more 'catchweight' title fights. Boxing has 17 divisions already, throwing catchweights in there just dilutes the product even more.

Atila I can just about live with catchweight fights but with 17 divisions I would question the point of them but absolutely agree if a fight is a catch weight a belt should not be on the line, ever. If you are fighting for a middle weight belt both fighters should be permitted to weigh in up to that divisions weight limit, to have it otherwise is peeing on the legacy of all the great fighters who have won it previously.

huw wrote:

Amir Khan should have his computer confiscated.

what he said!! LMFAO!

at the moment it feels like the TV networks have the most (and too much) power...if they dont buy a fight...it doesnt get made. so what happens....the alphabets become irrelevant...how do young upcoming fighters make their name....promoters set up their own tv networks and then we end up with inter-stable bouts which means the best dont necessarily fight the best. cue bob arum with manny vs anyone else that arum promotes!

i like the trend some fighters are showing by ditching belts - the governing bodies could collaborate better and unify their ratings so that even if there are multiple champions, at least there is a common set of contenders.

maybe purses should be capped, wouldnt be the first sport to have a wage structure right? maybe there should be more of the purse as a win bonus and dependent on nature of win (KO/TKO/UD/SD)...its ludicrous that mayweather gets $25m and Ortiz gets $2m and Ortiz holds 'a belt' esp. when Mayweather beats him the way he does.

i hate the fact that modern fighters fight at best 4 times a year....often twice only....they should always be fit and ready to fight - none of this 16 week training camp cowpat...if the young up and coming fighters can fight regularly..why shouldnt the 'superstars'? haye has just "retired" after a sub 30 fight pro career....yet manny and JuanMa Marquez are into the 50's.....

i swear the person that cracks this should win a nobel prize in economics because while the current system stinks out the joint, it kinda works....just!