2012, a good year for the sport?

Lots going on in boxing this year, as always, but has it been a good year for the sport.

I'm going to have to say yes.

Had some great fights, none better than this weekends between Rios and Alavarado, some stacked cards too.

There are always the usual awful cards thrown into the mix and I would like to see the yanks learn from us Brits and put on cards in venues where people actually buy tickets. Also the drug scandals have been annoying as they don't seem to have punished Berto or Peterson at all! America seems to accept PED use in its sportsman, sad but true. Just look at baseball.

Anyway. What have been the ups and downs thus far? I thik we have seen a good year for the sport, all in all.

There have been some good moments in 2012 and there are plenty of promising signs for the future, but overall, the year has contained far too much unpleasantness to count as a vintage one.

The continuing absence of a fight between the two best fighters of their generation.
The Haye-Chisora farrago, surely one of the most depressing episodes ever to disgrace the sport.
Some seriously bad judging, a global and awful phenomenon at the moment.
Drugs still rearing their inevitable head in the sport, as Sean mentions.
The truly pitiful media coverage of boxing as a mainstream sport in the UK.

The above have taken the shine off some great fights and boxers such as Mayweather, Ward and Donaire, all of whom have proved that they are fit to grace any generation in the sport's history. For next year, however, I have high hopes. A partial change in the guard at heavyweight, with good fights to be made both here and abroad. A middleweight division that looks more exciting than it has in a decade. Some mouth-watering potential clashes at lightweight, featherweight, super-bantamweight and bantamweight.

For this year, a B- grade, so far. I would hope that 2013 will be at least an A-.

We've had a lot of British fighters involved in genuine world class fights.
Froch has come back from his defeat of ward and beaten an unbeaten champion.
Burns has been on an impressive winning streak and is hopefully lined up for Broner.
Both Macklin and Barker fared well against P4P number 2 Martinez.
Hopefully Price will raise him game next year and fight a couple of Euro level fighters before ending 2013 with a genuine top 5 opponent.

Audley has finally retired

Every year has low points, this year seems worse though

That being said I feel there are more positives than usual too so it what do judge

Robberies need to be sorted out though, the sport is being ruined by them. TopRank and GB also NEED to work in cohesion for boxing to have a good year

Shame about TMT as it sounded like it was a good idea but it folded before it ever began

I agree with the drugs thing Captain, what really scares me with this is the fact that it now seems we don't even punish the fighters for their cheating. Berto and Peterson are cheats, and neother seem to have suffered. Astonishing.


Although I don't agree with his comeback, you can't argue that Ricky Hatton will bring back some much needed attention to the sport, and some goodwill. Sadly it will come at the expense of his own health