Boxing Dead? Not a Chance!

We've all heard various criticisms for some time now saying boxing's dead but this year seems to be one of the best in recent memory.

We've had some fantastic fights and top fighters fighting the best available i.e. Rigo vs Donaire and Floyd vs Canelo.

We've had a big fight in England with Froch vs Kessler and soon to have big domestic scrap with Haye vs Fury followed by Froch vs Groves.

There's been plenty of entertaining scraps with JMM vs Bradley and Pac vs Rios still to come which will be fun to watch.

I for one haven't been as frustrated this year as others and would be quite happy to future years like this.

Long live boxing!

Id agree there Valero. Have seen some brilliant and big fights this year in Garcia vs Mathysse, Froch vs Kessler, Wlad vs Povetkin, Mayweather vs Alvarez, Rigo vs Donaire....the list goes on and on mate.

My only concern is the PPV. Id agree that Froch vs Kessler is, but Haye vs Fury is probably debatable where is Froch vs Groves on PPV is an outright robbery of the publics money.

When did Groves become PPV??

Never.

The fights have been fantastic, but if the promoters keep lining up keep busy fights for £15 a pop then it may kill off some fans interest.

i for one wont be shedding £15 for a groves fight.

Agree with PPV comment. I'm a sucker and part of the problem as I will pay for them, knowing they're not worthy but still do it!

I didn't realise Froch vs Groves was PPV. Froch and a few have got to a certain level that they could fight the local dustman and it'll be PPV.

I'll probably pay for Haye/Fury because I have a mate coming down that weekend who into his boxing so we'll go for a few drinks and then watch he fight and split the £15 4/5 ways so is no more than staying in the pub for another pint.

I do quite like the idea of Boxnation now as they seem to have a steady line of good fights and on average for the year good value. I'd happily pay £30 a month if every single televised boxing match was on it and they chucked in replays of various fights throughout the day but that's wishful thinking.

Valero's Conscience wrote:Agree with PPV comment.  I'm a sucker and part of the problem as I will pay for them, knowing they're not worthy but still do it!

I didn't realise Froch vs Groves was PPV.  Froch and a few have got to a certain level that they could fight the local dustman and it'll be PPV.

I'll probably pay for Haye/Fury because I have a mate coming down that weekend who into his boxing so we'll go for a few drinks and then watch he fight and split the £15 4/5 ways so is no more than staying in the pub for another pint.  

I do quite like the idea of Boxnation now as they seem to have a steady line of good fights and on average for the year good value.  I'd happily pay £30 a month if every single televised boxing match was on it and they chucked in replays of various fights throughout the day but that's wishful thinking.  

How are you splitting it four or five ways between two of you?  

Boxing is alive and kicking! IF we can stomp out PEDs and ridiculous judging it will get even bigger. Match 'em hard.

The press have been trying to hammer the final nail in the coffin of boxing for years.

I swear I read recently that Mayweather's earnings this year have outstripped Tiger Woods, Lebron James and other such sporting heavyweights so boxing can't be in that bad a shape.

The one thing missing for me is a decent marketable HW, that would give boxing a decent boost.

You cant stamp out poor judging or cherry picking until fans stop fawning over fighters with "0"s. Not a slight on Floyd, but rather the boxing fan...

[/quote]How are you splitting it four or five ways between two of you?  [/quote]
Because i'm magic! We'll watch with a few friends, it's not a date!

In South Africa, I dont need to buy the the fight! Just pay what equates to £40 a month, and I can watch all the movies, doccies, Music videos and sport my heart desires... Its the little things that keep it from being a hell-hole.

How are you splitting it four or five ways between two of you?  [/quote]Because i'm magic!  We'll watch with a few friends, it's not a date![/quote]Does HE know that? Probably best to check

Boxing is not dead but its not in a good place. Fans are being asked to pay silly money to follow the sport means that Mayweather has his annual cash rich fight which puts him top of the money lists but beneath the surface the sport is being marginalized and has fallen into a state of disrepair. It gets by in spite of itself because there is still money to be made but its in an unhealthy state of affairs. Froch v Groves or Haye v Fury should be routine boxing matches shown on Sky Sports 1 (if not terrestial television) if the sport was healthy. Instead they are billed as PPV extravaganzas that fans should feel privelaged to pay for o box office. They could very easily be mismatches.

catchweight wrote:Boxing is not dead but its not in a good place. Fans are being asked to pay silly money to follow the sport means that Mayweather has his annual cash rich fight which puts him top of the money lists but beneath the surface the sport is being marginalized and has fallen into a state of disrepair. It gets by in spite of itself because there is still money to be made but its in an unhealthy state of affairs. Froch v Groves or Haye v Fury should be routine boxing matches shown on Sky Sports 1 (if not terrestial television) if the sport was healthy. Instead they are billed as PPV extravaganzas that fans should feel privelaged to pay for o box office. They could very easily be mismatches.

You mean like Mayweather/Alvarez?

The sport is not dead and will never be, however when I see the likes of Wlad regularly draw 50,000 and the likes of Fury Haye sell out in half an hour for me it just gives a tantalizing glimpse of how healthy the sport could be if the governing bodies and promoters would show a genuine desire to get their house in order. People point to a fight like Rigo and Donaire, which I agree is an excellent match up but I would posit you could mention their names to sports fans outside of hardcore boxing fans and they would not know them from Adam (not our illustrious leader, who everyone has heard of)

How popular would the sport be if it did not need the mental capacity of Stephen Hawkins and the patience of a saint to keep track of how many belts there actually are and what each one means, if promoters worked together to make the matches people actually wanted to see and if the rankings actually served as genuine reflection of who the best fighters were in each weight rather than who has chucked the most money at spurious intercontinental or silver belts, whatever such things may be.

Very true.......Fact is Boxing has been marginalised by the politics of the last twenty years....Whereas fans had hagler, leonard , hearns, tyson, Holmes, Holy, Chavez, Duran, Curry, Mccallum as big names that transcended to a certain extent..........

Today we have Manny and Mayweather..................Even JMM is unknown to the casual fans that buy Froch on PPV............

Klits and Haye can only sell in their backyards.............

Haye-Fury in a way show how meaningless world titles have become.........It's a pretty meaningless fight If all be told............like Haye-Chisora..

TRUSSMAN66 wrote:Very true.......Fact is Boxing has been marginalised by the politics of the last twenty years....Whereas fans had hagler, leonard , hearns, tyson, Holmes, Holy, Chavez, Duran, Curry, Mccallum as big names that transcended to a certain extent..........

Today we have Manny and Mayweather..................Even JMM is unknown to the casual fans that buy Froch on PPV............

Klits and Haye can only sell in their backyards.............
Haye-Fury in a way show how meaningless world titles have become.........It's a pretty meaningless fight If all be told............like Haye-Chisora..

50,00 people...that must be one hell of a big backyard.

Maybe..