reason why there are no more Superstars

[SlimTrae]

MMA has taken boxing's thunder.

Packed arenas every time out.

[Master]

MMA has taken boxing's thunder.

Packed arenas every time out.

They have packed arena at WWE does not mean it is any good, probably free tickets.

[J_Undisputed]

Sad as it sounds. The lack of superstars has to do with the condition of the stage. Boxing used to require, skills, intent, passion and drive. The sport as a whole has become a shell of its former self. Its too easy to get into the sport now and get out with a pocket full of money regardless of the performance you give.

We used to have fighters, now we have athletes that are volume punchers. We used to have davids that sought out goliaths and catapulted themselves to the top by upsetting them, now we have fighters waiting for other fighters to get old so they can fight them in that small window where youth trumps reflexes and stamina but everyone still reveres the old guys name.

The fans are so starved for throwbacks that we accept almost anyone in hopes that they will excite us and revive the sport. Gym rats are not enough, Tough men are not enough and scientists are not enough. There used to be a spirit there. Warriors that were in it for the reckoning and accepted nothing short of conquering. Those guys have been replaced by half A$$ers who think that since the NBA and NFL is showering players with huge contracts, that they should be able to self promote and then walk into the ring and make millions for a nights work. This new breed of boxer (technical term) also believes that being a giant, banger, volume puncher with no accuracy, or a fleet footed pitty patter should be enough as long as you have a way to make yourself look interesting. There are so good fighters now that stand out and are still looking to be complete fighters. Golovkin... Kovalev... Lee... Walters... porters show interest in picking up the pieces, among others....

If you want a reason. Start with money. Not saying fighters were better when they were poor and fighting long enough to get brain damage... but there are a lot of boxers with an inflated designer record, talking money first and glory second. The artistry is gone from a good percentage of the fighters and fights now. If you look at the quotes thread we have going on, you get a sense of what some of the fighters were as people and as warriors. Sit in on an interview or press conference now and you hear..

"I don't know you, i'll have to discuss things with my manager al haymon."
"I'll fight (insert name) if the moneys right... "
"I only want the big fights..."
"Im the A-side... you're the B-side"

plus:
-Fighters shamelessly relinquishing belts to avoid unifications...
-Fighters using catch weights.
-Fighters suggesting that paying a fine should take the place of a clean test so they don't lose their purse for being roided up

[Spicoli]

It may very well be because we-they insist on making every flashy but realistically mediocre kid into one before its due. Fighters come from roots and build up, exposure and as far as availability its almost an overload compared to 20+ yrs ago. So much that many of the 'weekly' network cards are not often talked about

[erics44]

MMA has taken boxing's thunder.

Packed arenas every time out.

Has it fuck, who watches MMA?

couple of mongs down the pub

MMA is shit, its like a really shit boxing fight ever time

[Primo Carnera]

MMA has taken boxing's thunder.

Packed arenas every time out.

Has it fuck, who watches MMA?

couple of mongs down the pub

MMA is shit, its like a really shit boxing fight ever time

Got to agree with that.

[J_Undisputed]

MMA has taken boxing's thunder.

Packed arenas every time out.

Has it fuck, who watches MMA?

couple of mongs down the pub

MMA is shit, its like a really shit boxing fight ever time

Got to agree with that.

I'm not so sure. The thing I notice with MMA that use to happen in boxing is the possibility of a unheralded guy upsetting a superstar on a more regular basis. Due to the wide variety of skills involved, there are tactics to deal with the fast money one trick ponies. Take someone like Wilder for instance. Athletic, but realistically has made a career of a jab and an overhand right with his size. This guy would have been taken down and pounded or choked out within the first minute of an MMA fight. There's counter techniques that are part of a regular fighters arsenal; the bangers can get submitted by the ground and pound guys, the jujitsu can choke or lock a ground and pound wrestlers, The jujitsu guys can get banged out by the strikers. So everyone works on their skills so they have another level to go to when they're out of their depth. That's why guys like kimbo, mercer, toney, mayorga and lesnar didn't really find longevity there.

Low level guys aren't making a whole lot but have a chance to with incentive based bonuses. Knockout of the night, submission of the etc. Can you imagine what it would do for a floyd/ pacquiao fight if there were stipulations that said may its a 60/40 may split but pacquiao gets a 10% bonus if he knocks out floyd. MMA is finding ways to make sure the guys who want it bad enough, get it.... and the ones who don't get what they deserve.. whether its knocked out, choked out, or a plane ticket home.

[Syntax Error]

Boxing on free has a lot to do with making fans of the sport and making fighters household names and become super stars.

Spot on.

I think there are few fighters around with the charisma & likeability to be major stars, but nobody has ever heard of them.

I can only speak from a UK perspective, but boxing is not mentioned on the main news at all & the sports stations/channels only really concentrate on the major UK fighters in big fights, much like the recent Froch -v- Groves fights.

[ross]

If MMA is a real threat to boxing why did James Toney literally earn double what "MMA legend" Couture did when they fought?

In fact, I'm too lazy to check but who has earnt more than Toney for one fight in MMA?

Boxing has money because it has more viewers.

Couture earnt a poxy half million dollars for that fight, which isn't too bad for a rugby tackle.

Now look at some boxing superstars. In 1988 fucking 27 years ago Mike tyson earnt $20 million!! An MMA fighter will never ever earn that for a single fight. In fact Jon Jones career earnings are half of that single fight!

[SlimTrae]

MMA has taken boxing's thunder.

Packed arenas every time out.

Has it fuck, who watches MMA?

couple of mongs down the pub

MMA is shit, its like a really shit boxing fight ever time

#1. I said packed arenas. Watching it on t.v. & being there are two different things. Can you figure that one out? think for a second....I'll wait....
Okay.
#2. Your opinion on what you think about it- is about the same as mines. So...look @ my opinion. Oh, Fuck...I didn't give one did I?
#3. For you & anyone else who thinks the argument is MMA is replacing Boxing. No. Mines is simple: Boxing isn't doing what it use to, especially here in the states. Why else is this thread in existence?
Think about it for a second...I'll wait......
Here is one estimate- per MMA to sherdog:
For UFC:
13 pay-per-view in 2012 = approximately 5.7 million buys
16 pay-per-view-in 2011 = approximately 6.4 million.
On about 400,000- 438,000.
I don't have the recent year- but the year Floyd fought Cotto:

1. Boxing - May 5 - Floyd Mayweather vs. Miguel Cotto 1,500,000
2. Boxing - December 8 - Manny Pacquiao vs. Juan Manuel Marquez 1,150,000
3. UFC 148 - July 7 - Anderson Silva vs. Chael Sonnen 925,000
4. WWE WrestleMania - April 1 - The Rock vs. John Cena 715,000
5. UFC 145 - April 21 - Jon Jones vs. Rashad Evans 700,000
5. UFC 154 - November 17 - Georges St-Pierre vs. Carlos Condit 700,000
5. Boxing - June 9 - Manny Pacquiao vs. Timothy Bradley 700,000

Now the above is for those who kept re-writing my statement which dealt with gate/ticket sells, NOT PPV events.
Find boxers who sells thousands of seats & that's probably Wlad-over seas. Froch over seas.
Who sells thousands here? JCC jr? yeah if he's in Texas aka Texaco USA.
Hopkins can't Bradley Stivernne coming here can't. Ward only in his home city. Connecticut-where you @ Walrus? They do plenty of fights there, but are they 10thousand venue seats? Since Gatti when was the last time we had a sellout event at Atlantic city?
Pac or PBF fights here in Vegas, who here can afford a ticket? Not one of ya'll asses is getting a ticket outside the nosebleed seats.

MMA is selling out here & in Mexico
Sold-Out UFC 180: Velasquez vs. Werdum To Air in 400 Theaters Across the Nation | MMAWeekly.com
Velazquez sold out. Not a tiny ass 3,200 venue place either.

UFC 129 55k sold
UFC 129 Sold Out, Shatters Records With 55,000 Tickets | MMAWeekly.com

UFC 124: St-Pierre vs. Koscheck 2 23,152 fans.

The previous gate record for a UFC event was $5.4 million Dec. 30, 2006 at MGM aka PBF-ville

This link below shows that MMA generates the same ridiculous prices for top seats. SO once again I end with what I started with: Packed arenas every time out

UFC 167 high-dollar ticket sales means 20th Anniversary show is most 'in-demand' event in Zuffa's history - MMAmania.com

[SlimTrae]

& for the record: Ali is a lot to blame.

One didn't have to be charismatic to be a champ. He changed that. to a fault IMO.

Joe Louis was the antithesis: quiet, humble & the nation loved him. Since then Aliitis has fucked with the PBF's, Broners & Khans of the world.

Ray Leonard succeeded him & captivated us to the point we gave him forgiveness on fights he got his ass whooped in. SRL vs Hearns for 12 rounds...and a draw the 2nd time? That was Aliitis in those judges there.