Interest in boxing dying out ??

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Originally Posted by VanChilds

Entertainment is subjective. Just b/c you don't like watching MMA is in no way indicative of its popularity and to suggest a lack of talent in MMA is just ignorant. MMA isn't as deep as boxing but at its top, MMA fighters are world class athletes and tremendously talented. Many of its practitioners competed at world class levels in other combat sports.

What the UFC does right is they put 5+ fights on their PPVs and do 5-7 free shows a year. With being the biggest show now the UFC gives MMA fans good continuity and usually the best fights available.

I still follow boxing but not nearly as closely as I used to. I'm on a fixed budget and I just rarely want to spend $50 on a boxing PPV with 1 or 2 fights. I'd say the matchmaking has been pretty good lately but the Alphabets are one of the biggest problems. A singular belt and rankings are probably a pipe dream but would go a long way.

In regards to boxing dying: I think thats a bit dramatic but the decline in the US can't be denied. In my hometown of pop. 150K+ our only gym closed a while back. I think for boxing to make a come back it needs to find a way to get young people competing in the sport again.

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I must admit I never don't really remember any of Vanchilds postings much prior to his recent row with CFH but I think he comes across as one of the most educated and articulate members on the board, able to debate even controversial issues like gun control in the US with sound reasoning and good debate.

He's one of the posters whose posts I follow most now

Thanks...nice to know ones appreciated.

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Originally Posted by VanChilds

Entertainment is subjective. Just b/c you don't like watching MMA is in no way indicative of its popularity and to suggest a lack of talent in MMA is just ignorant. MMA isn't as deep as boxing but at its top, MMA fighters are world class athletes and tremendously talented. Many of its practitioners competed at world class levels in other combat sports.

What the UFC does right is they put 5+ fights on their PPVs and do 5-7 free shows a year. With being the biggest show now the UFC gives MMA fans good continuity and usually the best fights available.

I still follow boxing but not nearly as closely as I used to. I'm on a fixed budget and I just rarely want to spend $50 on a boxing PPV with 1 or 2 fights. I'd say the matchmaking has been pretty good lately but the Alphabets are one of the biggest problems. A singular belt and rankings are probably a pipe dream but would go a long way.

In regards to boxing dying: I think thats a bit dramatic but the decline in the US can't be denied. In my hometown of pop. 150K+ our only gym closed a while back. I think for boxing to make a come back it needs to find a way to get young people competing in the sport again.

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I definitely think there's some truth to that, but I think in the UK anyway its about the markets the respective sports aim for. I would say boxing, even if only going by my local boxing club, is very popular among younger people. The problem it faces is it is not so popular among affluent young people. I've worked hard enough to get a degree, and am lucky enough to be able to work so I can go to the Hatton-Pac fight for example. However, the remainder of the kids & even some of the trainers at my boxing club, simply don't have the money to do that. Everyone at the club lives in a similar area in South London, which is known for being deprived, and whilst many of us would like to go to see a fight its simply not possible. For example, we all talked about going out as a group to see David Haye's next fight, as he came from the same Ammy club as us. However, because the fight looks to be in Germany that is out of the question, and probably would have been for some of us even if it was in London.

I think in contrast, a lot of those who are MMA fans are guys who have a bit more money or are less likely to have grown up in the inner-cities. This is certainly going by the gym at my place of work, where a lot of guys actively train in MMA. Again these are only based on my observations, but I think it does boil down to respective positions in society. I think the casual fans who make up a majority of the fans who actually go to boxing, would only do so if they thought it was a worthwile fight, hence why I think Haye-Klitschko would sell out, whilst Haye-Barrett didnt.

Hope that made some sense, about the markets the respective sports tap into, and I don't know if there's some correllation between here and the US.

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Originally Posted by Mark Scott

Interest at a lull right now, needs someone like Joe Gans, Sugar Ray, or Ali to come along.


Amazon.com: Joe Gans: A Biography of the First African American World Boxing Champion: Colleen Aycock, Mark Scott: Books

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No offence Mark but do you really have to put a plug in for your book in each thread? lol :p

As long as you're hear to talk boxing and not just plug your book (and it appears you are hear to talk boxing) it's all Kool & The Gang :cool:

Boxing for the spectator, has it's moments. It's usually in the top 20 and jumps up to the top 10 with more exciting fighters (and championships bouts) and even higher to the #1 spot with highly controversial and adored fighters but by no means is it dying out. ;D