Quote Originally Posted by hattonthehammer View Post
Quote Originally Posted by Killface View Post
Boxing has slit its own throat in some respects. MMA has enjoyed its (re)surgence simply because boxing hasn't been what it could have for many of the reasons Lyle has mentioned. The powers that be are the main ones who are corrupt and they would never want a boxing league. That would require them to be transparent in many respects and be accountable for their actions. As it stands the alphabet titles can make anyone a #1 contender, hell, they can strip the champ and give the belt to anyone they feel like. Their rules aren't reinforced by law. You can sue them if they screw you, but even if you win, but they'll only screw you again by erasing you from the rankings if you ever lose the belt. A boxing league would mean a paycheck for everybody who was in it, but it would also spread out the fights. Think about weekly fights on ABC, NBC, Versus and the bigger fights bumping up to HBO. Sound nice? Never happen. It would require HBO and Showtime to swallow some fights they wouldn't want, regardless of them winding up being good fights.

The best idea I think would be to follow UFC's foot steps. A promoter created league on a channel just aching for programming. Sign some guys to exclusively fight for you in this league on this channel. As guys see these fighters get more exposure (partly because they fight more often) and have their PPV fights do actual numbers even more guys will jump on board. It could blow up in the promoter's face as most of these fighters would probably suck considering the good fighters don't need to hem themselves up, but if it worked the good fighters would come because they wouldn't have to pay a sanctioning body to eventually fight for a title. There could be rankings that made actual sense and was fair to everyone involved.

I would love to see an Emmanuel Steward trained Travis Walker. The guys got everything exciting about a fighter. Great power, physique and a crackable chin. If Steward could teach him to be somewhat of a chess player like Lewis he could go far.

To be fair with every one success steward has had ie:lewis he has gone on to have another 7-8 failures.

The training of heavyweight fighters is no different to every other division.

As ive already said boxing needs a resurgent of american heavyweights if the division is to make a rise from the ashes.
Very true, but to be fairest, most guys who lace them up quit. And also some guys just don't mesh (Taylor-Steward, Cintron-Steward, Dawson-Mayweather). I mean that if a fighter has 'it' inside him, a trainer of Steward's caliber can bring it out if they have the right cynergy. And Manny isn't the only guy who could do it, he just so happens to be the trainer that came to mind who has a proven track record with heavyweight fighters. Steward knows how to play to a fighter's strengths. I remember he even trained Tye Fields for a time and the first time I saw him I thought the guy was studly-looking, but he was awfully awkward. But Steward had him do the right things for him to win (ie, jab all night until the end of the last round).