Boxing is not the same..

[outspoken]

Like many on here and as a guy who remembers calling 800 numbers and clipping newspapers just to get fight night results I'll never see boxing as falling off or not as popular with as much instant access we have now. Before places like this you watched boxing like a fookin lone nomad and what was easily or locally provided to you. Otherwise you had to work to follow or keep up with this sport I definitely agree with the era aspect also and not many things are as large and resonating as when you experienced it first, we all have that era where we lived it live and it is a bit of a measuring stick to what we have now. We like many sports fans get stuck in our tribes. Tito v Oscar were two very centered superstars who benefited from constant exposure when there was any exposure..how else do you get away with cruiserweights and Butterbean fighting on your undercard ..and today we may very well have some quantity vs quality going on if anything. Oh and divas creating there own divisions. That can be a turn off. I've said it a hundred times regarding mma also, it's a babe in the woods compared to longevity of boxing. It is massive and yes near everywhere you look but it too will and has run into its blackeyes, corruption, fan cynicism and general card to card let downs. Personally I now watch both as I enjoy the atmosphere of individual sport and don't confuse the two but I mean shit..the number one female fighter was just flattened by a former boxing champ and one of the biggest "faces" in mma is running away from his first professional loss to go pose and talk up a potential circus stunt match with our newest retired diva in Mayweather A few things will survive the apocalypse. Bitter exes, humidity in the South, cockroaches and boxing! We'll be fine.

HAHA, very well put. Boxing will always survive that is true. You made a lot of solid points. I do agree that Holly did well but she also used a lot of kickboxing and shes a full blown martial artist now. I think having boxing and training other martial arts is the best form of self defense. Look at the new UFC heavyweight champion Stipe just knocked out Werdum to win the belt with a beauty of a right hand, he was a former golden gloves champ. It however saddens me when boxing fans talk shit about mma, makes all of us boxing fans look like little intimidated bitches. Boxing is one form of combat why shit on other combat sports? Im a fan of Boxing, Jiu Jitsu, kickboxing you name it. Soak it all in.

[Mark TKO]

As said it’s down to ‘your era’ as a fan.

Was late 80s up to early 2000s for me when I knew who everyone was, bought the Ring Magazine and spent hours sadly analysing the ratings and records, fights were on terrestrial tv (or at least on non-ppv subscription channels) and you used to get an EA Knockout Kings \ Fight Night game every year with all the main guys in it etc..etc etc

PPV events used to be better too (thought again that’s because it was my era) where for £15 you’d get a Hamed, Benn, Eubank fight etc from Manchester (often on the same bill) then at 4am in the morning you’d get a Holyfield, Lewis fight etc .

Nowadays I look at the Ring ratings and know who hardly anyone is – I’m having trouble recalling the name of the Ring Pound for Pound number one right now, some guy in one of the bantam weight type divisions I know that much !

Only active fighter threads I comment on now are Haye, Khan, Fury and Joshua. Don’t feel qualified enough to comment on others.

It’s also spread across too many channels and is costly – no wonder the casual fan is on the decline.

But then again it’s natural for older guys to reminisce about the glory days………

[outspoken]

As said it’s down to ‘your era’ as a fan.

Was late 80s up to early 2000s for me when I knew who everyone was, bought the Ring Magazine and spent hours sadly analysing the ratings and records, fights were on terrestrial tv (or at least on non-ppv subscription channels) and you used to get an EA Knockout Kings \ Fight Night game every year with all the main guys in it etc..etc etc

PPV events used to be better too (thought again that’s because it was my era) where for £15 you’d get a Hamed, Benn, Eubank fight etc from Manchester (often on the same bill) then at 4am in the morning you’d get a Holyfield, Lewis fight etc .

Nowadays I look at the Ring ratings and know who hardly anyone is – I’m having trouble recalling the name of the Ring Pound for Pound number one right now, some guy in one of the bantam weight type divisions I know that much !

Only active fighter threads I comment on now are Haye, Khan, Fury and Joshua. Don’t feel qualified enough to comment on others.

It’s also spread across too many channels and is costly – no wonder the casual fan is on the decline.

But then again it’s natural for older guys to reminisce about the glory days………

Damn those were some fucking grade A ppvs. You made another great point with the boxing games. I haven't even thought about them, but another example on how UFC/MMA is taking away from boxing.

EA who made the fight night and knock out games stopped making Boxing games and they are focused on making UFC games now. At first they said that they would rotate UFC one year then Boxing the next but they have made back to back UFC games and no boxing games have even been announced. I been waiting forever for a new boxing game I sort of lost interest already.

But see that's exactly what I mean if no UFC games we would of had some awesome next gen boxing games. It's the little things like this that recruit new fans to MMA instead of boxing.

[Spicoli]

Like many on here and as a guy who remembers calling 800 numbers and clipping newspapers just to get fight night results I'll never see boxing as falling off or not as popular with as much instant access we have now. Before places like this you watched boxing like a fookin lone nomad and what was easily or locally provided to you. Otherwise you had to work to follow or keep up with this sport I definitely agree with the era aspect also and not many things are as large and resonating as when you experienced it first, we all have that era where we lived it live and it is a bit of a measuring stick to what we have now. We like many sports fans get stuck in our tribes. Tito v Oscar were two very centered superstars who benefited from constant exposure when there was any exposure..how else do you get away with cruiserweights and Butterbean fighting on your undercard ..and today we may very well have some quantity vs quality going on if anything. Oh and divas creating there own divisions. That can be a turn off. I've said it a hundred times regarding mma also, it's a babe in the woods compared to longevity of boxing. It is massive and yes near everywhere you look but it too will and has run into its blackeyes, corruption, fan cynicism and general card to card let downs. Personally I now watch both as I enjoy the atmosphere of individual sport and don't confuse the two but I mean shit..the number one female fighter was just flattened by a former boxing champ and one of the biggest "faces" in mma is running away from his first professional loss to go pose and talk up a potential circus stunt match with our newest retired diva in Mayweather A few things will survive the apocalypse. Bitter exes, humidity in the South, cockroaches and boxing! We'll be fine.

HAHA, very well put. Boxing will always survive that is true. You made a lot of solid points. I do agree that Holly did well but she also used a lot of kickboxing and shes a full blown martial artist now. I think having boxing and training other martial arts is the best form of self defense. Look at the new UFC heavyweight champion Stipe just knocked out Werdum to win the belt with a beauty of a right hand, he was a former golden gloves champ. It however saddens me when boxing fans talk shit about mma, makes all of us boxing fans look like little intimidated bitches. Boxing is one form of combat why shit on other combat sports? Im a fan of Boxing, Jiu Jitsu, kickboxing you name it. Soak it all in.

I think much of that push back is aimed more at some mma fans or talking heads who come in every couple of years and lament how mma is leading to the death or decline of boxing. There are biased fans on both counts but boxing and some of it's personalities are as big as it's ever been if you ask me. Ones success doesn't translate to the decline of the other. As much mma as I've watched I rarely hear, if ever, the announcers or even fighters rag on boxing, the fact that boxing-boxing coaches are essential for full package in camps seems to be well recognized and near respected. Of course there are exceptions..combat sports are very tribal..but mostly its fans who try to tear it down to build up mma that cause the wagons to circle. Both sports have shit fights and bad nights, and both have complete tear ups. To each there own I suppose.