Why can't American fighters sell the same amount of tickets as UK fighters?

**TitoFan** · 04-04-2018 06:28 PM

You said nothing has changed in America. I gave you several reasons why that is simply not true. Pac's and Floyd's covers in SI can hardly be compared to the many times Ali and company made the cover. Also, the coverage in those days was infinitely bigger than it is today. An Ali-Frazier fight might grab 5-7 pages in SI. Boxing in general nowadays barely gets a column, if that much. In terms of what has changed or not changed in America regarding boxing over the years, I'm gonna go out on a limb and say I probably have a time and geographical edge on you.

If you claim boxing is "fringe" in the UK also, you're obviously in a more privileged position than I to assess that. The U.S. has golf, tennis, and car racing too. But I'm not using those to make my case for boxing being fringe in the U.S. American football, basketball, baseball, hockey, and the aforementioned UFC and X Games have taken up most of the sports pie. I would venture to say that boxing's percentage of the pie in the U.S. is probably significantly smaller than its percentage in the UK, no matter how "fringe" it may be in the UK.

Boxing was bigger in the U.S. back in the days of Ali and company. Now, you go to any sports web page, and it's relegated to the "Other Sports" category. Let me tell you what's across the top of the MSN sports page in my computer:

NFL, MLB, NBA, NHL, NCAA BK, NCAA FB, Golf, NASCAR/Motors, Tennis, Soccer, MMA/UFC, and.......................... More Sports.

Had the Internet been around before, pretty sure Boxing would've had its own category.

**Fenster** · 04-04-2018 07:20 PM

I don't disagree with your points, Titofan, I said about the Sports Illustrated thing because batman asked what changed since "Floyd," I agree 100% boxing was far more popular in the 70s and 80s and 90s.

I also agree with your point about America not supporting underdogs, "failures" like small nations do. Britain LOVES a glorious loser/trier. Words like "journeyman" and "bum" have a different connotation in the UK (far less demeaning).

Things like race are a huge factor in America compared with Britain.

Let me tell you whats across the BBC sports page right now - Football, Formula One, Cricket, Rugby U, Rugby L, Tennis, Golf, Athletics, other sports.

I'm not saying boxing is a small sport in the UK, it does great numbers, i'm just offering some balance, as in it competes with plenty of more popular sports, I understand not as much as the US, just like I understand in the UK you can basically drive anywhere in one day whereas that's impossible without a plane in the US.

**TitoFan** · 04-04-2018 07:34 PM

I just wish boxing interest in the U.S. right now was more like the interest in the UK. As everyone in here, I love boxing and have for a long time. It irks me to see boxing relegated to "curling" status in the U.S. And now that the U.S. won a gold medal in that... it probably moves past boxing in the conga line.... LOL. U.S. fans are a bit frivolous. That bit about them not being interested in any sport they don't dominate is a big one as far as I'm concerned. I was really hoping they'd make it to the World Cup this year, just so the typical U.S. fan would be more interested. Of course there's some like Lyle and myself, who will follow the proceedings no matter what. But many U.S. fans will only watch when the U.S. is playing and has a realistic chance of winning. I find it much more "noble" to maintain interest even when you're not dominating.

**Master** · 04-05-2018 01:44 AM

Boxing has slowly been dying by being obsessed about PPV which has killed boxing as a majority sport and not built the infrastructure to support it with mainstream TV turning its back.

**Spicoli** · 04-05-2018 02:59 PM

Just asking on the 800 lb gorilla in the room...but how much has Mayweather being 'the face' of American boxing until recently helped or hurt the sports popularity here. I've never heard a single casual I come across say a good thing about him, matches or style. Not once. Also sports in the U.S are very regional and run deep. Even High School football in some States is treated like a religion. Also boxing takes an attention span and patience to see a guy bare out of not, an established following per individual or favorite. There was certainly a time when fighters abroad 'needed' to crash the shores to make a massive breakout in the sport but mass media changes have a lot to do with it. After mid 90's the gates flew wide open as far as international exposure and communications and lots of business could be done from comforts of home.

**walrus** · 04-14-2018 09:15 AM