
Originally Posted by
Spicoli
Short answer is well the alphabet boys are corrupt. Bigger picture is today that loud brash social media accomplished sells big. *See Rolly too. Ryan is everything stated above but idiocy sells and the bodies specifically Sullied'man of the wbc embrace it and award it. Also and more of the 800lb elephant in the room of boxing today is simply..."star" power. Mainly when it comes to the US today. Or huge lack of it today. Back when Morales was beating the stuffing out of a worn and torn Eddie Croft...a helluva nice kid and decent enough but even on his peak day was nowhere on the level of a Morales...it was literally out of sight-out of mind. Just a trip down to Mexico completely off the radar and adding a notch in the belt. And a sanctioning fee to the Wbc coffers. But no one paid attention and all eyes were on Roy making his heavyweight debut the next week. The US right now is massively depleted of live, consistent and monthly star power on multiple platforms. We're not growing local venues and stoking and feeding local fanbases. And when we do have 2,3 of the biggest name US fighters in action it's behind multiple PPV walls in BF Saudi Arabia like next week. I mean Ryans last fight, when we had a massive opportunity to seat massive crowds with Haney return and Teo on the card was literally held for a "live" VIP tiny audience and literally walled off the public and interested fans. Meanwhile Barclays Arena and Madison Square garden just short rides away sat completely empty. Maybe I veered off here

but I think Ryan online persona and gimmick marketing fill those self-inflicted voids boxing does to itself now, much like a Jake Paul is filling a void. I mean FFS people fell completely and ironically into and for one of the biggest names and current US "stars" in Tank Davis having a shitshow match vs the same Paul

. Its honestly maddening if like all of us here you've followed the sport for decades. Ryan is filler at this point. He's the shiny silly loud toy hanging above the toddler's head. And we the fans of today, well we'll fall for anything slopped down right in front of us. Rant over

You touched on something that's very true, and IS the elephant in the room. Today's reality is that you DON'T have the Roy Jones Jr's, the Mayweather's (love him or hate him), or the De La Hoya's of boxing for the U.S. fanbase to be excited about. Just like the heavyweight spotlight has moved from the U.S. to the European stage, the rest of the divisions have followed suit. And frankly, when the U.S. finds itself with little to no homegrown megastars to support, interest is lost.
Combine that with the fact that MMA continues to siphon off fan interest. Combine that with societal changes that include the social media explosion, and the need for instant gratification (for both fighters, ie: Ryan... and fans). What you end up with is the circus you have today. Worthless, content-lacking, shiny silly loud toys, as you well put it... who have to "manufacture" content. Self-back-patting is all the rage. Self-crowning (Face of Boxing, etc) is the norm. Screw the process us fans have cherished throughout the years. That of gradually building a career. Screw fighting quality fighters within your own division. It's circus time. Complete with ridiculous 3 and 4-division weight jumps. YouTubers now commanding attention as "boxers." Fighters showing some promise and then imploding outside the ring. Meanwhile, orgs like the WBC are only too happy to perpetuate the circus, taking the opportunity to promote their favorite sons and compatriots. Making up fake belts as they go along.
Boxing has survived many times of crisis throughout the years, including calls to ban it after some deaths in the ring. Us boxing fans have to be the biggest masochists in all of sports. Judging robberies.... obvious matchups not being made.... and finally, the circus that boxing has become. Yet we keep coming back for more.
Oh well....
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