I've been watching a lot of mma in recent times.
Last Friday upon watching another card on DVD I asked myself, "why have I been watching so much mma when boxing is the love of my life?" Is it because I'm losing interest in the sweet science? Is it because I'm bored with boxing's matchups? Is it because I find mma more exciting?
I answered all the above questions with a no.
Boxing is my favourite sport, my first love and my fortress. I love boxing like a family member!

The reason I have been indulging in so much mma watching is because mma, somewhere along the line has become more accessible. As I scour my local video stores for boxing footage I come across the same average compilation dvd's. I bout these same dvd's when I was in my early teens and they have yet to be replaced or updated. However, each week a new ufc dvd appears on the shelf, a pride dvd will be found in a bargain bin or a fighter compilation will be released. In recent years mma has been marketed brilliantly (by Dana White) and has become far more accesible than boxing. pike TV allows easy access to most of the UFC's cards and shows, mma tv allows the viewer 24hr coverage of the sport and it's stars! Yet the noble art of boxing increases the implementation of pay per views and high ticket prices. Shows of note only occur in the casino's or the garden, the worlds greatest boxers becoming the darlings of new york and Las Vegas rather than of the world.

Boxing has come through with some fantastic match ups in the past year. Yet attempts by many to publicise these fights (over you tube or by upload) have been foiled by the companies owning the rights to the footage. Yet they never make any attempt to utilse this footage themselves. I would gladly pay to see my favourite fights on a dvd I could watch over and over, if it were supported by and undercard. I would view it as a little piece of history that I would catalog and add to my archive...A friend would come over and say "remember when such and such knocked out whats his name," "oh yeah I'd reply, it was on the bill last April, I have that Bill DVD."
It would not be difficult for the promoter to get the rights for these fights and create a dvd on their card. It would then be profitable for them to sell those dvds. Yet they prefer to allow their undercard fighters to struggle in anonymity without puiblivity or endorsement.....


Ridiculous.