Old Guard running scared? Is UFC killing Boxing...?

[Trainer Monkey]

The best ways to tell when a boxing promoter has seriously screwed up,the indictment,or theyre mainly "doing MMA right now"
At that point you want to end the conversation in case your phone is being tapped
And if your even slightly involved in boxing,you can write out the "in case" part, you just learn to listen for the clicks and beeps.
Im frustratingly clean as a whistle so its only an annoyance,but man it can get annoying
Serious though,I hear "Im doing MMA" I wonder,"What bridge did you burn?"

[Mikkel_K]

Actually, before I clicked on the link, I had expected the story to be much worse than it was. Sure, the headline was terrible, but the actual quotes from the UFC-promoter were somewhat decent.

He had a few good points imo, and is right in saying that boxing promoters and boxing fans should not fear UFC. They are different things altogether (even if it is possible to be a fan of both). Whether they are indeed 'scared', I dont know, but it does seem like boxing people tend to get a bit defensive sometimes.

Also, he is of course right in saying that boxing fans know that a 18-0 fighter is not necessarily any god. However, I strongly disagree with the sentiment that that means promoters dont care about fighters - rather, keeping them protected and bringing them along slowly should hint at the exact opposite, shouldnt it? Or do fighters generally prefer losing 'competitive' fights for less money, rather than win fights and get better paid?

Whether boxing promoters care about fight fans, well that is another discussion.

[Gandalf]

I think one thing that is really hurting boxing are the judges, who seldom seem to be held accountable for their unusual decisions. Judges should file a report after a fight, so reason and accountabilty can be connected with the points they give for each round.

Maybe Im just wishing on a high cloud, but it doesnt seem to much to ask really. Its a step in the right direction. A judge needs to held accountable to the people who pay the wages....the fans.

[amat]

The best ways to tell when a boxing promoter has seriously screwed up,the indictment,or theyre mainly "doing MMA right now"
At that point you want to end the conversation in case your phone is being tapped
And if your even slightly involved in boxing,you can write out the "in case" part, you just learn to listen for the clicks and beeps.
Im frustratingly clean as a whistle so its only an annoyance,but man it can get annoying
Serious though,I hear "Im doing MMA" I wonder,"What bridge did you burn?"

....

Did anyone else read this?

lol

[X]

I think MMA is going to be a real threat to boxing.

We are all boxing fans here, so we might not be truly representative of the general population out there.

Boxers get rich and famous, and glorify our sport, only when they transcend it and become household names to non-boxing fans.

Many average punters out there don't understand or necessarily appreciate the art of boxing (they want to see Mike Tyson clips of him driving people through the canvas).

They confuse 'boxing' with 'fighting'.

If they can be persuaded to belive that MMA guys are better 'fighters' than boxing guys, then many of the great unwashed will watch that and not boxing. Once that happens, we will see top potential talent joining MMA rather than boxing because that's where the money and glory is.

I think MMA is a real threat, guys?

[Von Milash]

A lot of boxing fans slam mma. It's pure ignorance. I am a loyal fan of both. While I appreciate the sweet science of boxing and the big events, I also enjoy the technical craft of judokas and BJJ fighters. Anyone who says that MMA isn't a threat is just plain wrong. Right now, it's true that the "stand-up" of mma isn't what a boxer can do. But the talent pool of mma is growing, and FAST. Right now there are planty of guys who are truly world class athletes (something that was lacking in the past) with very well rounded skill sets. In fact, I'll even go as far to say that a few guys are SO talented that they could proably pull of a swith to profesisonal boxing and be respectable in their weight class.

you can make arguements either way all day long. But one thing os FOR SURE, boxing cards tend to be very boring. Hell, fans don't even show up for the undercards, which almost always SUCK. MMA, on the other hand, puts on great events..more fights, a btter production, and more exciting action in the ring. Guys don't stand there and feel each other out for 6 rounds, then clutch and grab when the action gets good. They've got 3 rounds to do something. They'd better ge their ass in gear, or they'll be out of the UFC.

Dana White also does a better job at promoting his fighters. He signs guy to fight in the UFC...unlike all these half baked bullshit belts in boxing, and if they don't win or are at least exciting, they're out of a job. Keeping the number of guys to a manageable level and fiding new talent on the rerality show lets fans get to know fighters better. In boxing, even an educated fan wonders who the hell a guy is at times.

[Von Milash]

just a quick note...

I don't think MMA is a "threat" to boxing in the sense that it wants to be... there's room for both. But I think it is and will continue to be if boxing goes on the way it is. There's a new guy on the block putting on pretty good events. If boxing promoters don't take notice, their revenues could suffer as more people say to hell with it.

Change or die is basic business strategy. And boxing promoters don't seem to get it.

[El Kabong]

All I will say is, there is a reason Kimbo Slice chose MMA over boxing....if Kimbo was a true bad ass he would have chosen to be a boxer because the competition is better and the pay is better. You think any of the heavyweights in UFC make what Wlad and Vitali make?

[Von Milash]

Not yet, but that will change. And Fedor Emelianenko walks through the klitschkos like they're not even there. IMO, only one man in the history of boxing could withstand fedor's attack, and that's Mike Tyson, because mike was shorter and massively strong. Tall guys like wlad and Vit get taken down in a matter of seconds. Hell, Fedor probably could take a boxing match and hold his own, he's so powerful. Is he ready for Wlad, no, not in boxing, fo course not, but he's more dominant in mma than either of those guys are in boxing. The heavbies in boxing are dead right now. Not the case in mma.

And many in the mma game think Kimbo is a joke. Bas was just a guy who thought he'd take him under his wing. Nobody else would, so mma probably happened by default.

All I'm saying Lyle, is that boxing promoters better take note of what sells.

[Trainer Monkey]

A lot of boxing fans slam mma. It's pure ignorance. I am a loyal fan of both. While I appreciate the sweet science of boxing and the big events, I also enjoy the technical craft of judokas and BJJ fighters. Anyone who says that MMA isn't a threat is just plain wrong. Right now, it's true that the "stand-up" of mma isn't what a boxer can do. But the talent pool of mma is growing, and FAST. Right now there are planty of guys who are truly world class athletes (something that was lacking in the past) with very well rounded skill sets. In fact, I'll even go as far to say that a few guys are SO talented that they could proably pull of a swith to profesisonal boxing and be respectable in their weight class.

you can make arguements either way all day long. But one thing os FOR SURE, boxing cards tend to be very boring. Hell, fans don't even show up for the undercards, which almost always SUCK. MMA, on the other hand, puts on great events..more fights, a btter production, and more exciting action in the ring. Guys don't stand there and feel each other out for 6 rounds, then clutch and grab when the action gets good. They've got 3 rounds to do something. They'd better ge their ass in gear, or they'll be out of the UFC.

Dana White also does a better job at promoting his fighters. He signs guy to fight in the UFC...unlike all these half baked bullshit belts in boxing, and if they don't win or are at least exciting, they're out of a job. Keeping the number of guys to a manageable level and fiding new talent on the rerality show lets fans get to know fighters better. In boxing, even an educated fan wonders who the hell a guy is at times.

No,I slam MMA because it bores the hell out of me. I slam it because it doesnt interest me.
I watch Muy Thai all the time,MMA is duller then dog crap,and ever so slightly less skilled.

[El Kabong]

MMA is crap....FACT