Will boxing ever rise again in the USA???

[Kev]

Boxing is still 2nd most popular around the world and on ESPN they are showing a lot more Boxing and talking about it a lot more than they have in the past. Just last week they showed highlights of a Cruiserweight, and Flyweight fight that I didn't even hear of. Then on saturday they talked about the Ortiz-Maidana fight and the JuanMa and King Arthur fights. It was on the bottomline and they showed highlights. Boxing is picking up again in the U.S.

If you mean that boxing is the second most popular sport, sadly that's not even close, boxing isn't even in the top 10 most popular sports either in viewing figures, money generated or number of participants.

[TheDemolitionDan]

Boxing is still 2nd most popular around the world and on ESPN they are showing a lot more Boxing and talking about it a lot more than they have in the past. Just last week they showed highlights of a Cruiserweight, and Flyweight fight that I didn't even hear of. Then on saturday they talked about the Ortiz-Maidana fight and the JuanMa and King Arthur fights. It was on the bottomline and they showed highlights. Boxing is picking up again in the U.S.

If you mean that boxing is the second most popular sport, sadly that's not even close, boxing isn't even in the top 10 most popular sports either in viewing figures, money generated or number of participants.

I saw a poll on ESPN...or some sports outlet a few weeks back, so pretty recently, and they had Boxing as the 2nd most popular sport worldwide and that poll had about 800,000 people vote.

[Kev]

Boxing is still 2nd most popular around the world and on ESPN they are showing a lot more Boxing and talking about it a lot more than they have in the past. Just last week they showed highlights of a Cruiserweight, and Flyweight fight that I didn't even hear of. Then on saturday they talked about the Ortiz-Maidana fight and the JuanMa and King Arthur fights. It was on the bottomline and they showed highlights. Boxing is picking up again in the U.S.

If you mean that boxing is the second most popular sport, sadly that's not even close, boxing isn't even in the top 10 most popular sports either in viewing figures, money generated or number of participants.

I saw a poll on ESPN...or some sports outlet a few weeks back, so pretty recently, and they had Boxing as the 2nd most popular sport worldwide and that poll had about 800,000 people vote.

lol an ESPN poll like the viewers of that American Channel make up the whole world

The whole world is a big place my friend and you'll suprised what some of these countries like to watch.

The most popular sport hands down is football (soccer).

Then follows Cricket, Hockey (field hockey suprisingly), tennis and I believe volleyball.

Also increibly popular are Formula One, Table Tennis, Basketball, Horse Racing, Rugby etc.

I imagine every single one of those sports has far higher viewing figures around the world than boxing, Formula One aside more people play those sports too, and most of these will gross more money annually as well.

Judo is I believe the second most popular sport in terms of participation as well.

[Spicoli]

Not exactly sure what it needs to rise from.Boxing has been back seated for some time now compared to the days gone by when it was a constant feature on the front pages and prime time matches aired by the networks.I honestly think its more of a media over population and the rise and consistency of many other major sports....NBA...NFL...MLB not to mention the never ending popularity of collegs sports and more bowl games than one guy can count than it has to do with lack of U.S talent.Boxing in the U.S is not going anywhere....and will be here prior to and after MMA has maximized its popularity blowup Imo.The last decade and a half has seen the sport become massivly global and internationalized with the internet and other technologies and to pigeon hole it might result in missing the bigger picture and the sports over all reach now compared to years gone by.

The one pet peeve and worry I have though is the emphasis and ever growing rush to make these 'mega super name event' matches for the juggernauts of the cable world.The division leaping is mind numbing.I think we loose sight of alot of 'lesser' known fighters .....actually stifle learning-discovering or bringing them to casual fans.....and fights that should happen that go by the wayside in a networks clamour to bank on a certain cash cow(s).

[VictorCharlie]

I would say that many newspapers choosing not to have a specific boxing beat writer is pretty indicative of the sports drop off.

[generalbulldog]

Boxing can make a rise again in the USA if it can somehow entice the talent into it and it starts at the youth level. It's a damn shame as I've said that there aren't any boxing programs at the high school level. Because the American youth is being enticed into basketball, football, baseball.

Of course the hippies will say boxing is too dangerous for it to be part of the regular sports curriculum in high school, but they will ignore about football. In fact I'm pretty sure there have been more football deaths at the high school level than in amateur boxing.

[Spicoli]

I would say that many newspapers choosing not to have a specific boxing beat writer is pretty indicative of the sports drop off.

Might say as much about the future of print media...?Think eventually newspapers as we know them are going the way of pay-phones and being phased out.

[Youngblood]

Like a tired old erection, inspired by Viagra, boxing shall one day rise again!

[TheDemolitionDan]

If you mean that boxing is the second most popular sport, sadly that's not even close, boxing isn't even in the top 10 most popular sports either in viewing figures, money generated or number of participants.

I saw a poll on ESPN...or some sports outlet a few weeks back, so pretty recently, and they had Boxing as the 2nd most popular sport worldwide and that poll had about 800,000 people vote.

lol an ESPN poll like the viewers of that American Channel make up the whole world

The whole world is a big place my friend and you'll suprised what some of these countries like to watch.

The most popular sport hands down is football (soccer).

Then follows Cricket, Hockey (field hockey suprisingly), tennis and I believe volleyball.

Also increibly popular are Formula One, Table Tennis, Basketball, Horse Racing, Rugby etc.

I imagine every single one of those sports has far higher viewing figures around the world than boxing, Formula One aside more people play those sports too, and most of these will gross more money annually as well.

Judo is I believe the second most popular sport in terms of participation as well.

Soccer I do agree with, it was number 1 in that poll and Soccer is number 1 around the world. Cricket, Field Hockey, Tennis, and Volleyball I can't see.

I see Cricket like Baseball it's very popular, but around the world I don't think it really is. Field Hockey I doubt because I've never even heard of it and it doesn't sound like a year around sport and some countries couldn't play it because of weather and other circumstances, same with Volleyball.

Horse Racing isn't popular like it once was, F1 is very popular around the world, but I think Boxing is more popular...F1 was 5th most popular in the poll, Rugby is like American Football here in the States...it's not really worldwide, but Rugby is more worldwide than Football though. Basketball I would say is more popular than Boxing, but in the poll Basketball was 3rd, shockingly.

[Bilbo's Mom]

I saw a poll on ESPN...or some sports outlet a few weeks back, so pretty recently, and they had Boxing as the 2nd most popular sport worldwide and that poll had about 800,000 people vote.

lol an ESPN poll like the viewers of that American Channel make up the whole world

The whole world is a big place my friend and you'll suprised what some of these countries like to watch.

The most popular sport hands down is football (soccer).

Then follows Cricket, Hockey (field hockey suprisingly), tennis and I believe volleyball.

Also increibly popular are Formula One, Table Tennis, Basketball, Horse Racing, Rugby etc.

I imagine every single one of those sports has far higher viewing figures around the world than boxing, Formula One aside more people play those sports too, and most of these will gross more money annually as well.

Judo is I believe the second most popular sport in terms of participation as well.

Soccer I do agree with, it was number 1 in that poll and Soccer is number 1 around the world. Cricket, Field Hockey, Tennis, and Volleyball I can't see.

I see Cricket like Baseball it's very popular, but around the world I don't think it really is. Field Hockey I doubt because I've never even heard of it and it doesn't sound like a year around sport and some countries couldn't play it because of weather and other circumstances, same with Volleyball.

Horse Racing isn't popular like it once was, F1 is very popular around the world, but I think Boxing is more popular...F1 was 5th most popular in the poll, Rugby is like American Football here in the States...it's not really worldwide, but Rugby is more worldwide than Football though. Basketball I would say is more popular than Boxing, but in the poll Basketball was 3rd, shockingly.

The sports I listed wern't my opinon, they are simply the facts if you check out statistical websites.

You're only thinking about US but we are talking the whole world.

I have never seen a field hockey match, its not even played in the UK but around the world its tremendously popular, I guess in Asia.

A poll on ESPN doesn't mean anything, the results arn't down to individual opinion they are tested by hard data in three areas.


Global Viewing figures and match attendance More people watch cricket, tennis, rugby, golf, table tennis and field hockey around the world than watch boxing maybe suprisingly.


Revenue, those sports turnover more annually.


Participation, Virtually all of those sports have more actual people who play them.


Boxing is way dow the list according to all those criteria.


I do imagine though that boxing IS more popular than a lot of these sports in terms of what people would LIKE to see. I mean given the choice of table tennis and field hockey or live free screenings of all Manny Pacquaio's fights I'm guessing the Asian's would rather have boxing.

And in the UK sports like cricket, rugby and snooker are watched by more people probably because thats all our tv companies have the rights to.

Unfortunaley PPV has marginalised boxing to a massive degree. A large majority of casual fans simply don't watch it or get opportunity to. And being a full contact, dangerous contact sport particpation in it is never going to high either.

I mean Judo for example I think is one of the world's most popular sports according to participation, millions take part around the world in it. It's not watched on telly in the Western World though, but how do you determine popularity, what people watch or what people actually take part in?

[Beanz]

[quote="The L.A. Earthquake";756273][quote=Bilbo;755849][quote="The L.A. Earthquake";755843]


"I see Cricket like Baseball it's very popular, but around the world I don't think it really is. "

India loves Cricket they have a population of about 1 Billion, add to that England & Wales, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Australia, The West Indies, South Africa, Bangladesh, New Zealand and Zimbabwe where Cricket is huge and then about 30 odd other countries where the game is widely played and i think it's fair to say that cricket is very popular around the world.

[Youngblood]

quote : "The L.A. Earthquake"
"I see Cricket like Baseball it's very popular, but around the world I don't think it really is. "


India loves Cricket they have a population of about 1 Billion, add to that England & Wales, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Australia, The West Indies, South Africa, Bangladesh, New Zealand and Zimbabwe where Cricket is huge and then about 30 odd other countries where the game is widely played and i think it's fair to say that cricket is very popular around the world.

Good point.

Yea, I tend to think as most of us generally don't get to see the world, and spend any time in it's many corners, we often see things through our own personal prisms of understanding. Hockey is huge here where I live, so it is fairly easy for me to see it that way, and wonder what the silly game I occasionally see on tv with the weird sticks, and running back and forth called "Cricket" is about, and just assume it is obscure. Meanwhile, you can be fairly sure most anyone from Sri Lanka, or Zimbabwe, when happening to randomly catch some highlight, is also wondering, what sort of obscure game that is, with the weird sticks, and skating about, and so on called, what was it again, oh yea, "Hockey".