Why is MMA a threat to boxing?

[luvfightgame]

As a boxing fan I will say I am very envious of the job Dana White has done marketing the UFC....granted he's scraped the bottom of the barrell with a couple of their sponsors, but he's pulled UFC out from the obscure into the mainstream and as far as "mainstream" goes it's hurting boxing just by making boxing look exclusive rather than inclusive.

Boxing left: NBC, USA, and hell these days the only place you can find it without ordering movie channels is ESPN.

Boxing is going to get humbled, but eventually someone will bring it back around for the masses, whether it's the Pac-Mayweather Mega Fight or a special exciting fighter, or what have you, the deal is boxing isn't going anywhere because of UFC/MMA it just looks bad in comparison. Right now I think boxing is just for more sophisticated fight fans (this is due partly to the UFC's broad marketing bringing in people who know fuck all about any fighting)

I agree boxing isn't going anywhere. And I mean that both ways. It's not going away and it's not getting bigger. Mega fights will come and go and boxing has a wider audience for that, but a mega fight brings casual fans that don't stick around. There are hardcore boxing fans which most of us on here are, and there's casual mega fight fans. You have to go out of your way to try to find boxing to watch, even with all the premium cable channels its on once or twice a month and the excitement level in the broadcasting for lower level fights is akin to watching golf.

It's not about whether mma is cause boxing to go extinct. Never happen. But mma is going to be more popular than boxing in the near future and just because of their organization they can keep what they develop. Boxing would have to completely be restructured to approach any sense of being mainstream. And that will not happen.

[SEB]

I was a boxer in my youth and at 34 now I must say that I stay up at nite to watch MMA shows (Strikeforce and UFC) but not boxing anymore...

I really get bored with boxing. Except for Pacquiao/Klitchko boxing becomes boring.

The number of bad decision, the world titles, the numerous weight classes...boxing is a mess. Who can follow it ? who can understand it ? who can still watch a sport with so many wrong decision ?

Have you noticed on how hard is it to have people fighting the best in their categories ?

UFC bring more clarity and better shows to the people. You can easily watch it and enjoy it even if you're not in the game period ! not in boxing anymore...

and the HBO saying : nobody knows the klitchko...yeah great, keep going on ! and in 10 years boxing will be done. continue to have 15 or 18 (I don't remember) weight classes in 4 majors leagues...it becomes ridiculous...

Besides that, boxing gyms are deserted, all the kids want BJJ practice coupled with some Thai Boxing...that's it.