The Recent Demise of American Boxing

[Spicoli]

I bleed stars and stripes but ya know, I think it's a great thing. Frankly long overdue. Boxing is a true international sport and for the longest time we have seemed to live in a cacoon with little exposure to fighters overseas. You used to literally have to hunt fighters from Asia down, all the while American fans missed some quality gems. Higher visability, easier viewing possibility mean more oppurtunities and wider fan base. I think we- Networks are wayyyy to stuck on fast tracking guys and polishing as unfinished product for the flavor of the month, manufacturing stars rather than letting them rise. I've always thought a early lose is where the real learning and defining begins. It strips a guy to the bones of development. Oh and we still have K-9 Bundrage man, not all is lost

[Mars_ax]

Most of my favorite fighters these days are from other countries, and to be honest there just aren't that many American fighters I like well enough to be a fan of.

I think it's good for boxing that World titles are really an International thing now. At one time, pro boxing was almost like the World series in baseball, I mean why call it the "World" series if all the teams playing are American.

[brocktonblockbust]

Armenians have been doing quite well.

[15rounder]

I am a huge fan of boxing. But it isn't just american dominance of boxing that's going away, the entire sport is in a state of decline as a whole right now. Stars not fighting eachother until they're way past their prime, corrupt sanctioning bodies etc...And as for American dominance, an earlier poster was right. Top notch athletes have many more, and safer, options over here. Why come up through golden gloves and fight your first 15 fights for chump change and hope the champ doesn't duck you, when you can sign an NFL or NBA contract, get a huge signing bonus up front, then see if your talent develops. Now to the declining fan base in boxing as a whole. I've already mentioned the big names avoiding eachother, but also the fact that I can't watch a superstar matchup in my living room without shelling out $60.00. It's very expensive to be a fan of this sport. I can watch an NFL or NBA game on my television anytime without having to special order it. MMA is catching on in a big way here in the U.S. I'm doing my best to resist but it's getting harder and harder.

[TitoFan]

I bleed stars and stripes but ya know, I think it's a great thing. Frankly long overdue. Boxing is a true international sport and for the longest time we have seemed to live in a cacoon with little exposure to fighters overseas. You used to literally have to hunt fighters from Asia down, all the while American fans missed some quality gems. Higher visability, easier viewing possibility mean more oppurtunities and wider fan base. I think we- Networks are wayyyy to stuck on fast tracking guys and polishing as unfinished product for the flavor of the month, manufacturing stars rather than letting them rise. I've always thought a early lose is where the real learning and defining begins. It strips a guy to the bones of development. Oh and we still have K-9 Bundrage man, not all is lost

Wise, "big-picture-view" post.