The Recent Demise of American Boxing

[marbleheadmaui]

If the decline is due to people not wanting to be punched in the face to make money, shouldn't mma be in just of bad as shape?

I think MMA's rise in popularity has a couple things working for it.

1. First and foremost it is on free TV more often and the UFC does a much better job marketing itself to the 18-35 male market than boxing. Personally I became more of a MMA fan b/c I felt my $50 paid for a better product. Obviously entertainment is subjective but a MMA card has at a minimum 5 fights, most of which are good relevant fights that the fans want to see.

2. While the UFC isn't the only MMA org it is far and away the predominant one. Fans for the most part get to see the fights they want to see in a timely fashion. The frustration with the alphabet orgs and dodgy promoters doesn't exist in MMA like it does in boxing. A federal boxing commission that only recognized one belt and one sanctioning body would go a long way to improving the American fan's opinion of the sport.

3. Boxers take years to hone their craft to be at a world class level. MMA has a technical side that is ever evolving but it puts much more of an emphasis on athleticism. A guy that was a good at wrestling, BJJ, Judo, Muy Thai, Kick boxing and is a great athelete can be competitive in the sport at this point as they evolve the other aspects of the sport. As the sport evolves more and more this may eventually not be true. My hometown's only boxing gym is largely unknown to most but there are several martial arts academies that cater to the MMA crowd.

4. Lastly there is a generational issue. Young people regardless of their likes/dislikes about boxing will veiw it as their parent's combat sport and MMA, which is for all intents and purposes 20 years old in the U.S., their combat sport. I work with lots of 18-35 yr old males and very few could name 10 professional boxers but most regularly watch MMA.

Great post! It kills me, but a lot of it is on the money.

[Mars_ax]

I gotta wonder, is Pro Baseball in the U.S. really that popular anymore? 'Roids fucked up my interest in Baseball.

How 'bout the NBA, is it still popular? I haven't watched a Pro basketball game since Larry Bird still played for the Celtics.

[boxingbantz]

Well since America is the center of the sports world, I'd say they're a big deal. The only reason soccer is so popular is because it's cheap to play. It's poplular in all countries that haven't figured out how to build a basketball goal or a two story building yet. And just because soccer is the most played, doesn't mean its the most entertaining. It's like watching cross country in a box. I mean come on...a sport where 2-1 is a high scoring game? Wake me up when its over. All other nations are scared shitless of feilding a football team because of the chance they might have to play the americans.

This is one of the stupidest posts I have ever read on here.