Why does boxing continue to repel fans?

[yoitsdan]

9 out of 10 people in the street don't know who Floyd Mayweather, Wladimir Klitschko or Manny Pacquiao is. Boxing PPV figures are down and are continuing to dwindle, yet purses are increasing and less BIG fights are being made every year, yet HBO, Showtime and the promoters seem set on destroying boxing in the mainstream by making the big fights PPV offerings. Surely with UFC 66 quadrupling the turnover of the biggest fight last year, Manny Pacquiao v Erik Morales III and frequently slaughtering boxing with popularity, money and viewers, isn't it time for boxing to reach out to the once adoring public and show them who these people are, giving them the spectacle for free in return for more loyal fans? There are no Mike Tyson's or Muhammed Ali's left to sell the fights, so the fans have disappeared, yet still its $50 to see the fights, now being a brit, i don't have this problem, but I do have the problem that without fans, there's no money, without money there's no fights, so I'm panicing. In 10 years will we still have boxing as we know it?

[sexydarin]

I for one cannot afford ppv and never will purchase a ppv. Boxing used to be shown on free tv. Until they find a way to make it more affordable, their fanbase will remain stagnant.

[El Kabong]

PPV for one....HBO and Showtime vs each other trying to figure out who the "real" champs are.....then promoters

Really UFC and Pride, etc...they'll have these issues only it'll cost one of the companies it's existance and then it'll be too big for just one station.

Once the train of success starts adding cars things get tricky....thing is TV is the thing boxing has to really figure out, I say the way to do this is for FSN or ESPN to get some better fighters to fight on regular tv and just get more sponsers to throw in money....Promoters are really being slack relying on HBO or PPV $$$$ to line their pockets.

[Violent Demise]

9 out of 10 people in the street don't know who Floyd Mayweather, Wladimir Klitschko or Manny Pacquiao is. Boxing PPV figures are down and are continuing to dwindle, yet purses are increasing and less BIG fights are being made every year, yet HBO, Showtime and the promoters seem set on destroying boxing in the mainstream by making the big fights PPV offerings. Surely with UFC 66 quadrupling the turnover of the biggest fight last year, Manny Pacquiao v Erik Morales III and frequently slaughtering boxing with popularity, money and viewers, isn't it time for boxing to reach out to the once adoring public and show them who these people are, giving them the spectacle for free in return for more loyal fans? There are no Mike Tyson's or Muhammed Ali's left to sell the fights, so the fans have disappeared, yet still its $50 to see the fights, now being a brit, i don't have this problem, but I do have the problem that without fans, there's no money, without money there's no fights, so I'm panicing. In 10 years will we still have boxing as we know it?

Didn't De La Hoya-Mayorga gross more than Pacquiao-Morales 3?

[Lance Uppercut]

9 out of 10 people in the street don't know who Floyd Mayweather, Wladimir Klitschko or Manny Pacquiao is. Boxing PPV figures are down and are continuing to dwindle, yet purses are increasing and less BIG fights are being made every year, yet HBO, Showtime and the promoters seem set on destroying boxing in the mainstream by making the big fights PPV offerings. Surely with UFC 66 quadrupling the turnover of the biggest fight last year, Manny Pacquiao v Erik Morales III and frequently slaughtering boxing with popularity, money and viewers, isn't it time for boxing to reach out to the once adoring public and show them who these people are, giving them the spectacle for free in return for more loyal fans? There are no Mike Tyson's or Muhammed Ali's left to sell the fights, so the fans have disappeared, yet still its $50 to see the fights, now being a brit, i don't have this problem, but I do have the problem that without fans, there's no money, without money there's no fights, so I'm panicing. In 10 years will we still have boxing as we know it?

Boxing is only dying in America, it is growing around the world. In fact this past year has proved to be the greatest pay-per-view ever for boxing.

[CountryBoy]

PPV for one....HBO and Showtime vs each other trying to figure out who the "real" champs are.....then promoters

Really UFC and Pride, etc...they'll have these issues only it'll cost one of the companies it's existance and then it'll be too big for just one station.

Once the train of success starts adding cars things get tricky....thing is TV is the thing boxing has to really figure out, I say the way to do this is for FSN or ESPN to get some better fighters to fight on regular tv and just get more sponsers to throw in money....Promoters are really being slack relying on HBO or PPV $$$$ to line their pockets.

good assessment

[amat]

I for one cannot afford ppv and never will purchase a ppv. Boxing used to be shown on free tv. Until they find a way to make it more affordable, their fanbase will remain stagnant.

And that's it. CC. No one wants to TAKE UP a sport that they have to pay for.

[CutMeMick]

Well the only time you see UFC is on Spike:TV every now & then when they have their show and when they replay old fights.
Pride is only shown on FSN, I think and most of what they have shown in the past is about a year old.

On the other hand, there is also soooo much boxing on regular TV at least here where I'm at. (Los Angeles, California USA)


Thursday 1/4/07- boxing on the 'VS' channel, they'll replay a classic fight and I'll record it.
Thursday boxing on ESPN:Classic, they'll replay a classic fight if I don't already have it I'll record it.
Friday 1/5/07- I will come home tune to 'ESPN:2' and watch The Peterson Bros. kick off the new year. Then I'll flip the channel to 'Telefutura and watch Jose Armando Santa-Cruz kick off the new year. Then I'll flip the channel to 'Showtime' and watch the conclusion of the Super Middleweight tournament between Mendy vs. Hanshaw.
Thats 3 channels with at least 10 fights not on PPV.

Also look at your boxing calendar, HBO or Showtime hasn't had a PPV since Nov. and they won't have one probably untill March:MAB vs. JMM.


Jan. 5
(Showtime): "ShoBox" tournament final: Anthony Hanshaw vs. Jean Paul Mendy ; Jose Izquierdo vs. Nick Casal.

(ESPN2): Anthony Peterson vs. Juan Garza ; Lamont Peterson vs. Juaquin Gallardo plus 1 more fight.

(Telefutura): Jose Armando Santa Cruz vs. Luis Arceo plus about 3 more fights.


Jan. 6
(Showtime): Samuel Peter vs. James Toney, WBC heavyweight eliminator; Jose Antonio Rivera vs. Travis Simms, 12 rounds, for Rivera's WBA junior middleweight title; Roman Karmazin vs. James Obede Toney


Jan. 11
(Versus): Almazbek "Kid Diamond" Raiymkulov vs. Antonio Pitalua ; Anthony Thompson vs. Robert Frazier.


Jan. 12
(ESPN2): Cornelius "K9" Bundrage vs Chris Smith plus 3 more fights.


Jan. 19
(Telefutura): Henry Bruseles vs. Wilfredo Negron ; Francisco Lorenzo vs. Rocky Martinez plus 2 more fights.

(Showtime): Juan Manuel Lopez vs. TBA ; Victor Ortiz vs. Marvin Cordova .

(ESPN2): Randall Bailey vs. Anthony Mora plus 3 more fights.


Jan. 20
(HBO): Juan Urango vs. Ricky Hatton ; Jose Luis Castillo vs. Herman Ngoudjo.


Jan. 25
(Versus): Ulises "Archie" Solis vs. Will Grigsby plus 1 more fight.

Jan. 27
(HBO): Jorge Arce vs. Julio David Roque Ler ; Kelly Pavlik vs. Jose Luis Zertuche, ; Vanes Martirosyan vs. TBA.

And Febubary looks to be as good as Jan.

[Violent Demise]

Well the only time you see UFC is on Spike:TV every now & then when they have their show and when they replay old fights.
Pride is only shown on FSN, I think and most of what they have shown in the past is about a year old.

On the other hand, there is also soooo much boxing on regular TV at least here where I'm at. (Los Angeles, California USA)


Thursday 1/4/07- boxing on the 'VS' channel, they'll replay a classic fight and I'll record it.
Thursday boxing on ESPN:Classic, they'll replay a classic fight if I don't already have it I'll record it.
Friday 1/5/07- I will come home tune to 'ESPN:2' and watch The Peterson Bros. kick off the new year. Then I'll flip the channel to 'Telefutura and watch Jose Armando Santa-Cruz kick off the new year. Then I'll flip the channel to 'Showtime' and watch the conclusion of the Super Middleweight tournament between Mendy vs. Hanshaw.
Thats 3 channels with at least 10 fights not on PPV.

Also look at your boxing calendar, HBO or Showtime hasn't had a PPV since Nov. and they won't have one probably untill March:MAB vs. JMM.


Jan. 5
(Showtime): "ShoBox" tournament final: Anthony Hanshaw vs. Jean Paul Mendy ; Jose Izquierdo vs. Nick Casal.

(ESPN2): Anthony Peterson vs. Juan Garza ; Lamont Peterson vs. Juaquin Gallardo plus 1 more fight.

(Telefutura): Jose Armando Santa Cruz vs. Luis Arceo plus about 3 more fights.


Jan. 6
(Showtime): Samuel Peter vs. James Toney, WBC heavyweight eliminator; Jose Antonio Rivera vs. Travis Simms, 12 rounds, for Rivera's WBA junior middleweight title; Roman Karmazin vs. James Obede Toney


Jan. 11
(Versus): Almazbek "Kid Diamond" Raiymkulov vs. Antonio Pitalua ; Anthony Thompson vs. Robert Frazier.


Jan. 12
(ESPN2): Cornelius "K9" Bundrage vs Chris Smith plus 3 more fights.


Jan. 19
(Telefutura): Henry Bruseles vs. Wilfredo Negron ; Francisco Lorenzo vs. Rocky Martinez plus 2 more fights.

(Showtime): Juan Manuel Lopez vs. TBA ; Victor Ortiz vs. Marvin Cordova .

(ESPN2): Randall Bailey vs. Anthony Mora plus 3 more fights.


Jan. 20
(HBO): Juan Urango vs. Ricky Hatton ; Jose Luis Castillo vs. Herman Ngoudjo.


Jan. 25
(Versus): Ulises "Archie" Solis vs. Will Grigsby plus 1 more fight.

Jan. 27
(HBO): Jorge Arce vs. Julio David Roque Ler ; Kelly Pavlik vs. Jose Luis Zertuche, ; Vanes Martirosyan vs. TBA.

And Febubary looks to be as good as Jan.

Sure is good leaving out here in LA ain't it Mick? Good weather, fine hoez and lot's of boxing.

[CutMeMick]

Fuck yeah!!
I've said it before and I'll say it again I might not agree with all of my countries poilitcal affairs but I sure as hell would NOT like to live anywhere else but Los Scandalous, Kalifor-NI-YAY!!!

[yoitsdan]

Well the only time you see UFC is on Spike:TV every now & then when they have their show and when they replay old fights.
Pride is only shown on FSN, I think and most of what they have shown in the past is about a year old.

On the other hand, there is also soooo much boxing on regular TV at least here where I'm at. (Los Angeles, California USA)


Thursday 1/4/07- boxing on the 'VS' channel, they'll replay a classic fight and I'll record it.
Thursday boxing on ESPN:Classic, they'll replay a classic fight if I don't already have it I'll record it.
Friday 1/5/07- I will come home tune to 'ESPN:2' and watch The Peterson Bros. kick off the new year. Then I'll flip the channel to 'Telefutura and watch Jose Armando Santa-Cruz kick off the new year. Then I'll flip the channel to 'Showtime' and watch the conclusion of the Super Middleweight tournament between Mendy vs. Hanshaw.
Thats 3 channels with at least 10 fights not on PPV.

Also look at your boxing calendar, HBO or Showtime hasn't had a PPV since Nov. and they won't have one probably untill March:MAB vs. JMM.


Jan. 5
(Showtime): "ShoBox" tournament final: Anthony Hanshaw vs. Jean Paul Mendy ; Jose Izquierdo vs. Nick Casal.

(ESPN2): Anthony Peterson vs. Juan Garza ; Lamont Peterson vs. Juaquin Gallardo plus 1 more fight.

(Telefutura): Jose Armando Santa Cruz vs. Luis Arceo plus about 3 more fights.


Jan. 6
(Showtime): Samuel Peter vs. James Toney, WBC heavyweight eliminator; Jose Antonio Rivera vs. Travis Simms, 12 rounds, for Rivera's WBA junior middleweight title; Roman Karmazin vs. James Obede Toney


Jan. 11
(Versus): Almazbek "Kid Diamond" Raiymkulov vs. Antonio Pitalua ; Anthony Thompson vs. Robert Frazier.


Jan. 12
(ESPN2): Cornelius "K9" Bundrage vs Chris Smith plus 3 more fights.


Jan. 19
(Telefutura): Henry Bruseles vs. Wilfredo Negron ; Francisco Lorenzo vs. Rocky Martinez plus 2 more fights.

(Showtime): Juan Manuel Lopez vs. TBA ; Victor Ortiz vs. Marvin Cordova .

(ESPN2): Randall Bailey vs. Anthony Mora plus 3 more fights.


Jan. 20
(HBO): Juan Urango vs. Ricky Hatton ; Jose Luis Castillo vs. Herman Ngoudjo.


Jan. 25
(Versus): Ulises "Archie" Solis vs. Will Grigsby plus 1 more fight.

Jan. 27
(HBO): Jorge Arce vs. Julio David Roque Ler ; Kelly Pavlik vs. Jose Luis Zertuche, ; Vanes Martirosyan vs. TBA.

And Febubary looks to be as good as Jan.

Yo all this is good for us, I'm talking about the mainstream. UFC 66 grossed $110 million, and boxing should be making that kind of money, it really is kicking boxing's ass. What I think is that the big fights should be shown on national networks for free to re-establish the fan base.

[Violent Demise]

Well the only time you see UFC is on Spike:TV every now & then when they have their show and when they replay old fights.
Pride is only shown on FSN, I think and most of what they have shown in the past is about a year old.

On the other hand, there is also soooo much boxing on regular TV at least here where I'm at. (Los Angeles, California USA)


Thursday 1/4/07- boxing on the 'VS' channel, they'll replay a classic fight and I'll record it.
Thursday boxing on ESPN:Classic, they'll replay a classic fight if I don't already have it I'll record it.
Friday 1/5/07- I will come home tune to 'ESPN:2' and watch The Peterson Bros. kick off the new year. Then I'll flip the channel to 'Telefutura and watch Jose Armando Santa-Cruz kick off the new year. Then I'll flip the channel to 'Showtime' and watch the conclusion of the Super Middleweight tournament between Mendy vs. Hanshaw.
Thats 3 channels with at least 10 fights not on PPV.

Also look at your boxing calendar, HBO or Showtime hasn't had a PPV since Nov. and they won't have one probably untill March:MAB vs. JMM.


Jan. 5
(Showtime): "ShoBox" tournament final: Anthony Hanshaw vs. Jean Paul Mendy ; Jose Izquierdo vs. Nick Casal.

(ESPN2): Anthony Peterson vs. Juan Garza ; Lamont Peterson vs. Juaquin Gallardo plus 1 more fight.

(Telefutura): Jose Armando Santa Cruz vs. Luis Arceo plus about 3 more fights.


Jan. 6
(Showtime): Samuel Peter vs. James Toney, WBC heavyweight eliminator; Jose Antonio Rivera vs. Travis Simms, 12 rounds, for Rivera's WBA junior middleweight title; Roman Karmazin vs. James Obede Toney


Jan. 11
(Versus): Almazbek "Kid Diamond" Raiymkulov vs. Antonio Pitalua ; Anthony Thompson vs. Robert Frazier.


Jan. 12
(ESPN2): Cornelius "K9" Bundrage vs Chris Smith plus 3 more fights.


Jan. 19
(Telefutura): Henry Bruseles vs. Wilfredo Negron ; Francisco Lorenzo vs. Rocky Martinez plus 2 more fights.

(Showtime): Juan Manuel Lopez vs. TBA ; Victor Ortiz vs. Marvin Cordova .

(ESPN2): Randall Bailey vs. Anthony Mora plus 3 more fights.


Jan. 20
(HBO): Juan Urango vs. Ricky Hatton ; Jose Luis Castillo vs. Herman Ngoudjo.


Jan. 25
(Versus): Ulises "Archie" Solis vs. Will Grigsby plus 1 more fight.

Jan. 27
(HBO): Jorge Arce vs. Julio David Roque Ler ; Kelly Pavlik vs. Jose Luis Zertuche, ; Vanes Martirosyan vs. TBA.

And Febubary looks to be as good as Jan.

Yo all this is good for us, I'm talking about the mainstream. UFC 66 grossed $110 million, and boxing should be making that kind of money, it really is kicking boxing's ass. What I think is that the big fights should be shown on national networks for free to re-establish the fan base.

I ain't really seeing your point. UFC's top fights ain't on national networks. Why should boxings? And if you add up all of boxing PPV's, I think they'll add up more to than UFC's PPV's.

[CutMeMick]

Well the only time you see UFC is on Spike:TV every now & then when they have their show and when they replay old fights.
Pride is only shown on FSN, I think and most of what they have shown in the past is about a year old.

On the other hand, there is also soooo much boxing on regular TV at least here where I'm at. (Los Angeles, California USA)


Thursday 1/4/07- boxing on the 'VS' channel, they'll replay a classic fight and I'll record it.
Thursday boxing on ESPN:Classic, they'll replay a classic fight if I don't already have it I'll record it.
Friday 1/5/07- I will come home tune to 'ESPN:2' and watch The Peterson Bros. kick off the new year. Then I'll flip the channel to 'Telefutura and watch Jose Armando Santa-Cruz kick off the new year. Then I'll flip the channel to 'Showtime' and watch the conclusion of the Super Middleweight tournament between Mendy vs. Hanshaw.
Thats 3 channels with at least 10 fights not on PPV.

Also look at your boxing calendar, HBO or Showtime hasn't had a PPV since Nov. and they won't have one probably untill March:MAB vs. JMM.


Jan. 5
(Showtime): "ShoBox" tournament final: Anthony Hanshaw vs. Jean Paul Mendy ; Jose Izquierdo vs. Nick Casal.

(ESPN2): Anthony Peterson vs. Juan Garza ; Lamont Peterson vs. Juaquin Gallardo plus 1 more fight.

(Telefutura): Jose Armando Santa Cruz vs. Luis Arceo plus about 3 more fights.


Jan. 6
(Showtime): Samuel Peter vs. James Toney, WBC heavyweight eliminator; Jose Antonio Rivera vs. Travis Simms, 12 rounds, for Rivera's WBA junior middleweight title; Roman Karmazin vs. James Obede Toney


Jan. 11
(Versus): Almazbek "Kid Diamond" Raiymkulov vs. Antonio Pitalua ; Anthony Thompson vs. Robert Frazier.


Jan. 12
(ESPN2): Cornelius "K9" Bundrage vs Chris Smith plus 3 more fights.


Jan. 19
(Telefutura): Henry Bruseles vs. Wilfredo Negron ; Francisco Lorenzo vs. Rocky Martinez plus 2 more fights.

(Showtime): Juan Manuel Lopez vs. TBA ; Victor Ortiz vs. Marvin Cordova .

(ESPN2): Randall Bailey vs. Anthony Mora plus 3 more fights.


Jan. 20
(HBO): Juan Urango vs. Ricky Hatton ; Jose Luis Castillo vs. Herman Ngoudjo.


Jan. 25
(Versus): Ulises "Archie" Solis vs. Will Grigsby plus 1 more fight.

Jan. 27
(HBO): Jorge Arce vs. Julio David Roque Ler ; Kelly Pavlik vs. Jose Luis Zertuche, ; Vanes Martirosyan vs. TBA.

And Febubary looks to be as good as Jan.

Yo all this is good for us, I'm talking about the mainstream. UFC 66 grossed $110 million, and boxing should be making that kind of money, it really is kicking boxing's ass. What I think is that the big fights should be shown on national networks for free to re-establish the fan base.

Well then who the hell pockets the $110 mill. cause I just read that UFC fighters are REALLY underpaid. Now I'm confused?

[Bx730NY]

HBO is one of the main culprits, while Showtime gives us a nice fight the first Saturday of every month. Gotta say that Showtime is the new undisputed champ of boxing. HBO has too many greedy fighters on it's stable as well. Too many guys that only care about the money and not putting their money where their mouth is.

[landmine950]

Of course its all about marketing. Something the WWE has paved the way in. MMA such as UFC has grown dramatically in the last 5 or so years. I think the contender was a step in the right direction.
Also a longer build-up of elimination fights for different weights shown on tv for free and THEN a big PPV with like 5 belts in dif weight classes.
Too often now there is one big fight and a bunch of crap added on.
The key is to grab and maintain public interest over longer periods of time. A Champion who has many title defenses helps to hold public interest.
I think things will change for the better as VALUEV unifies the heavyweight division and begins a "fight of the month" world tour taking on all challengers building his record up to ..oh....say.........100 - 0 .

(if i seem to be slurring it's cuz my toungue is in my cheek)