I believe any boxing fan can become an MMA fan (and vice versa)

[Beanflicker]

As a big fan of both sports (and someone who posts on a few boxing and MMA boards) its kind of disheartening to see how a lot of people are torn between the two sports, and now the Goldenboy/Affliction merger has kinda brought this up again. A lot of MMA fans thing boxing is boring and outdated, and a lot of boxing fans think MMA lacks skill and are threatened by its newfound popularity.

Whats wrong with mixed cards? Why can't we like both sports? I think any boxing fan, after watching MMA and learning the in's and out's of it, would become hooked. The ground game is a "sweet science" unto itself, and while the boxing technique of your average MMA fighter is going to pale in comparison to a world class boxer, muay thai stylings are incredibly entertaining.

Do you think we'll all become "fight fans" as opposed to fans of one or the other, or do you think that line will always exist?

When I see a guy like Wanderlei Silva, I see the courage and tenacity that I saw in a lot of my boxing idols.

[Kev]

I agree I like both sports.

I'm all for mixed cards, I think they would be great fun.

At the top level however I hope they keep them seperate.

I don't want to see HBO ppv cards with top fighters like Calzaghe, Paquaio and Pavlik for example have an MMA bout between Kenny Florian and Nate Diaz on the undercard, any more than I don't want to see UFC 96 with Macheeda defending his world light heavyweight crown against Michael Bisping have Joel Julio fighting Cory Spinks on the undercard.

Mixed cards, great for local and smaller events, but no at the top level imo.

[BlackRazor]

I saw that & mentioned it to my brother (who likes both boxing & MMA) & he brought up a good point, do they use the same boxing ring for MMA fights? The most popular MMA group (UFC) uses the octagon cage.

[Beanflicker]

Affliction (the MMA company that is merging with GB) uses a ring as opposed to the octagon.

I've never been to a live MMA event, but from what I heard the octagon severely limits the vision of the audience, especially those within the first 10 rows, so I think the boxing ring is much more practical.

[Galaxy]

For me I hate all that rolling around on the floor sh*t! The fact they can hit a man when he's down & the fact that half these MMA fighters have barely any defense & can hardly throw a decent punch let alone a combination!

[leggy]

by Amir Peay - Golden Boy has just announced its plans to co-promote 4 pay per view mixed martial arts events with the fledging MMA promotion and t-shirt company, Affliction. These events will broadcast both Boxing and MMA together on the same cards, and apparently Golden Boy attempted to have the first MMA event on the under card of the Bernard Hopkins-Kelly Pavlik bout October 18. Co-promoter Top Rank and HBO rejected the offer..

"They presented us with the option and we respectfully declined," HBO PPV chief Mark Taffet told ESPN.com.

I would like to pose the following question to Golden Boy: Why would you take a sporting legacy that is over 140 years old, steeped in tradition, and then dilute it and insult it at the top levels of the sport by co-promoting it with an entirely separate sport? Boxing has been intertwined in the fabric of some of the most notable world events, has been a part of the American (and other nations) narrative, and has produced internationally idolized athletes. In essence, you are giving MMA equal billing with boxing, and introducing boxing fans to MMA by force. These fans then later on down the road will on occasion be given the choice of spending their PPV dollars on boxing or MMA. Imagine a father who watches boxing, tuning into the big fight with his young son. That son is now being introduced to boxing in a way that further marginalizes the sport and disrespects the tradition that all boxing fans adore. Some day when that kid grows up, he may choose to order a UFC event as opposed to a boxing PPV.

Thank you HBO for turning this down. Thank you Top Rank for turning this down. In boxing, a fighter who quits is ridiculed. It is ok to lose. The best lose, but they do it with respect and honor. If boxing is to wither on the vine because MMA slowly saps its viewers (which I do not believe is happening or will happen), so be it. But I cannot stand the thought of boxing withering away because some of the top people within the sport sell it out to cash in on what they think is the future. I do not think that the UFC would put boxing into one of their events because they want to see THEIR sport grow and prosper. Why is it that the major MMA websites never report on boxing headlines, but many of the major boxing websites cover MMA? Some boxing websites take payment to cover the sport of MMA, another example of people in the sport of boxing selling their sport short to capitalize on the trend of MMA.

Would Major League Baseball ever tarnish their tradition by infusing another sport into theirs just to boost ratings and appeal to a younger audience? No way, no how. Imagine a skateboarding event held during a World Series game, because that is how I see putting MMA into the same event as a world championship fight the caliber of Pavlik-Hopkins. Furthermore, boxing has just recently shown that it still packs a punch when pulling in a viewing audience. De La Hoya-Mayweather blew away all PPV records doing around 2.4 million buys, and then Mayweather-Hatton did over 1 million PPV buys. The UFC does not consistently (or I am not sure if ever), go over 1 million PPV buys, so why is Golden Boy, who had a piece of both of those fights, taking steps to pump up MMA at the expense of boxing?

Based in Los Angeles, along with Affliction, Golden Boy is run by Oscar De La Hoya and CEO Richard Schaefer. I would like to know who’s idea it was to get into the MMA business, bill it as an equal to boxing, and use it to cut into the boxing fan base. Is it Oscar who owes everything in his life to boxing? Or is it the investment banker, whose profession causes him to see things by way of excel spreadsheets and projected cash flows?

In his column, ESPN writer Dan Rafael also noted, ‘In addition, Affliction will become the official apparel licensee for Ring Magazine, which Golden Boy bought last year. It unveiled several sample T-shirts featuring old covers of Ring magazine, including ones of Sugar Ray Robinson.’ It irks me that Golden Boy will be using the Ring Magazine to capitalize on classic fighters like Sugar Ray Robinson through a heavy metal, mixed martial arts clothing company. Go to the Affliction website and you will probably be able to buy the Sugar Ray Robinson t-shirt right next to that guy from the Ultimate Fighter reality show.

I do not have any problem with Golden Boy getting into the MMA business, but I simply wish that it did so without taking anything away from boxing. That fight slot showing a MMA match could show an up and coming boxer instead. I am actually a really big fan of MMA, but grew up with boxing as a big part of my life and therefore feel defensive of the sport I love. The people in MMA are doing their thing, doing it well, and are protective of what they are doing. I just wish the same held true in the sport of boxing.

Between Golden Boy’s connection to HBO, their stable of boxers, the ownership of the Ring Magazine, and their alliance with USA Boxing, they could do so much to help the sport of boxing. This recent move in my mind is a low blow to the sport.

Watching Golden Boy take this route honestly makes me wish that Don King and Bob Arum live to be a thousand years old.


stolen from another forum

[Kel]

by Amir Peay - Golden Boy has just announced its plans to co-promote 4 pay per view mixed martial arts events with the fledging MMA promotion and t-shirt company, Affliction. These events will broadcast both Boxing and MMA together on the same cards, and apparently Golden Boy attempted to have the first MMA event on the under card of the Bernard Hopkins-Kelly Pavlik bout October 18. Co-promoter Top Rank and HBO rejected the offer..

"They presented us with the option and we respectfully declined," HBO PPV chief Mark Taffet told ESPN.com.

I would like to pose the following question to Golden Boy: Why would you take a sporting legacy that is over 140 years old, steeped in tradition, and then dilute it and insult it at the top levels of the sport by co-promoting it with an entirely separate sport? Boxing has been intertwined in the fabric of some of the most notable world events, has been a part of the American (and other nations) narrative, and has produced internationally idolized athletes. In essence, you are giving MMA equal billing with boxing, and introducing boxing fans to MMA by force. These fans then later on down the road will on occasion be given the choice of spending their PPV dollars on boxing or MMA. Imagine a father who watches boxing, tuning into the big fight with his young son. That son is now being introduced to boxing in a way that further marginalizes the sport and disrespects the tradition that all boxing fans adore. Some day when that kid grows up, he may choose to order a UFC event as opposed to a boxing PPV.

Thank you HBO for turning this down. Thank you Top Rank for turning this down. In boxing, a fighter who quits is ridiculed. It is ok to lose. The best lose, but they do it with respect and honor. If boxing is to wither on the vine because MMA slowly saps its viewers (which I do not believe is happening or will happen), so be it. But I cannot stand the thought of boxing withering away because some of the top people within the sport sell it out to cash in on what they think is the future. I do not think that the UFC would put boxing into one of their events because they want to see THEIR sport grow and prosper. Why is it that the major MMA websites never report on boxing headlines, but many of the major boxing websites cover MMA? Some boxing websites take payment to cover the sport of MMA, another example of people in the sport of boxing selling their sport short to capitalize on the trend of MMA.

Would Major League Baseball ever tarnish their tradition by infusing another sport into theirs just to boost ratings and appeal to a younger audience? No way, no how. Imagine a skateboarding event held during a World Series game, because that is how I see putting MMA into the same event as a world championship fight the caliber of Pavlik-Hopkins. Furthermore, boxing has just recently shown that it still packs a punch when pulling in a viewing audience. De La Hoya-Mayweather blew away all PPV records doing around 2.4 million buys, and then Mayweather-Hatton did over 1 million PPV buys. The UFC does not consistently (or I am not sure if ever), go over 1 million PPV buys, so why is Golden Boy, who had a piece of both of those fights, taking steps to pump up MMA at the expense of boxing?

Based in Los Angeles, along with Affliction, Golden Boy is run by Oscar De La Hoya and CEO Richard Schaefer. I would like to know who’s idea it was to get into the MMA business, bill it as an equal to boxing, and use it to cut into the boxing fan base. Is it Oscar who owes everything in his life to boxing? Or is it the investment banker, whose profession causes him to see things by way of excel spreadsheets and projected cash flows?

In his column, ESPN writer Dan Rafael also noted, ‘In addition, Affliction will become the official apparel licensee for Ring Magazine, which Golden Boy bought last year. It unveiled several sample T-shirts featuring old covers of Ring magazine, including ones of Sugar Ray Robinson.’ It irks me that Golden Boy will be using the Ring Magazine to capitalize on classic fighters like Sugar Ray Robinson through a heavy metal, mixed martial arts clothing company. Go to the Affliction website and you will probably be able to buy the Sugar Ray Robinson t-shirt right next to that guy from the Ultimate Fighter reality show.

I do not have any problem with Golden Boy getting into the MMA business, but I simply wish that it did so without taking anything away from boxing. That fight slot showing a MMA match could show an up and coming boxer instead. I am actually a really big fan of MMA, but grew up with boxing as a big part of my life and therefore feel defensive of the sport I love. The people in MMA are doing their thing, doing it well, and are protective of what they are doing. I just wish the same held true in the sport of boxing.

Between Golden Boy’s connection to HBO, their stable of boxers, the ownership of the Ring Magazine, and their alliance with USA Boxing, they could do so much to help the sport of boxing. This recent move in my mind is a low blow to the sport.

Watching Golden Boy take this route honestly makes me wish that Don King and Bob Arum live to be a thousand years old.


stolen from another forum

Thats a great write up I totally agree with it.