Boxing's popularity in the US has almost doubled this decade - new study

From 37 million in 2000 to 50 million in 2012. By comparison MMA's fan base has been clocked at 9 million.

The writer pegs the increase in boxing fans on an influx of Mexicans but doesn't say why. Seems to contradict himself immediately after by mentioning another popular Mexican sport "pro wrestling" has declined in the same period.

Added to the fact there are only around 30 million Mexicans in the US so I'm not sure how he really worked the math out on that one. Unless he's assuming all 30 million Mexicans are boxing fans.


http://www.bloodyelbow.com/2012/10/...an-data-shows-bright-future-ufc-combat-sports

As far as boxing, which has also seen an increase in fans over the last 10 years, Dave Meltzer in the latest Wrestling Observer states (subscription required) that this is primarily down to the Hispanic market.

A big key is the emergence in numbers of the Hispanic audience, where boxing is the second biggest sport next to soccer. Those numbers have increased over the past decade from 37.4 million to 50.7 million, and will continue to increase over the next decade. What makes that strange is that pro wrestling is twice as popular with the Hispanic audience in the U.S. than the white audience, so whatever growth boxing should have because of it should be mirrored by wrestling. It’s hard to say why that isn’t the case. Boxing hasn’t had that superstar Hispanic since Oscar De La Hoya, and wrestling really hasn’t had one in decades. Eddy Guerrero was close before his death and was the biggest since the heyday of Mil Mascaras (who was a superstar only regionally in the U.S.), but to really draw from that type of audience, the guy has to be No. 1, not No. 5 when it comes to being pushed as the serious top star of the brand.

 

**** yeah, Mexicans! Keep coming over boys, I can learn to say "When is the fight on?" in Spanish.

 

Probably a few million Pinoys who all of a sudden became boxing fans

 

Boxing has been huge over there for nearly a century now.

 

Mexicans love them some boxing. Here in SoCal, most of my Mexican friends are fight fans and vice versa. It is a great tradition and they are great fans. If you haven't gone to a fight card in SoCal, I encourage you to do so.

 

Blacks, Mexicans and Foreigners are taking over MMA just like boxing. White Americans aint interested anymore lol

 

white canadians sure as **** are still, it's like a plague.... can't go a block without seeign some meathead roided out skinhead with a tight tapout shirt and played out tribal tats. ****ing clowns.

 

Wow, and who was saying that American's don't care about boxing, all their athletes are in NFL and NBA?

 

What's so bad about it?

 

we have to thank the Fighter of the Decade for this good news.

 

ya gotta give the klitchkas there doos on this one man. :deal

 

Der Der Der but boxing is dying I thought!?!atsch

Yeah boxing is growing overall,the mass media has really jumped on it,but ppv sales tell other wise....

 

Brazilians are dominating MMA now and racist white people are leaving because ***** Lesnar is gone.

 

The Dana White hype machine is always saying "boxing is dying"

He wants young people to watch MMA and feel as if they are part of some new great sport but it fades like everything else.

It's so arrogant to think Boxing would go away because of some MMA ****. Boxing has been around as an organized sport since the 1800's.

 

Probably due to Mayweather and Pacquaio and a couple other super stars. Most people don't know more than 3 or 4 boxers.