We've all heard this before but with a little help from Google, lets see how long people have really been saying Boxing is a dying sport. 1937 - Jack Dempsey knows his own game when he says Boxing will be washed up within a year, unless something is done, he's talking straight from his heart. "It isn't Boxing anymore, he complains, "but just a big lawsuit." Jul 22, 1966 - Boxing is dead, no question in Jack Dempsey's mind the fight game is dead. There is no fight game today the former champion said, there never will be again. May 22, 1965 - Boxing is dead, not just in Boston but everywhere. Former heavyweight champion Rocky Marciano gave that opinion in an interview recently with the Boston Traveler. May 26, 1965 - "I said boxing is dead, and I guess it's true," said Rocky Marciano sadly. Dec 9, 1903 - Whether the time-honored sport of Boxing is dead or only sleeping will probably be demonstrated this month. Jun 15, 1906 - Jim Neil Declares "Boxing Is Dead in New York" Jun 1, 1923 - "Boxing Is Dead Sport", says Chicago's Mayor Chicago Jun 2, 1942 - Promoters generally hold the view that due to increased taxes they cannot afford "cuts" therefore Boxing is dead. Nov 29, 1943 - Others say, yeah, Boxing is dead game; it smells like dead game that's been lying under the sun. The optimists and well-wishers say that Boxing has lost its champs and stars, but that there are still good fights to be seen. 1957- wrestling promoter: "I know what this is all about," he declared. The commission is running in the red because Boxing is dead and it wants to tap some of the gates we're getting. 1962 - Boxing is dead in Baltimore. It is almost dead everywhere Dec 18, 1962 - Boxing is dead or dying in many parts of the world, but in Italy it is a fact. Jan 7, 1965 - Unless something is done very soon, Boxing is dead. "Right now there is too much politics in the various commissions. They mean well, but they don't know what they re doing Feb 4, 1974 - The evidence says boxing is dead. Oct 31, 1974 - With Muhammad now unchallenged at the top, the dimwits again will chorus that boxing is dead. They've been saying this since before Sports Illustrated began investigating a fix in the Cain vs. Abel match. If boxing has been dead, you've been sitting in on the longest wake in history Nov 27, 1975 - "Each year the new people up here keep telling me Boxing is dead but they don't seem to realize that boxing never before had three heavyweights like Ali, Frazier and Foreman at the same time. The new people keep talking about the good old days in boxing 1977 - Ali "although I might like to be a lecturer, boxing is dead when I'm not involved," what will happen to the sport when he does finally retire?
A strange phenomenon. And oddly like all the never-ending complaints on this forum over the years that "This place has really gone down hill."
Boxing has been dying since the day it became sanctioned. There are articles from over 100 years ago that claim it is dying..and every decade after that.
A door that is rotting away can still swing open. But eventually, the rot gets so bad that the door falls off it's hinges. While I do think that the cries of "boxing is dead!" is a bit alarmist and very premature, there are warning signs that can't be ignored either. Looking at most those quotes, they occured at a time when boxing was still - at worst - a top 10 sport. Up until about the 60's, boxing was second only to baseball (in the States at least) but the rise and rise of ball sports like football, basketball, soccer, MMA (like it or not it's here to stay) and a lot of other sports have given boxing a really stiff challenge over the years. Boxing is not even close to being a top ten sport anymore. Only the mega stars make huge money and do big PPV numbers, and I think we'll see less and less of that as time moves on. The situation is not beyond saving and boxing will never really die, but unless the obvious warning signs are heeded, the sport is going to become more and more niche and less and less popular over the next 20, 30 years.
Intersting quotes! And yet Boxing is more alive than ever, and becoming stronger and stronger, and more global!
PPV figures and fighters purses say its very much alive and well. MMA is said to be the fastest growing sport...well that maybe but its small fry compared to boxing. Look at the purses those guys get compared to top boxers..small change. Floyd wouldn't get out of bed for the money of a dozen MMA title fights worth of money.
You stopped 3 decades early I've been hearing that boxing is dying ALL MY LIFE The sport of boxing will out live us all :good:bbb