Americans, how do you think boxing can return to some of the glory days over there?

This is a little bit off topic, but I will say that one big American sport is definitely heading for a fall. The NBA's rating have steadily declined for a decade now, since Jordan retired. Even with Lebron and Kobe the league has experienced its lowest ratings since the 70's. That's right! The Bird vs. Magic series in the eighties were far more popular than anything today, and player get paid about 15 times more. Not to mention the NBA playoffs, which have been an unmitigated disaster for ABC. They have average about an 8 Nielson rating over the past 5 years. During the Jordan years it was 17. During the Bird and Magic years it was around 11. In short, high salaries and low rating? The NBA is heading for a fall.

 

Every time I manage to get a group of people actually interested, and convince them to come over and watch a boxing PPV...the mood is killed by the ultra-lame and boring ass undercards.

Quit with the shite undercards! It kills the momentum of the event before it even starts.

One thing about UFC, the fights are quick and there are usually 2 or 3 interesting and exciting bouts.

 

The probably with boxing here in the States now is the terrible shape of the amateur programs. There just is not enough young talent, like their used to be. I mean there are still some guys with plenty talent, but no anywhere where it once was.

 

Good point...but imagine if there were only two fights, both being big-ticket affairs?

that would be way better

 

As a Southern California resident, I can assure you there are literally as many Mexicans here as possible. What there aren't are guys coming out of the Olympics with built in names. There aren't commercials or promotions for fights other than the expensive PPVs. No governing body to make competitive fights happen when the fans want them.

Mostly, there aren't enough Americans with attention spans long enough to enjoy 12 round fights or the cajones to have ever tried the sport itself. We are turning into the French, right down to the health care.

 

I just think that the average attention span of people has gone way down. Nobody wants to sit through three or four twelve round fights, let alone if they are boring fights with no-name fighters.

 

Boxing's decline in popularity in the US I think is a bit overstated. Floyd Mayweather and Manny Pacquiao are generating some very good PPV numbers in the states these days, both of them rivaling Oscar De La Hoya's.

 

I do agree that the demise of boxing has been greatly exaggerated. However, the younger viewers and their short MTV generation attention spans are going more UFC these days. The dropoff could be significant after my generation. I'm 34 by the way.

 

I agree. More disconcerting still it the fact that boxing gyms are closing all over the nation only to be replaced by MMA clubs. It actually happened in my hometown. THere was a small boxing club that was replaced by a large MMA chain that has three other locations, all of which have been established in the past 7 years. There is also no denying the racial component. That is, boxing clubs are closing in poor black and hispanic neighborhoods while MMA clubs are opening in middle class or even well to do white neighborhoods.

 

It's a few things.

The rise of MMA has definitely split the fighter pool, no question. There is like someone said before no legitimate collegiate boxing, which could exist as the perfect amateur league. The HBO/Showtime promotion bull**** keeps the sport away from the public and the eyes of aspiring athletes, and so once again the sport has become more exclusive.