its a simple question alot of people ask me when they get to know me and see my love for the sport. my answer usualy has something to do with the confusion over titles and weight classes,sometimes I'll give an answer more about the gradual slide in heavyweight talent, and every once in a while I'll simply answer that there arnt many really good american boxers anymore who are favorates to fans(guys like Hopkins and Mayweather though brilliant and wonderfull fights only seem to draw hate. there arnt any Joe louis's, no Marciano's, nothing like that. it seems to me as though the depth of...well all weight classes but especialy heavyweight really diminishes the publics view of boxing. interesting story from a while back: one of my friends were over to see a great fight wich was for the middleweight championship of the world. after the fight HBO announced that in a few weeks there would be another fight for the middleweight title. my friend asked"wait this guys fighting again?" no... I had to answer back about all the WBO-WBC-IBF-WBA non-sence and he lost interest.... so whats your answer to it all? Why isnt boxing as popular as it used to be?
That's part of it. I think not being on network TV hurts it here in the States. Boxers afraid of losing hurts (fans clamour for the big fights, then call the fighter exposed the second he loses).
Too many corrupt decisions, and too much suspicion of fixed fights. One of the things that attracts many people to a sport is gambling. No one wants to gamble on boxing if they think it's fixed.
Very true indeed. Look at all the bad decisisons, they think fans are stupid, but they are not as stupid as the power-that-be in boxing think. Don King does not help it either. ABC's?!
The popularity has declined because of less media attention, since the heavyweight titleholders are not Americans. There needs to be an American version of Wladimir Klitschko or a new Mike Tyson come along.
I just got in an argument with a friend who is an MMA fan who told me he doesn't watch boxing because it's fixed.
Many decisions are either provincial or go to the promoter's favor. Another factor is the media is owned by the rich elite and their favorite sport it golf! A sick sport indeed.
Money is the main reason Even here in the UK, some of the big fights are PPV. Then the rest are on Sky which costs a monthly subscription, and Setanta which is another £10 a month on top of that Khan gets massive hype mainly because he is easily accessible to casual fans, because people can watch him on free TV. Despite his medal heroics he would have gone onto the back burner had he been hidden away on Sky ABC's/corruption are a long way behind. A hardcore fan will pay up no matter what. Casual fans which is mostly what you are talking about are interested, but not interested enough to part with their hard earnt cash
Bingo! At least for me. I don't get cable, let alone HBO and PPV. Pavlik brought my interest back. Youtube clips suck, but I can download some decent fights in better format.