Can Boxing ever return to its former glory?

It could be fixed quite simply IMO. 8 divisions. 1 champ in each division.

You have to fight your mandatory 2/3 times a year. The belt holders earn the money. You have to earn your mandatory position.

This would fix everything IMO

 

Yes when bob arums passes away.

 

Well, if we are talking about popularity of the sport and the appeal of the casual fan. There are too many belts like post #2 says, this makes it confusing to the casual fan who knows little about the sport. But PPV also needs to **** off. The sooner PPV ****s off, boxing has a chance to be picked up by other channels and in turn more boxing shows can be put on. Prospects will not have to wait for months for a chance to get televised on the undercard of a PPV event, usually against someone who won't even push them. This will also allow them to fight more frequently to gain experience, and not a name.

 

This

 

All things considered, the sport could be in worse shape, but yeah, the different belts all need to go and I think less pay per view televised fights would help. But then, it depends on which country you're in...in America, sure, the popularity has massively waned, but it's still a second tier sport in the UK and Russia, and a major one in Germany and Denmark. But I guess its still a big enough sport in the US to make Floyd a few million every time he fights, though he is the exception.

 

My local newspaper did not mention the death of Emanuel Steward. I don't think I need to say anything else.

 

yup. That alone woud make it more appealing and less confusing.

Plus get rid of PPV.

 

Very much doubt it.
Ball sports have completely taken over...football (soccer) is much more widely watched than it's ever been, and the rise of the NFL and NBA in the States have left boxing far, far behind.
Then you have extreme sports which didn't exist back in the 50's (niche sports sure, but they still compete for your attention) and even motor sports, which have gone global, much more so than in the 50's. MMA is also surely a factor these days...list goes on...
It's a different world now.

Even if boxing were to return to one champ per division, it would still struggle to break into the top 10 sports, I think.

 

No!!!!!!!

 

I agree with you. Can AIBA fix that? If yes, why are so reluctant fans about the PRO adventure, maybe an org like FIBA, FIFA, NBA etc in boxing can erase this corrupt sport aura boxing is carrying.

 

It seems to be doing pretty good overall. I'm seeing fights on a lot of networks, HBO, Showtime, ESPN, Telemundo, Fox Deportes, TV Aztecas, Fox, Wealth TV, Epix, Comcast Sports Net, NBC Sports just off the top of my head, and just in the USA.

It will never be able to keep the pace of team sports, with a defined season, defined times the games happen, and with the media outlets ever trying to win news cycles, its all about team sports. A fighter may fight 2-4 times a year, and there isn't much news leading up to a fight that one guy can make exciting, but in team sports you have numerous stories going on at once within the week. Such as the NFL that plays every week, now there is games on Sun, Mon, Thurs, 32 teams and a shitload to cover and try to win news cycles with. Boxing can never be that, but overall, right now, Boxing has far more network coverage than it ever has.

To me the boxing is dead myth is just that, a myth. People have been saying this about boxing since before the 50's. Its just a tough sport to keep steadily in the news cycles when your biggest stars fight twice a year. There just isn't enough news there to make it a priority, when things like the NFL has stories possible from up to 100 different people a team, from players, coaches all the way up to owners and refs.