Boxers today not fighting often enough.

The perception of what’s expected in boxing is a funny one. If you look at golfers for example they'll happily play in lesser tournaments to make sure they're sharp for the majors and they'll accept that the prize money and coverage won't be the same every other week. I know the risk is very different with boxing, but I can’t help but think that too many boxers (led on by their ‘teams&#8217 have an unrealistic expectation of their worth sometimes… I’m an HBO fighter, I’m a PPV fighter, I’m a $1m a fight boxer… and that leads to them rejecting the opportunity to be more active when the payday doesn’t match what they think they’re worth. Similarly, fans expect the best to consistently fight the best or at least consistently improving competition. Federer, Djokovic and Nadal will regularly play in different tournaments to each other throughout the year hence why those ones don’t have quite the same status or prize money as a major. Compare that to the stick a beginner like Joshua gets when he’s seen to be taking a soft fight.

Simple question… what are everyone’s thoughts on having non-title fights to increase regularity of big names?

If you look at someone like Duran (mainly at his lightweight peak) he'd fight around 6/7 times a year, but only half of those would be title fights.

I personally wouldn't mind boxers taking keep busy fights, a bit like what GGG is trying to do with staying activee, as long as they're not mis-sold as big world title fights. Then you have 2-3 proper world title fights in competitive match ups a year. Increasingly as the quality of online TV services and streaming improves this should be theoretically possible to do as you can get round the TV date issue. Providing boxers are realistic that not every pay day is equal and how much you earn is related to the risk you're taking and governing bodies don’t try and be too greedy for the sanctioning fees.

My gut feeling is that people would just jump all over these on forums and twitter and give whoever did that a pasting for taking too many easy fights. Basically they can’t win either way.

 

Most boxers from what I here and read dont live the life of a professional sportsperson.

Whe you compare to other sports, most of them are active every week so need to live the life to remain at top level. wehther that's golf, tennis, football, rugby etc

Boxers if they were more professional would live the life more and be training all the time therefore ensuring they are allways in good shape, stamina etc.

I dont think a huge lengthy camp is necesaary unless alot of weight needs to be shifted.

 

The higher you climb up the ladder the less you have to fight

 

But it also has to come down to quality as well.

Would much rather see Froch, Brook, Khan etc in 2 decent fights a year rather then 4 average ones

 

They don't box enough and they aren't as mentally tough

 

We are all softer than past generations life is easier for the vast majority of people , tougher times breed tougher people that's only natural

 

I think you hit the nail on the head! :good

 

Back in the day it was a case of lack of work made fighters box more regularly.The lack of TV made boxing cards an almost nightly attraction and relatively cheap night out.

It was a full time job because many had nothing else and no other option!

 

Too true.Rightly or wrongly pulling out of fights just didn't happen on the scale it does today.

 

Since 2013 carl froch has had 3 fights, fought 29 rounds. Mayweather 4 fights 48 rounds.

In the same period golovkin has had 7 fights, fought 33 rounds (since froch fought kessler it's 5 fights and 23 rounds), so despite golovkin being more 'active' than just about all the top 20 p4p guys he's not fighting the same number of rounds that some of other top guys, although he will be having more training camps (but almost certainly less intense, esp at the start)

 

you may be right. most top boxers have come from poor backgrounds on the streets fighting from a young age. now times are not as bad in the usa as they were, dont get me wrong there are plenty of **** holes but not nearly as many as before.