Boxing this weekend - cards all over

My gaffer at work was talking about the Eddie Hall fight. Another fella at work likes his boxing and had no idea Wood v Conlan had even happened.

 

Sadly very true.

The Frank Warren card is a shocking headline, but some interest on the undercard, but doubtful anyone other than people bored on a Saturday evening will be watching.

Sunny is brilliant but sadly a midget and no one cares about them. Said on another thread my Uncle didn't even realise he had Eurosport with his Sky package.

 

Agree 100%. All the talk this week was about Hall/Thor and the UFC, even amongst boxing fans. Like you said unless it's a big fight no-one is interested. Had to remind people that the Conlan Vs Wood fight was last week, no-one (once again even boxing fans) knew the fight was on. Granted when they watched it back they said how much of a cracking fight it was. It's a shame.

 

Brits will be tuning in to the Paddy Pimblett and Molly McCann fights this weekend.

 

Well, after years of blowing their cash on Joshua pay-per-views against no-hopers and thinking this is the best boxing has to offer, can you blame them?

Hearn and Joshua may have been "good for boxing" in the short-term but the long-term impact will leave a lasting skidmark on British boxing.

 

The O2 Arena sold out for the UFC tonight before they even announced who was fighting. Compare that to the Okolie fight at the same venue 3 weeks ago where they sold 4000 tickets.

Sadly boxing is on the way down. There’s that many different promoters and broadcasters it’s near enough impossible to keep track on what fights are happening where and when.

 

Frank at Wembley this weekend, boxer there next weekend.

Then there is a Boxer show in Newcastle the week later a Probellum

Just total saturation

 

Hasn't it always been the same, though? Boxing surely does more business than ever - just that the market is more segmented these days. Looking at the landscape of entertainment for couch potatoes through a wider lens, with the advancements of web 2.0 and the advent of modern day social media, in conjunction with how many channels there are, the original "casual fan" has many more options. People's grannies would watch ITV boxing when there was nothing else on. Then, of course, technological advancements have paved the way for the sports market to become more segmented. MMA relied on a strong subculture facilitated by cable/satellite TV and internet to grow into what has now become mainstream.

There will always be a place for boxing, but unless there is a unified governing body then the lower tiers will always stagnate. There simply isn't enough demand for lower level boxing, unless it's built-up to be something it's not and dressed-up by fireworks and Neil Diamond.

 

Not everyone is big on social media and the web though. With the UFC they almost have a fixture list - they announce months in advance a date and venue for cards before announcing who’s even fighting meaning people keep a look out. Hearn announcing fights on Instagram doesn’t capture the imagination of any over the age of about 35.

 

Market segmentation is not about captivating "everyone". The point I was making is that there are a lot more avenues through which consumers can entertain themselves from their couch than ever before, and this filters down into all media that once benefitted from mainstream broadcasting.

 

Thor v Eddie Hall is free to watch as well

"Eddie Hall vs Thor will be available to watch totally for FREE with SEGI.TV holding the rights.

Simply view on SEGI.TV and watch on fight night.

The free live stream is set to kick off at 8.30pm GMT.

And there is no registration or sign up needed to watch on SEGI.TV."

 

Pro boxing does not stand a chance against the UFC. The problem is that the UFC attracts the younger audience which is interesting for the commercial channels / platforms. Boxing primarily attracts men + 50 years

 

I watched the last couple of big UFC fights and they were absolutely crap

 

Maybe Frank Warren, DAZN UK & Probellum haven't pushed their cards enough? I don't think it's a good idea when cards go up against each other on the same night. There's enough gaps in the calendar to schedule things accordingly and spread out cards.

Furthermore, there's a lack of interest because alot of the fights on all cards are bang average. I understand the need to rotate fighters and ensure every is active but maybe they should have built up the cards to make them more interesting, especially when competing against the UFC.