Boxing losing popularity contest, for now..

or when Mike Tyson decided to use Holyfield's ear as a vital food source...

I've never seen anybody mention it,but there was a similar decline of boxing in the early twentieth century,when JAck Johnson was champion.People turned to things such as wrestling. Wrestling rivals Gotch and Hackenschmidt were some of the biggest sportsmen of the day

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There are a few factors why MMA is slowly getting more popular and likely will continue. the ppv thing is the biggest prob I think Pac-ODL is 54.99 and the undercard isn't that great, the UFC usually tries to have a 10 fight card and you get about 5 main card fights with the main event. The UFC also gives free "ultimate fight night" cards which usually have a few good names on the card, also the ultimate fighter series which helps to get the fighters and the sport known which creates interest.

I'm the only one of my friends who even follow boxing because if it wasn't for the internet I wouldn't even of heard of alot of boxers and various fights, it really doesn't make much of the news or paper anymore.We watched the Mayweather-ODL fight and after that nobody will watch boxing with me anymore or even think of getting a ppv, but we have got the last 20 or so UFC ppv's.

Corrupt promoters,ABC's and even tv org's controll the sport and has made a mockery of a once fine sport.

Valuev-Holyfield?....honestly holy might end up like appollo Creed after this one.

 

where exactly in that article is there a hint of boxing losing popularity, everyone knew the calzaghe jones fight was a crap match up but it was more enjoyable than watching an old man getting knocked out by pitty pat punches thrown by a 20 stone former wrestler

the boxing hw division is bad but the ufc division aint great either

 

how popular is mma elsewhere in the world?

answer: not very

 

Go see how it is in Japan,Thailand,Brazil,England,Ireland its coming on big in the last 2 and has been huge in the first 3.

 

Wrong - it's very popular in Ireland, Germany, Japan, and the U.K.. Only someone who has not done research would deny that.

Still, I'm going to say that boxing is in a horrible state right now (considering this is ESB, doubt anyone will agree). Look, I don't have enough cash on hand to pay for HBO ... therefore, I'm not seeing ANY championship matches (or any for that reason, until ESPN brings back the FNF's).

Boxing isn't being covered by mainstream media (NY Times, Fox, ABC, NBC, ESPN ... ) while MMA is just about everywhere in the U.S.A. - SpikeTV, ESPN, Fox "Fight Game", Versus Network, newspapers and radio shows ... right now MMA is winning. Not sure if it's going to be a fad or not, but I think it's pretty clear right now.

 

I think as long as people view the baddest man in the world as an MMA fighter it will be the premier combat sport. Another thing asides from promotion problems there are participation problems in America at least. I know in my neck of the woods a California city of 350,000 there are and for the last 15 years have only been 3 boxing gyms and most of the fighters in those gyms are paisas instead of Americans. With that said there aren't but like 3 or 4 mma gyms but have considerably higher participation numbers.

 

its not VERY POPULAR in ireland, in terms of popularity boxing is 5 times more popular

i know ufc 93 sold out in 2 weeks but you would not describe it as very popular maybe 20th sport in popularity in this country

 

Do acount of how many boxing gyms have opened or closed and how many MMA gyms that have exploded everywhere.

 

Boxing in the U.K is bigger than ever, I dont understand why there has to be an MMA vs Boxing war anyway, Theres room enough for both. Like Rugby and League

 

I use to dismiss these mma vs boxing arguments. They really are two different sports.

Now, I welcome them. Competition is the reason we watch sports in the first place. I hope that mma becomes such a threat to boxing that more and more is done on free tv in order to pick up new fans. I want mma to take over boxing in popularity. Then, I want the pendulum to swing back the other way. I want boxing to resume the command in fan number. This way, I can continue to enjoy each sport trying to one up the other. The fight cards for both sports will get better and better, and I'll stay entertained.

Stop trying to make friends. Get it there and mix it up. Fight for your sport.

 

MMA isn't that big in the UK. It's got fans but is certainly niche.

I quite like the UFC but I cant help think the hype makes people believe it's bigger than it really is. 2 or 3 years from now the hype will dissipate and we'll have a better handle on how big it really is.

 

May I add I think boxing's big advantage is people want it to succeed. They're was no godly reason for DLH-Mayweather to do anywhere near the numbers it did but their hadn't been a big fight in a while and people wanted it back. That my theory anyway.

But if you put JMM-Casamayor on PPV you reap what you sow.