Pacquiao is bringing boxing back to the mainstream!

The biggst problem for boxing's mainstream popularity that no one since De La Hoya could actually STAY in the limelight for YEARS. Both Floyd and Pac reached mainstream popularity at the end of their career, Floyd only fought JMM since the DLH/Hatton breakout year and is cherry picking fights, and now that Pac became insanely popular, chances are good that the Floyd fight will be his last.

No one since DLH could KEEP boxing in the mainstream for years and it took a win over Oscar for Floyd and Manny to become extra-popular. With DLH retired, and Floyd & Manny only having each other to fight then retirement, my concerns that boxing will return to the "other sports" section once these stars are gone, likely in 6 months.

Also, boxing is a cruel sport, sometimes you have to climb up on old stars back to become a star: Chavez/De La Hoya, De La Hoya/Floyd, De La Hoya/Pacquiao. With both the upcoming Floyd/Pac winner and loser are likely to retire, they will retire their popularity too, not giving the youngsters to shine on their expense. Which is cruel, but continuity is important in our sport. If there's no DLH, no super popular Floyd and Pac. If no Floyd and Pac, a possible future star will have huge difficulties having a defining mainstream fight, because there's no mainstream star left to beat.

Is there anyone out there not only to reach true mainstream popularity, but STAY in the mainstream for years like Roger Federer in tennis, fight regularly and bring the masses to the sport regularly, or boxing's biggest failure in the 21th century is that when someone reaches the Dempseyesque heighs, he's 2 fights from retiring?

 

Hes the third best thing since SRL after Tyson and DLH.

 

agree

 

I agree...The best since Ray Leonard and Roberto Duran.

 

His attitude, mentality, behaviour, career choices, entertainment/excitement...

...He is the best thing to happen to the sport since SRL.

 

He is truly remarkable. Best thing to happen to boxing in quite some time.

 

You make great points Bronx. To add to that, at my job people are STILL talking about the fight. I can say I've never had this occur at my place of work and i've been here for 9 years. He has certainly generated an excitement that hasn't been seen in quite some time. He's actually creating a myth, and I mean that in the best of ways.

 

But these fighters would beat him: :huh

1. Frankie Gavin
2. Floyd Mayweather
3. Return of Prince Naseem
4. Shane Mosley
5. Nonito Donaire @ Eventual 135

 

More like since De La Hoya's decline...
(Erick Morales (Prime), Barrera, Jones Jr. ect.... Remember them?)

Let's not get carried away.

 

I live in the middle of nowhere in the usa....our local papers headlines usually read " Size of the local "mudfish" incresed slightly this year.....Sports coverage consists of blow by blow accounts of the local highschool football teams games, as with the OP I was stunned to see have a page devoted to Pac.....a first for boxing

 

I would say he's better for boxing than Leonard to be honest. Leonard was such a well known personality that he controlled boxing, and although he fought the top fighters around his time, it wasn't always when the fans wanted him to fight them.

Personally I would say that Tyson, Duran and DLH have had the biggest (and best) impact on boxing since Ali. But the way Pac keeps taking on these huge challenges, and looks so good doing it...he's not far behind.

 

5th best. Lets not forget Chavez And RJJ. :good

 

atschatsch

 

thats why i like you bronx, at least you have the dignity to admit when someone is great, unlike these other fools.