Aug 16 | Itauma v Whyte, Cacace v Ford, Ball v Goodman

I'd argue watching it at home is better than not watching it at all. It is sports washing we know this but that's a different argument.
Benn eubank was a Saudi fight as was fisher v Alan .. so they are still putting on big domestic fights with the atmospheres and also the mega fights that wouldn't happen before albeit with poorer atmospheres and exclusivity.

 

Turkey rarely watches any boxing spending most of his time in the best seat in the house facing sideways speaking to people.

 

With a tea towel on his head & sunglasses indoors.

 

Sure, watching at home is better than nothing — but if the soul of the sport is being drained in exchange for exclusivity and sterile spectacle, this isn’t the sport winning — it’s passive consumption, like Pavlov’s dog waiting for crumbs. Just enough to keep you coming back, never enough to feel full.

Benn vs Eubank might’ve had Saudi backing, but it felt like a real fight night — especially when Eubank Sr. arrived in full regalia and the arena came alive. That wasn’t just a fight — that was history reloading.

The issue isn’t just who’s funding it — it’s how it’s presented. When you swap raw energy for VIP rows and dead silence, you’re left with something that might look like boxing, but doesn’t feel like boxing.

And that was painfully obvious at the Times Square event — not one fight caught fire.

Even Canelo, when he boxed in Riyadh, looked off-tempo — no longer the roaring Maximus commanding the Colosseum as he was in round eight at AT&T Stadium against BJS, but the sport’s biggest draw reduced to performing like a prized seal for silent royalty.

 

It's not though, the fights that normally don't happen are the ones taking place in Saudi with the poor atmospheres. But they still put on the huge domestic fights like Benn eubank with the crowds and atmospheres. So we're only complaining that the live events are not as good for fights we were not seeing before and at the same time still also having huge domestic dust ups like the examples you gave. As you say been eubank fight felt like a "real fight" so your literally admitting they are also giving us these huge domestic fights.

Like I said your complaining about what the fights are like ringside for bouts we were not getting.

So yo summarise we still get the domestic big crowd, the theatre of fights like eubank Benn. And we are also getting the super fights that were not getting made previously.

Like I said some people just want to have their cake and eat it.

 

Whyte has always had poor balance and slow feet, Itauma will expose this quite dramatically. Highlight real KO incoming, all planned to traject Itauma’s name out among the Essex casuals and take his career to the next level. Perfect name and fight at this point in his career. Whyte must be getting paid a fortune. Biggest concern to Team Itauma is Whyte either getting injured or mistakenly ingesting a banned substance nearer the fight.

 

You're missing the whole point. No one’s denying the fights are happening — we’re questioning what they’re becoming.

We’re finally getting the “super fights,” sure — but they play out like private screenings for the ultra-rich: no energy, no legacy, no atmosphere. Just cold, clinical boxing in front of silent rows of oligarchs, too busy filming on their phones or not even watching the fight.

Yeah, we still get domestic fights like Benn vs Eubank — but that felt different. Eubank Sr. walked in like it was 1990, and the place lit up. It felt like an event, something that brought real eyes and attention back to the sport. That contrast isn’t a win — it’s a warning shot.

Elite sport shouldn't be played out in soulless arenas — otherwise it’s COVID-19 all over again: world-class talent performing in front of ghosts.

So no — it’s not about wanting to have our cake and eat it. It’s about recognising that they’re slicing up the soul of the sport and feeding it back to us cold — and making us pay for the privilege, PPV Pavlov style.

 

A positive is that this rules out Whyte v Chisora 3.

Whyte should have been put in the bin years ago, failing drugs tests, and getting gift decisions whilst supermanning round the ring.

Oh and the fake brother act should have been enough for the governing bodies to step in with a lifetime ban.

 

Eubank literal

Eubank literally said the fight wouldn't have happened without the Saudis, hearn literally said the fight didn't happen without Saudis.

No one said that jo fights didn't happen, but they were far less likely. Too many fighters pricing themselves out of fights, now they can't hide behind that excuse.

 

Would you rather the super fights get made but you can't attend and need to watch on TV. Or would you rather they didn't get made.

 

No need for hypotheticals — I watched The Last Crescendo live. Stayed awake through Buatsi vs Smith, tapped out after Shakur. Same with Times Square — bought the PPV, barely made it halfway. Watching Haney was like taking a Xanax.

Canelo vs Scull? Felt like watching Mo Farah jog laps.

But Benn vs Eubank? Bosh vs Allen? even Wardley v Huni I watched those start to finish. They felt alive. The crowd, the noise, the stakes — it mattered. Even the RBR threads were buzzing — because the fans were locked in too.

So nah, it’s not about choosing between fights or no fights. It’s about asking why the biggest cards keep putting us to sleep.

Big names, big budgets — but the bite’s not worth the bellyache, when there’s zero pulse.