Boxing Is a Brutal, Fading Sport...

What an inane blanket statement.

 

Good post. Licensing and matchmaking can be a joke.

Matthew Saad Muhammad gets a licence to fight in NJ in 1988 when it is obvious he has nothing left. Frankie Swindell brutalizes him with a quick assault and adds to the neurological damage. Saad later succumbs to ALS.

Muhammad Ali is allowed to fight Larry Holmes and Trevor Berbick long after he first shows signs of neurological damage.

Roy Jones is still fighting despite a plethora of brutal ko losses in the tail end of his career.

Let's face it, $$ comes first and without standardization of rules, it's a free for all out there. With one national commission, money would still matter, but I believe there would be better overall regulation.

 

There are no inane blanket statements, only inane blanket statement makers.

And it was meant partly in jest, partly in truth. I've done work tutoring on and off for the past 20 years. I have a passing experience in the kids of today.

 

Boxing is just not as popular as it once was because of a lack of stars.
I would say though, boxing in USA has declined. People are preferring other sports professions, and even a traditional, work profession. Nowadays we have better access to education.

Obviously places like Uzbekistan etc. will see a rise of boxers for a time because of the socio-economic conditions, but USA will continue to decline. It's NOT just because of how bad the USA amateur system is.

In my ideal world, they would have gloves that wouldn't really inflict harm on the opponent. I have NEVER paid for anything boxing related because I could never fund it, it is completely my guilty pleasure and I am ashamed of it. It's barbaric.
If Floyd Mayweather was to fight Amir Khan in England and I was given the opportunity to buy a ticket for £1 with the view that I must pay and watch it, I would decline.

 

Boxing has been "dying" ever since it's birth... but don't believe it people.

I actually think PBC has been a good thing. HBO and Showtime show fights often and the ratings for these fights are good, especially when a top fighter is on the card. The PPV boxing events that you would expect to make a lot of money usually do.

Other things that I think have been good in recent years:


1. Champions fighting other champions more often than in the past-

Remember when Virgil Hill and Charles Williams reigned at LHW at the same time? They were never going to fight and everyone knew it. Sure, Kovalev and Stevenson haven't fought yet... but I think they will.

2. More fans understand that just because a fighter's belt has World Champion written on it... it doesn't mean he is the recognized World Champ in that weight division.

3. Fans understand that some fights are more important than a belt and that a fighter may still be the recognized World Champ even without a belt.

4. Boxing forums (like this one), boxing information available on-line (like BoxRec), old fights on-line (like YouTube).

 

Aah, you're poor bleeding heart. Get the violins out.

Isn't Seamus originally from the US anyway? If so that might make him quite knowledgeable regarding the attitudes of young Murican kids.

 

understood. There are certainly some bratty kids spoiled too much by their parents.

 

I am not sure how that could be done. Sounds like 'powederpuff' boxing. Remember those huge gloves in the Hector Camacho/Ray Leonard fight, and Camacho was still able to score the KO.

 

In one way or another, professional boxing has declined dramatically in terms of popularity in the United States at least since the 1940s. The advent of television on a large scale and huge societal changes were the main factors leading to such a decline, resulting in a huge number of boxing clubs being shuddered during the 1950s. In the U.S., the amount of professional boxing shows taking place is a mere fraction at the present time compared to the number which were taking place during the same amount of time before 1950. Even boxing shown on television during the 1950s, the advent of Muhammad Ali during the 1960s, the popularity of boxing on television due to the comeback of Ali and the buzz generated the 1976 U.S. Olympic team during the 1970s and the massive revenue generated by occasional marquee bouts shown on PPV during the last 20 or 30 years have not reversed the decline to any great degree during the last 60 or so years.

- Chuck Johnston

 

Men will always be fascinated by fighting, for as long as they have testosterone in their systems.

There is even a phone app now, that allows you to meet up with complete strangers for fights.

The most brutal aspects of the sport, are however becoming less palatable to people.

While people want the brutal fights like Benn McClellan, they don’t want the human consequences.

I love and admire historic fighters like Sam Langford, and Harry Greb, but I don’t want to see that again in my lifetime.

 

Wonderful post. Well said.

 

Everything used to be better when we had less choice. Everything has had its heyday. Not just boxing.

Anything new dosnt last. Nothing is taking over, it's just with more variety more room is made for more things.

But remember this, Boxing is no flash in the pan. It's as old as humanity. It will continue. It will evolve as it always has to suit each particular era.