debate starter? :)

It's not that it's taken time for this fight to materialize.

There has always been big fights that took some time to materialize (or never did at all).

Boxing in the states lacks mainstream coverage, as it doesn't have many crossover stars, and lacks network TV coverage (sponsors).

 

Very true. There aren't any crossover stars, or maybe there's 3 or so. The United States looks at other sports...all of them. Boxing? Nobody cares. Even ESPN cut way back. Because they don't get even close to a million viewers for their boxing programs. A bunch of websites, a buch of message boards, and that's it. There are a few boxers that get attention, and a bunch that TRY to get attention. The ones that are trying so hard need to come to grips. If you have a site with a bunch of pictures of yourself up, you send pictures to other sites and ask them to put them up...it's obvious how well know you are. Not very.

 

The media has turned it's back on boxing. Fans nowadays want bloody slugfests every fight. They have turned to UFC and **** because it's more violent. Fans are finicky and so hard to please. I couldn't believe my ears when I actually heard booing during Marquez/Vazquez 3 and Dawson/Johnson! Boxers only want big paydays. Crooked alphabet commissions, shady promoters, Jim Lampley, Emmanuel Stewart, and Teddy Atlas' commentary.....add them all up and you have a sport that is in a state of regression.

 

Yes. Everyone is in it for themselves. You here so many people talking about the problems, but they are usually a big part of the problem themselves. Everyone wants to be a star, but they aren't...because they don't have the appeal necessary. They have a hard time accepting that.

 

It works the opposite way.

Joe Casual might not know boxing or really understand it behind the scenes but he knows when he's being fed horse manure. The guys being touted as the best in the sport today simply are not exciting enough to maintain a strong following.

In a day where the P4P best in the sport fight the very best while fighting in an entertaining fashion is the day we'll be back in a golden era. Something DLH brought to the table was beyond looks or charisma. He had an interesting boxer/puncher style that brought the fans. He also sought out the "best" in each division.

The popularity of boxing in the long run rests on the shoulders of one man. And that man is the percieved best in the sport.

 

in briton in the last year we have had i think 6 world champions rees,haye,calzaghe,hatton,witter,arthur,clinton woods.


and i didnt see for maybe oen of the best brit boxing turn ups on the coverage of rees mbaye.

i feel people are snobbish to boxing. the most i saw on boxing was when calzaghe unified against kessler which took up a huge 75% of the page

 

i watched a documentary on ali before the liston fight and there was film of some elderly ladies and gents talking about how sorry the feel for cassius clay going in with liston...one of the oldest women there said here fav fighter was floyd patterson.

anyways point is that a few years ago boxing was one of the big sports to watch...saldy it aint a mainstream street sport anymore it's a niche market...

 

i also feel that "prospects" litter the sport...an unbeaten fighter doesnt mean prospect.

on itv they will put on any fight if it includes an unbeaten fighter on it.

 

yeah but these guys deserve more money than what they are risking which is what the casual fan (aka network tv) will bring. A lot of these guys are poor and the reason for fighting is due to that. Hell it might be the only reason someone would sign up for it cause you got to be crazy to fight for a living to begin with haha.