How do you see the sport progressing in the next 15 years.

Something radically has to happen for boxing to really die, wich is predicted for almost a century now already.
But it is going the wrong way with PPV, sanctioning bodies allowing -or even assisting- ducking, and the best fighters not fighting eachother.

Also some decisions recently make me sick to my stomach, but we shouldn't forget it has always been like this.

 

Skill levels will carry on regressing
Guys will cut even more weight
The IBO might become more respectable leaving us with 5 "world champions" in every weight catagory
China & India might start getting more involved in pro-boxing

 

But for you question;
15 years from now not much has changed. Complains about the state from the ___ division, fights not being made, ducking, the best boxers play American Rugby or Basketball, corrupt judges, dull fights, crooked promoters etc.. etc...

 

boxers will boycott corrupt wba wbc wbo ibf alphabet jokes and accept ring magazine as the only world title in boxing

 

If that were true boxing would truely be saved :yep
Sadly I don't think it will happen....

 

Boxing in general has regressed over the last couple of decades and the trend will continue. The only hope that the skill level will stop this slide is if the Cubans are allowed to fight professionally . . . then we we will see a flood of talent that will stabilize the sport. unfortunately I do not see that happening even though we will see pockets of talent and skill here and there it will never be back to what it once was.

 

15 Years is a long time. It's like asking in 1997 to predict that Mayweather and Pacquiao would be the two biggest names in the sport, Cotto would succesfully bring back fans to Yankee Stadium, the Klitschko brothers would sell out stadiums in Germany etc. If you troll through the boxing history books, the heavyweight division was meant to die after the 70s golden era until a guy by the name of Mike Tyson broke onto the scene.

The autonomous nature of boxing means you can still have big boxing fights every now and again even if the general public has lost interest. The obvious drawback of the autonomy is nobody plans for the future, so rather than building a long term strategy they just hope someone can show up which they can exploit. What boxing can learn from UFC and WWE is to invest screentime to the up and comers and realise you have to invest some short term money to reap the benefits in the future. HBO 24/7 and Showtime 360 are great shows but they are only reserved for the well-known fighters. On the Mayweather-Cotto show, build the profile of undercarders Alvarez and Vargas. HBO are reluctant to do that because they are trying to sell the main event who bring the money and are not looking out for the future.

Boxing has been a niche sport for a long time now. I don't really see it getting much better in 15 years.

 

I see the locus of Boxing slowly and continuously moving out of the United States as it has been for the last 30 years. Although America dominates the sport as far as hosting the biggest matches, American fighters no longer dominate the sport - and this will get even more pronounced.

The training provided to American Boxers will get worse and worse, while the training offered to Boxers in other countries will get better and better. Sooner or later, places like Macau or Dubai will rival Vegas as the site hosting the biggest fights.

 

Boxing in the uk has the same level of popularity as darts and horse racing. Unless something like the UFC happens in boxing I don't have much hope.

 

IF mayhem mitchell does what people hope he will do, maybe heavyweight boxing in the u.s will revitalize itself and become legitimate challengers to european heavyweight dominance.

hopefully we will have a few fighters rise to become superstars on or near the level of floyd and pacquiao.

 

15 years from now there will be 3 day prior weigh ins so even someone like Klitschko can campaign as a middleweight.