I think if Ronnie is in the world final this year then that will do good numbers. He probably doubles the viewing figures I would say. On darts, it doesn't help that the BDO is on TV about a week after the PDC World Championship. It's such a comedown, it's like watching a Sunday Pub League match after watching the Champions League Final.
None of my close friends have any interest in boxing outside of what they see on Sky Sports News. Footballs massive because theres money in it for everyone, but if you look at it it relies on tribal following rather than it being exciting as the product itself is shite.
Why would you say that? Are you from Northern Ireland or Scotland? Sounds too specific, I could be wrong.
No I'm English. I don't think there's much in it but I just think for the population England has that boxing would be more popular. I know boxing is big in Northern Ireland and quite big in Scotland so that was my thinking lol.
Not articularly popular just seems that way to us fans. Hockey is apparently pretty big in the UK but I didn't ever see it on the telly, cycling is much more popular a a participation sport but again not much news coverage. Football followed by rugby and then cricket are the big 3 boxing is probably top 10 somewhere.
Like others said events driven. Bbc sports personality doesn't represent anything pretty much . We all know bbc is run by pedos and homos. Hardly representative of the uk
Overall no, there aren't a lot of boxing fans who follow the sport regularly. However when there is a big boxing event you get the feeling that the whole country really does get behind it.
People go mad for Joshua, but that's about it, in terms of the general public. A couple of years ago, in my last job, I was asked who my favourite current sportsman was, I said Lee and Andrew Selby were my favourite boxers, only two blokes had even heard of them. That was, then, current World Champion, Lee Selby, and his brother, Andrew, who was looking set to become a superstar.
I mean some world title fights get less than 5k in the building. That Charlie Edwards card was the smaller event matchroom put on that day. There was 14k+ at the O2 for their gymnastics show. It's nowhere near one of the biggest sports in the country outside of Joshua events which are pretty much the same size as a big premier league or six nations rugby. And way below a England world cup game etc etc. Americans try and say "we have more sports than you" but Boxing is easily below Football, Rugby, Cricket and F1. Eddie says the Darts does better numbers on sky so its clearly below that. Obviously PPV means its more of a money spinner.
It's niche these days Pay per view has played its part, let's not pretend it hasnt Sports that are easy to access have a better chance of becoming popular Pay per view is a barrier to the bigger names and fights Newcomers will only latch on to these kind of events and if they become hooked dig deeper to find out more about Boxing. Either way its healthy and obviously makes money It's behind football and rugby I'd say and mingles around with sports like darts and snooker somewhere Hopefully ITV getting back in the game will give the sport some free to view events prime time that can conjure up some nation wide intrest once again I have my doubts but I live in hope The BBC awards that have been mentioned imo don't mean Jack Agenda driven nonsense
This. 90% of the general public haven't got a clue who any boxer outside Joshua, Fury and Mike Tyson are.
I have been to an AJ fight where Selby was on the undecard and people there hasn't a clue who he was! No word of lie