How to save boxing

My uncle Paul decided his son Daniel was ready to start boxing. He took him to the gym he used to train and it's barely surviving week to week.

Part of the problem in my experience is health and safety and the need for crb checks (i know they exist for reason) but it puts of blokes who would volunteer to help youngsters at the gym. That and over provective mothers, My cousin daniel was here yesterday and mentioned boxing so I got my pads out to do a routine with him and his mum said "I think he might need medication, rittilin or someting, he's hyper active" My repsonse no he's a healthy 6 year old full of life who happens to like boxing.

 

Thats why i think it should be introduced into schools. Not sparring or competing just the training side of things like boxercise. That way kids like your nephew will get the chance to use his energy doing something he clearly enjoys. Then when hes old enough to join a club he can.

 

Good on you. :good:good

Im sure theres loads of kids at schools who wouldnt think twice about joining a club never mind their parents letting them join a club. But you get them doing it in a safe enviroment a big % will love it and be hooked. (pardon the pun)

 

I think the problem with boxing at the moment is that there is no context.

If you're a casual football fan, you can turn on a game and know that these teams are playing for points in their league. If you turn on a random UFC show, you know you are watching guys progressing towards one title in their weight class. Same with tennis, formula 1, rugby league etc.

With boxing, the other week we had Olusegun against Wright on a Friday Fight Night. How can you put that into context for a casual fan? Will Olusegun fight Khan, Witter, Hatton? Highly unlikely. He'll probably fight another guy at a similar level like he has for the last couple of years. Anyone who did become interested in Olusegun, there is no follow up.

Ideally for British boxing, I think having one channel broadcasting that was completely committed would be the best way forward. Having a schedule like this:-

Thursday
Magazine show that hypes upcoming fights and builds stars.

Friday
Small hall show. These would be the B shows. Developing guys very similar to most Friday Fight Nights with a British title level main event. So right now

Saturday
Would be your higher tier, A shows. World, European level fights. Try to put together deeper undercards on these shows

Sunday
Review of weekend show

Obviously this system would require a committed channel and the channel would need to have a lot of involvement in matchmaking. I've got no doubt that boxing can be massively popular with the right structure

 

And you'd do that every week would you? Let's have british title fights every friday and world title fights every saturday with only one belt.

Let assume there's a russian billionaire who loves boxing, it's still not going to happen.

Realistic suggestions only please.

Good luck mate.

 

Maybe golden boy will look at the UFC and try to recreate that with boxing. Main difference is obviously that other promotersw won't let it happen and fighters get paid not much in the UFC but it'd probably be a way of regaining popularity for the sport.

Think guys like Hayemaker are starting to improve things by putting on competitive fights.

 

I think matchmaking is a major issue.

I know Steve Wood posts on here so I hate to be disparaging, but he needs to sack his matchmaker.

I attended Moore vs Piccirillo, and barring Sutherland, the undercard was absolutely pathetic, ridiculously one sided. What kind of idiot would pay Paul Royston to fight?

The BBBoC are a joke, could do better myself - they need to take action.

Saying this as a convert to boxing, having less knowledge of the game than probably any other sport I have an interest in, but still, so many things are wrong and need to be sorted!

 

There is a 13 years since that bill, the up and comers no one would of heard of, have 13 years of pro experience in them.

Looking at the SKY bill, I remember this because we all made a penny or two on Thaxton/Ryan.

The main event stunk, and Kevin and Chris was fun; it was no better than what SKY puts out at the moment.

The Eurosport bill was :?, everyone was watching SKY!

I see your point about the Benn/Collins bill, but PPV's did not happen until the Bruno/Tyson rematch over here, and back then people still resented having to pay for SKY and would probably throw a late 80s American super-bill (Hearns/BarkleyI comes to mind) as an example of even better bills being free on ITV.

Things change, if people want to watch boxing in this country now, you will have to pay for it, we have to accept that, and personally I much prefer PPV's to them dreadful Closed Circuit shows you went to.

At least if you continue to pay to watch the sport, you can consider yourself a true fan!

 

Well Frank Warren is looking at the possibility of using streams if his Sky contract does not get renewed (Amir Khan will still be Box Office). Obviously he is going to ask for something like £5-£10 a month and hardly anyone will realise it is on and even less will purchase it.

Although we would like to disagree with it, Frank Warren is the number 1 promoter in the UK and if his shows are no longer on telly then boxing will be in an even bigger decline.

This is where the promoters/promotions are currently:

Sky:
Frank Warren
Frank Maloney
Barry Hearns
Hatton promotions

Setanta:
Hayemaker
Top Rank
Sauerland

ITV4:
Mick Hennessy

This is what it could be potentially in 12 months time:

Sky:
Frank Warren (Amir Khan only)
Frank Maloney
Barry Hearn (they won't give up prizefighter)
Hayemaker (Haye only)

Internet streaming:
Mick Hennessy
Frank Warren
Hayemaker
Hatton promotions

Gone:
Sauerland
Top rank

Hopefully Setanta do stay around and ESPN become involved in boxing over here, otherwise this is what could potentially happen.

 

i am enjoying reading this thread, a lot of excellent ideas.

You break that done very well Kos, obviously have a good eye for the details, kudos.

 

I think the only way to bring it back to what it was is to change it to what it once was and that's 1 world champ, that way people couldn't get their hands on a world title so easy so the prospects at domestic level would fight eachother more for a chance at the prestegious british title.
But, doesn't look like that's going to happen, the sanctioning bodies seem to be taking too much interest and money away so promotors are getting desperate in hyping their fights. The more exciting characters and fighters are doing best in bringing publicity so it has gone WWE like.
Your ideas are the best I've heard in the current situation though.