Is America Really Declining Boxing Wise!!

I actually think its a good amount of young american talent on the horizon (some of them even champs) in a variety of divisions, obviously it is not what it use to be but still good nonetheless:

Pavlik
Diaz (Juan)
Dawson
Williams
Berto
Arreola
L.Peterson
A.Peterson
V.Ortiz
Greene
Kirkland
Bradley
Alexander
Paris
Dirrell
Ward

 

Yes, boxing is not what it used to be in the US. First of all, the sport used to be a mainstream sport here in the US. It recieved mainstream media coverage that it doesnt recieve anymore. Most major newspapers had a boxing writer on staff full time whose articles appeared frequently. That isn't the case anymore. Mainstream sports magazines like Sports Illustrated used to have boxers make the front cover and have extensive articles on boxing. That doesn't happen anymore. Boxing used to be on free network tv here in the US. That doesn't happen anymore. So anyone who says that boxing has not declined in popularity in the US is in pure denial or is too young to remember what boxing used to be like in the US. That isn't to say that there arenot any good American boxers anymore. Of course there are. But the difference is that years ago the mainstream sports fan would know who these guys are and get to read about them in mainstream news outlets and see them fight on network tv. Now that isn't the case.Definitely not a positive.

 

Promoters are also a big reason why the sport has declined in the U.S. Greedy promoters who throw every big fight on PPV therefore, the common folk is shut-out from the sport.

In my opinion, boxing is one Tysonesque or Aliesque fighter away from mainstream coverage.

 

Boxers used to be able to make big time money if they became big. The guys that are low on the totem pole still make little to no money, but it seems that the promotor's are making more money that the boxers, and kids see this coming up and just don't become motivated enough to enter the sport of boxing and stick with it. there are other sports outlets as well. I'd be here all day blaming/explaining this and that, but I'd rather place the blame on Arum. Good thread...

 

Boxing was the second most popular sport in the country during the first half of the 20th, and now its not even mainstream. The more popular a sport is, the better ability of it to attract top athletes, so yes boxing is on the decline.

 

maybe because the future champs are going into other sports just take a look at Reggie Bush or Ladainian Tomilson, both built like rocks and look like they could've been something in boxing, if more and more american athletes go to other sports than boxing will eventually die out in america, infact I think MMA might be more popular now because of Kimbo Slice

 

Exactly, back in the late teens and early 20's, it went Baseball, then Boxing, as America's most loved and respected sports, Ruth and Dempsey were the guys kids looked up to.

As for the arguement in it self, I think Boxing is on the decline in America, and being replaced by other sports and unfortunately the UFC, which is what kids my age and younger are really into now adays, and most kids rather strive to be a MMA fighter, rather than a Boxer, because that is whats popular. Two of the gyms I used to train at are closed down, the one has already been replaced by a MMA fight club, the other is just an abandon building.

I feel the youth is more interested in other things, not so much Boxing anymore I'm afraid, I cant speak for the rest of the world, but in the U.S. Boxing is not even a top 5 sport anymore and gets very little coverage on sports channels, unless it's a name fighter like RJJ, Oscar, or Mayweather. If I walked outside and asked 10 random people, "Who is the current Heavyweight champ?" I would more and likely get 7 or 8 different answers, at one time in this counrty every red blooded American male knew who the champ was, thats just not the case anymore.

 

nah fam... you definitely aint from the states.


as far as the youth goes...
basketball football baseball soccer lacrosse tennis are all more popular than boxing

the order of those sports changes regionally but regardless boxing is still behind all of them

 

Would add Cloud and Jacobs aswell.