Is there any way fans can arrest the trend of fighters being less active

It's a mystery to me why boxers, especially heavyweights, don't fight more often.

Some fighters in the smaller divisions are still fighting 3 or 4 times a year, but most heavyweights go through long periods of inactivity. Inactivity causes a decline in boxers, many lose their focus.

For example, those with only one fight in 2025 include popular heavyweights such as Dubois, Usyk, Joshua, and Kabayel.

 

Dubois got a massive payday from Usyk fight and was KOd
Joshua has been injured for much of 2025
Kabayel I have no clue

I really think a lot of them are just waiting around for fat paydays to come their way. Why get KOd for pennies and jeopardize that.

I agree though I wish fighters were more active, doesn't seem sustainable to me.

 

There's ways, but they're almost impossible to implement.

You can't rely on orgs to push the fighters - we all know orgs aren't reliable when it comes to good judgement or good decisions.

Boycotts realistically won't ever happen.

There aren't enough serious fans to tune into only very active fighters and boost their numbers to the point that everyone wants to be active... Besides, there aren't enough of them that you'd get active on active action often enough.


I daresay some part of the problem is the absurd levels of hype - it's very easy for a fighter to get mega hype, and then excitement builds for the next fight... Fight too often and losses happen, unless you're completely manufactured and only fight the dregs of your division - and when losses happen, it takes time to rebuild hype.

I do my best to fight this by pointing out the flaws is hype narratives, but lots of people either can't or won't listen - and there's only so much one or two voices on one or two boards can have... Excessive hype is unstoppable.

 

No, it is unlikely to reverse and improve.
And I blame the fans as much as the boxers. Too many fans (mostly new fans, i guess) make excuses for it. Often parrotting some pearl of wisdom about 'the business side' they heard from a promoter or one of the media lackeys.
It's almost as if they don't want to see fights.
Also, fans are forking out for mediocre PPVs, which allows some of these fighters to live very comfortable indeed on very few fights.

I've been following boxing since i was a small boy, over 40 years I've been following this. And honestly I'm feeling I'm about done with the modern game. For a variety of reasons.

The way things are going, top boxers will be having 5-fight careers.

 

Not purchasing tickets to see them live and PPV pretty much. Boxing fans have plenty to complain about, yet all is usually forgiven once the powers that be give us the fights we want. This includes no matter how how long we wait (years). Everyone must do their part and stick it to the organizations.