What is going on with the HW division?

Mladen Miljas vs Tyrone Spong Petar Milas vs Alen Babic

 

I'm disappointed that neither Joseph Parker nor Agit Kabayel - both top 5 heavyweight contenders - will have a second fight in 2024.

No boxer should be left inactive for a year. In September, Parker said he wants to fight ASAP but is frustrated by his management not making fights for him.

Boxers' inactivity is rarely by choice, it's usually caused by POOR MANAGEMENT/PROMOTION (or occasionally by injury).

One good thing about old Fish Eyes - he may be as dodgy as they come, but at least he keeps his boxers active and provides opportunities for them, even after they lose.

 

boxing is on its death bed.

 

In Kabayels situation hes been a regional champ for almost a decade and won 9 12 rounders. If he beats Bakole he is not fighting again unless its for some sort of world title. Thats just the way its going to be.

Parker has the Zhang rematch coming up I thought?

 

Maybe this is a British perspective (@The Professor )
But does no one find it frustrating how expensive boxing has become to watch at the higher levels?

It is the most working class sport I can think of, and also the most expensive to be a fan of as a casual (TV/streaming) viewer.

Working class sports
Boxing - subscription + PPV model
Football - free to air / subscription
Snooker - free to air / subscription
Rugby - free to air / subscription
Cricket - free to air / subscription
Tennis - free to air / subscription
Middle class sports

There has been a price creep for everything, but it honestly feels the more working-class a sport is, the more expensive it has become.

The Saudis have made the big fights with their financial clout, and yet "the sport" is becoming even less accessible. Like I don't expect it return to world title fights on free to air, but it's now "subscription + PPV" for minor events on top of major events. It's gotten crazy.

Yeah the Saudis are making things happen, but it's gotten bloody expensive

 

Left out Parker verses Wilder

 

These sorry guys are something else. This is the third best heavyweight division ever--this is now an international sport with more depth than any decade except the 90's, and a pretty good cadre of guys at the very top.

Like you say, there is always the year-end drop off because venues are booked and unavailable.

How is this sport dying when Saudi money is making the fights that need to be made? Did we not just see a virtual tournament to crown an undisputed champion, albeit briefly, with Wilder, Fury, Joshua and Usyk--the four guys who laid claim to being the best post-Klitschko--and Dubois thrown in to boot?

If you are wringing your hands over this...why?

 

I think we are making too much of Parker. I like the guy and hope he gets a shot at Usyk or a vacant belt when Usyk retires, but Parker has always been wildly spotty and inconsistent. How much of this is the fault of Turki Al-Sheik and the new world boxing order, and how much of it is Parker being Parker?

 

But its always been this way. It's a function of multiple titles--these guys know from history that if they sit on a ranking they will get a shot eventually.

The great news is that due to Saudi money, there is now a very solid top 8 or so contenders that people want to see.

 

100%

 

We already had Fury v Wilder and Joshua v Usyk before the Saudi's really got involved. Though, I will grant you the money got Fury in the ring to make undisputed!

And sure, that is great and all. But I would like to see the top 8 guys actually fight more than once or twice a year.

That's the real problem isn't it.
I suspect it comes with the guy at the top not being active. I used to complain about Joshua not fighting enough whilst holding three of the belts. And for all Wilder's flaws and opponent selection, he was an active champion. Usyk is not an active champion. He is effectively sitting on three belts, signing rematch clauses, and fighting the same guys. And that obviously trickles down, because as @catchwtboxing highlights, fighters near the top will sit in position and wait. Thus, less opportunities below them.

 

Hmm... well Parker didn't exactly build bridges with Warren a few years back when he refused to sign last minute and joined up with Boxxer. It wouldn't surprise me if he is on the outs a little given that the Saudis basically go through Warren and Hearn as their main promoters.

Kabayel is attached to Top Rank, and Arum wasn't exactly speaking positively of the Saudis, recently. Basically blaming them for Anderson's loss and interfering with his business.

Hopefully, the Saudis are purely about sporting match ups and don't care about all that. But I imagine Warren and Hearn have some influence over who gets booked and when.

 

It has one spectacular, outstanding outlier (Usyk).
Then a solid but now post prime elite (Fury).

Then there's everyone else 3-10 in a game of thrones war, everyone else is the same level. It's not really a good division. You can tell because there's a number of guys outside the top 10 that could possibly (and have shown) they can beat top 10 guys if given the chance. That ain't the case in any other division.