What will it take for boxing to be the most popular sport?

It won't happen.

As long as cable / PPV is happy to offer more money, that's where it'll tend to stay. Fans fund the channel directly, either by PPV or subscription. Network TV is largely funded by advertising, which means that a.) Network TV can't charge up front so means they're a load of direct revenue down before they start and b.) they're always going to bias in favour of 'broad appeal' shows which attract the bigger sponsors.

Boxing will never be the most popular sport as it's too brutal, too direct, too violent. You can argue that, while that might be true, it also means it's the most competitive, the most taxing, the one where the human spirit is at its most evident, and many would agree. But Network TV and wider society will always prefer sports that retain as many of the upsides as possible while getting rid of the downsides; in fact, they're prepared to compromise a little bit on the upsides to get rid of some of the downsides. What is tennis really but boxing for pussies?

 

For one, get rid of all the belts and use just one, this will clear up a lot of confusion for casual fans.

 

It might become a popular mainstream sport again in the future if we can actually get this ****ing thing cleaned up and also back on network television.... but no way will it ever become the most popular sport out there again. For that to happen all other athletes in all other sports would have to die of a second plague or something of that sort.

 

A football, baseball, tennis, hockey, volleyball, pool, bowling, ping pong, curling, darts, wrestling, "wrestling," MMA, golf and cockfighting strike.

 

If suddenly, every baseball player, basketball player, football player, and NASCAR driver were to simultaneously disappear, then boxing has a chance.

 

:good

 

That'd be one hell of an ESPN headline.
Bob Costas: "...and now we're going to cut back live to the US Open for men's single tennis: boxing for pussies. The ***** you see closest to the camera is..."

 

If PPVs are ****ed off, alphabet titles are ****ed off.

This will inevitably create greater exposure, and it will make the best guys fight each other (as there is only one title per division), which will make the sport far more appealing with big matchups occurring regularly on normal TV.

I'd also consider eliminating a few divisions... but it would never happen.

 

Its to far gone now all this PPv nonsense, plus the sanctioning body BS

 

steel chairs, ladder matches, tag team, weapons, cheer leaders, love affairs, gimmicks, finisher moves... :klitfanb:
but really i doubt anything can make it the most popular sport. getting rid of promoters so we can see all the fights we want to see

 

Soccer is and will always be the only true 'World Game'. Add to this regional sports popular in small pockets such as Aussie Rules in Australia, Gridiron/Basketball/Baseball in the U.S, Cricket in India(where it is No. 1 ).

Boxing will never top these more popular sports, however it has proven in recent years, particulary in Europe (look at some of the crowds) to have true mainstream appeal.

 

Your on to somethin' there.

 

agree with the soccer be the only true world game ... by far