Why Modern Boxing Has Lost Depth....

Boxing, for a variety of reasons has become a marginal sport..only surfacing when a heavyweight like Mike Tyson is the star, or when a wonder=boy like Sugar Ray Leonard or De la Hoya is making news...but really, only Tyson sparked real interest in the sport, and part of that was due to his noteriety and providing morbid sensationalism like ear biting, although that was in his period of decline. It's nothing like the days when Ali was champion..but boxing's decline can be based on incremental changes that slowly sapped the sport of it's tradition..like the reduction of championship bouts to 12 from 15, and the overproliferation of titlists and weight classes....and these are still just some of the reasons.

 

I think there is a social/psychological dimension here as well.
When you are brought up in poverty and with a lack of opportunities and boxing gives you a way to earn (albeit still not enought to become rich or complacent in the days of yesteryear.) then you are not going to give a **** about protecting your 'o' or having two fights a year to chill out,play basketball,go to the casino and watch rap dvds on your 50 inch plasma.
When you box because you need to eat,injuries are of much less concern also.
Boxers of today who have been brought up in relative comfort will know or understand nothing of the trials of hobos like dempsey,those during the great depression,rampant racism and such like.
A guy like money may or other current luminaries probably have no idea or concept of fighting twenty times in a year for peanuts or any associated hardships of boxing back in the day.
That doesnt mean that 'may' isnt more talented than 99% of all the boxers of yesteryear,but we have to put that talent in perspective somewhat,and i really seriously doubt todays boys in general could fight a schedhule like those of the earlier guys....

 

Both K brothers have had well over 100 fights, probably over 200

 

Boxing is now a global sport. I think the participation rate is OK. What hurts is the lack of media coverage and alphabet politics which prevent the type of fights on air to see depth. There are too many weight divisions too. Reduce the weight divisions from 17 to 11, and all of a sudden the 3rd or 4th rated guy in each division from light heavyweight down would be better than they are now.

 

modern boxing has lost popularity and depth because u have to pay friggin' 50.00 to watch a championship fight!!!!! nobody knows who all of these alphabet champs are. :bart

 

:deal

 

i totally agree with you. but this is not only the problem with boxing but with more "tough" sports. most athletes of today lack the mental toughness compared to old timers. because (at least in the western world) life in general is to "easy". almost al people have acces to health support and good education and a job etc etc and also the financial reward for sportsman has grown way out of proportion. i accept the fact that athletes are gifted people who work/train hard (but so do we normal people also) and that there careers last a few years so a bigger reward then normal people get for there work is in place. but athletes making 10s of millions of dollars/euro's a year that ain't normal

 

I agree with this, problem is the organizations that can make $ changes are all about the $$$$ and more titles

 

:thumbsup

:thumbsup