Wlad Klitschko talks about MMA

Isn't it a bit naive/snobbish/paranoid (any one of the 3, really) to assume that people will ONLY watch boxing OR mma?

 

Any combat sport that brings fans in.. will only help boxing. Fight fans are fight fans, and it will just open up the doors for new fans to cling onto boxing as well.

MMA has a different base of fans as well, that are MMA fans alone... and they aren't taking away from boxing either, because they weren't boxing fans to begin with. Now, there would be no reason for any people who are already fans of boxing to leave boxing, just because MMA is around. I am an equal fan of both... why the hell would I stop watching one of them, just because the other is around? This is just more fights to watch, by watching them all.

 

I agree, I've spoken to many MMA fans who love a good boxing match, as well. The problem is you get some of those assholes ( like the ones at Sherdog ) who HAVE to turn it into a competition and only side with one sport or the other.

 

i dont understand why anyone would look at it as a threat. Two different sports. I enjoy both and have way more fights to watch then i would just watching one.

 

That's where the paranoia/snobbery/naivety factor comes in. People can be free to choose whatever they please, but it's a show of insecurity to spend as much time as Dana White and some Sherdog posters do hating on boxing. To avoid a double standard, I will say it's just as pointless for boxing fans to pull a "chicken little" and say it's the end of boxing just because the UFC is popular and spend more time bashing that than just being a boxing fan.

Like many other posters, I leave it at "Why not both"? I watch the NFL and boxing, and lord knows that's been blamed to no end for the talent drain of US heavies.

Bottom line is they both are what they are, but pulling in more combat fighters is going to make the talent pool for everyone better- not just one sport or the other.

 

Originally, I thought so, but people have to pay quite a bit of change to see combat sports. And there are some people who are only willing or can only afford to shell out the cash for one of the sports. If combat sports are going to be all about Pay-TV in the future, then I can see why fans, especially young fans without a lot of disposable income, will choose to watch only one of the combat sports.

Also, just as a good number of boxing fans disdain MMA, I know a lot of MMA fans who don't watch boxing. To them, boxers are not "true" fighters, so they watch MMA because it's "real".

 

Good points. I'll also mention it's alot easier to be fans of both thanks to Sopcast .

At the end of the day, if it means that there have to be fewer PPV bouts, I'm all for the competition. I hope the promoters are smart enough (they're typically greedy, but not stupid- so all hope isn't completely lost) to tweak the way they do things now that there is another choice for the casual fan. I have noticed better matchmaking in boxing over the past couple of years than what I did prior to that in general.

From my own personal standpoint, I think there's going to be plenty of MMA fans that go about things the same way I did- the first combat sport I was exposed to was the original UFC and I loved that, and wasn't particularly interested in boxing at the time. As I've gotten older (I'm 24 now) I appreciate boxing and would say I'm a bigger boxing fan although I do watch both. As the importance of stand-up skills in MMA continues to increase, it's only natural more guys are going to appreciate boxing over time, even if they remain MMA fans first and foremost.

 

He's right. MMA isn't "stealing" fans from boxing. Boxing's not doing any worse now than it was 5 or 6 years ago before MMA really took off. The highest selling PPV event happened this year. Calzaghe-Kessler's going to take place in front of 60-70,000 fans. There have been great fights made left and right

The reality is boxing has been a "niche" sport since all the elite fights were moved to HBO/Showtime/PPV. But it's just as popular as it was before this MMA craze/fad happened and it'll remain popular with its true fanbase as long as there are still great fights being made

 

There's a little secret among combat sport fans.... you can like both.

 

There is room for both sports - just ask Bernard Hopkins and Randy Couture

 

People act like MMA and boxing are mutually exclusive, like you can't enjoy one and enjoy the other.

 

Exactly, I tune in to both, I also tune in to K1, ISKA and other kickboxing shows whenever I see it on the TV.

I'm normally entertained by any good bout of any combat sport. I even like to watch college wrestling.

Boxing is and always will be my favourite and it is because of the epic format.

 

Am I on the right forum? Actual reasonable posts instead of the us and them approach.

My house my father and grandfather are former boxers and myself and my boys Muay Thai / MMA fighter's. Guess what - we each enjoy the others sports and the old boxers have actually learnt a submission or two.

 

In your dreams ****face. :hi: