Boxing is dead and has been for awhile (1 Viewer)

[JohnnyU]

Remember when the heavyweight division was king in the 70s and before, then the middleweights and welterweights in the 80s, and the welterweights of the 90s? Of course you do. I don't care about boxing anymore. Kickboxing is what's popular now. I can't get into it. I used to watch all the great heavyweights of my time (Ali, Frazier, Foreman, Norton, Holmes, Tyson, Quarry, Young, Lyle, Ellis), and the middleweights were special with Hagler, Hearns, Leonard, Duran, and Barkley. Leonard won world titles in the welterweight, junior middleweight, super middleweight, and light heavyweight divisions— the first boxer to win world titles in five different weight classes. Camacho won the WBC super featherweight title from 1983 to 1984, the WBC lightweight title from 1985 to 1987, and the WBO junior welterweight title twice between 1989 and 1992. In the 2000s you had Pacquiao, Maryweather, Roy Jones, etc., but by then I believe the sport had already started to decline in popularity.

IMO there isn't the same name recognition as there used to be. Why is that? Yes, there are a few in the last decade or two, but the sport isn't as popular as it used to be. Say what you want about Don King, but he had an influence in making boxing what it once was. It's sad to me. The sport isn't promoted as well now. I remember it being a big deal to go watch a match on PPV at Rupp Arena.

 

[gianmarco]

Boxers just don't know how to dress anymore.

 

[JohnnyU]

Boxers just don't know how to dress anymore.

This man knew how to dress - https://www.gettyimages.com/detail/news-photo/sylvester-stallone-in-rocky-iv-news-photo/525577922

 

[JohnnyU]

Take a gander at these household names.

Heavyweight (Unlimited)​

WBO: Oleksandr Usyk

IBF: Oleksandr Usyk

WBA: Oleksandr Usyk*

WBC: Tyson Fury

*Joe Joyce is the WBO interim heavyweight champion

**Daniel Dubois is the WBA "regular" heavyweight champion

---

Cruiserweight (200 lbs.)​

WBO: Lawrence Okolie

IBF: Jai Opetaia

WBA: Arsen Goulamirian

WBC: Badou Jack

---

Light heavyweight (175 lbs.)​

WBO: Artur Beterbiev

IBF: Artur Beterbiev

WBA: Dmitry Bivol

WBC: Artur Beterbiev

---

Super middleweight (168 lbs.)​

WBO: Canelo Alvarez*

IBF: Canelo Alvarez

WBA: Canelo Alvarez**

WBC: Canelo Alvarez***

*John Ryder is the WBO interim super middleweight champion

**David Morrell is the WBA "regular" super middleweight champion

***David Benavidez is the WBC interim super middleweight champion

---

Middleweight (160 lbs.)​

WBO: Janibek Alimkhanuly

IBF: Vacant

WBA: Vacant*

WBC: Jermall Charlo**

*Erislandy Lara is the WBA "regular" middleweight champion

**Carlos Adames is the WBC interim champion

---

Junior middleweight (154 lbs.)​

WBO: Jermell Charlo*

IBF: Jermell Charlo

WBA: Jermell Charlo

WBC: Jermell Charlo**

*Tim Tszyu is the WBO interim junior middleweight champion

**Brian Mendoza is the WBC interim junior middleweight champion

---

Welterweight (147 lbs.)​

WBO: Terence Crawford

IBF: Errol Spence Jr.*

WBA: Errol Spence Jr.**

WBC: Errol Spence Jr.

*Jaron Ennis is the IBF interim welterweight champion

**Eimantas Stanionis is the WBA "regular" champion

---

Junior welterweight (140 lbs.)​

WBO: Josh Taylor

IBF: Subriel Matias

WBA: Rolly Romero

WBC: Regis Prograis

---

Lightweight (135 lbs.)​

WBO: Devin Haney

IBF: Devin Haney

WBA: Devin Haney*

WBC: Devin Haney**

*Gervonta Davis is the WBA "regular" lightweight champion

**Devin Haney is the WBC "franchise" lightweight champion

---

Junior lightweight (130 lbs.)​

WBO: Emanuel Navarrete

IBF: Joe Cordina

WBA: Hector Luis Garcia

WBC: O'Shaquie Foster

---

Featherweight (126 lbs.)​

WBO: Robeisy Ramirez

IBF: Luis Alberto Lopez

WBA: Mauricio Lara

WBC: Rey Vargas

 

[Runkle]

The fights were bad for a long time. Guys would dance around for 12 rounds and win on technicals instead of trying to knock the other guy out. Probably because there was so much money in it, you didn't want to get hurt. And right when that started really being an issue, UFC was there to fill the void with guys who would actually try to win. Let that simmer for a couple of decades and this is what you end up with.

 

[Snoopy]

Boxing was dead to me when it went PPV. NFL take note.

 

[Leroy Hoard]

What Runkle said plus all kinds of splintering of organizations. Nobody wants multiple champs in each division. Diluted the product.

 

[massraider]

The boxers are probably making more now that they aren't being robbed blind by Don King like back in the good old days

 

[JohnnyU]

The boxers are probably making more now that they aren't being robbed blind by Don King like back in the good old days

I don't know any of the names I posted above. I think the loss of popularity is due to poor promotion now.

 

[Scoresman]

It got replaced with that UFC garbage.

 

[JohnnyU]

It got replaced with that UFC garbage.

I tried watching it, but I just couldn't.....

 

[Scoresman]

It got replaced with that UFC garbage.

I tried watching it, but I just couldn't.....

I saw part of a match once. It was two half naked guys lying on the mat in the missionary position. Not sure what “move” this was.

I mean, not that there’s anything wrong with that but not what I was wanting to watch at the time.

 

[JohnnyU]

It got replaced with that UFC garbage.

I tried watching it, but I just couldn't.....

I saw part of a match once. It was two half naked guys lying on the mat in the missionary position. Not sure what “move” this was.

I mean, not that there’s anything wrong with that but not what I was wanting to watch at the time.

Aren't most TV shows that way now?

 

[Juxtatarot]

Eventually society will come to the conclusion that sports that involve beating up another person are too barbaric.

 

[Long Ball Larry]

Thank you for the breaking news

 

[Ilov80s]

My opinion is that it's the PPV model. It was a huge monetary boon for boxing but it slowly cut boxing off from it's American audience.

 

[Ilov80s]

The boxers are probably making more now that they aren't being robbed blind by Don King like back in the good old days

I don't know any of the names I posted above. I think the loss of popularity is due to poor promotion now.

Boxing is very popular internationally still. The top boxers are making plenty of money.

 

[massraider]

The boxers are probably making more now that they aren't being robbed blind by Don King like back in the good old days

I don't know any of the names I posted above. I think the loss of popularity is due to poor promotion now.

But aren't you happy that Don King isn't stealing from any more athletes from the ghetto?

The loss of popularity is due to the sleazy corruption that your boy Don King took to the Nth degree over 40 years. Him and Arum.

 

[tri-man 47]

Eventually society will come to the conclusion that sports that involve beating up another person are too barbaric.

The NHL has been slowly figuring that out.

 

[Ilov80s]

Eventually society will come to the conclusion that sports that involve beating up another person are too barbaric.

The NHL has been slowly figuring that out.

The NFL as well.

 

[ZADO]

I think the UFC and its popularity over the last decade has watered down the boxing pool , if even half of the UFC fighters trained in just boxing instead of learning all the combat arts then boxing would have a deeper talent pool.
Combat sports now has Bare Knuckle boxing as well , so the fans are going to these other sports . We used to have just boxing and fans didnt have options . I know im stating the obvious but its a huge part of why boxing has taken a hit .
The 1980`s will always be the most exciting era of boxing for me , the 90`s had some serious talent as well with Holyfield and Tyson ect; , the 70`s were pretty good for the hw division but before that boxing was great because it was a great way for poor people to make serious money , being a pugilist during the 30` 40` and 50`s was tough but paid better than labor jobs and guys were tough as nails back then so they had exciting fights . Once the mob got involved it kind of soured a lot of people , but it picked up again in the 70`s and the 80`s BOOMED with so many great fighters id be here for hours listing them all .
I like to think boxing will generate a few charismatic and exciting fighters in the near future and make a comeback , if not then i can live with knowing i was alive during some of the greatest decades in boxings history .

 

[rockaction]

Eventually society will come to the conclusion that sports that involve beating up another person are too barbaric.

The NHL has been slowly figuring that out.

The NFL as well.

I wonder what the numbers from the UFC and others like it tell us...

just food for thought.

eta* And I think boxing is dying and don't lament it a bit precisely because of its object.

 

[rockaction]

And PPV helped utterly kill boxing. It took it out of the realm of casual observer and priced it out of the market for most people. If you add that to the nature of the sport waning in acceptability, you've got an irrelevant sport for undesirables.

 

[Ilov80s]

Eventually society will come to the conclusion that sports that involve beating up another person are too barbaric.

The NHL has been slowly figuring that out.

The NFL as well.

I wonder what the numbers from the UFC and others like it tell us...

just food for thought.

eta* And I think boxing is dying and don't lament it a bit precisely because of its object.

UFC/MMA has done very well and has basically replaced boxing in the US. But it's still a niche market. In 2022, the most watched UFC event was watched by less people than the most watched US Tennis, MLS, Grand Prix. UFC was only above the WNBA.

 

[Mjolnirs]

The fights were bad for a long time. Guys would dance around for 12 rounds and win on technicals instead of trying to knock the other guy out.

This is a big part of it for me.

I grew up boxing in the 70s. Heavy Weight matches were huge, and were events where we would gather and watch. Everyone had their favorites. I think lack of promotion, PPV and the UFC stuff all have taken away from it.
For me though, I started to lose interest when it became what I quoted above. My personal opinion is the professional matches went so many rounds that there wasn't that much actual boxing going on. I have always thought that if you limited matches to somewhere around seven rounds, you would actually see boxers come out and box, and actually try to win.
I always enjoyed when the Olympics would show boxing. Three rounds, go out and prove yourself.

 

[TripItUp]

UFC upped the game with brand management...and I'm not a huge UFC fan.

IMHO, boxing needs to take notes from UFC and make the top matches more accessible if it wants to regain its former glory.

 

[Todem]

Was a boxing junkie in the late 70’s/80’s/90’s

Sport has been dead to me going on 20 years now.

 

[Uruk-Hai]

I think there may be some misremembering here how things actually were back in the day. Most of the big fights in the 70s & 80s were not broadcast live for free on TV. They were on closed circuit. I saw the 1st Leonard-Duran fight at the old Cap Centre just outside of D.C. because there was no other way to see it live (outside of attending). Most of the big heavyweight fights in the 1970s weren't show on free TV until a week or two after they happened, usually on ABC's Wide World Of Sports when the fighters and Howard Cosell would walk folks through the action.

That said, it ain't all hype that the 70s/80s era of boxing was awesome. Even the 2nd-tier heavyweights like Jimmy Ellis, Ron Lyle, and Kenny Norton were frightening human beings. Hell, even that numbskull Leon Spinks would punch and punch and punch until he won a title. The top line - Ali, Frazier, Foreman, Holmes - are all Top Ten Heavyweights. Holmes, especially, is criminally underrated. Outside of Ali, he's the most skilled heavyweight I've ever seen.

The '76 USA Olympic team was probably the best that's ever been assembled.

 

[Ilov80s]

Was a boxing junkie in the late 70’s/80’s/90’s

Sport has been dead to me going on 20 years now.

I would say it’s really only the last 5ish heats that it completely fell off. There were some incredible fights in the 00s and 10s. Now the good fights aren’t even on HBO or Showtime anymore. You need PPV or DAZN to see what would have been more widely televised 10 years ago.

 

[Ilov80s]

The fights were bad for a long time. Guys would dance around for 12 rounds and win on technicals instead of trying to knock the other guy out. Probably because there was so much money in it, you didn't want to get hurt. And right when that started really being an issue, UFC was there to fill the void with guys who would actually try to win. Let that simmer for a couple of decades and this is what you end up with.

That’s just Floyd really. He made an absolute killing doing it and making people watch, hoping to see him finally shut up. Most of the other big fighters of that era were pretty action oriented: Manny, Canelo, Cotto, etc.

 

[Leeroy Jenkins]

Part of it IMO is that Heavyweights are almost too big now. Since Lenox Lewis really.

 

[hagmania]

UFC upped the game with brand management...and I'm not a huge UFC fan.

IMHO, boxing needs to take notes from UFC and make the top matches more accessible if it wants to regain its former glory.

?

UFC's top matches are all PPV.

 

[STEADYMOBBIN 22]

What are we talking here as far as numbers? Top boxers make oodles more than the top UFC guys (Unless they box).

Are we even sure that the UFC has eclipsed boxing as far as gross revenue generated?

 

[hagmania]

Also, I'd say every major sport has seen a significant decline in popularity aside from the NFL. Boxing is noticeable because it's an individual sport.

@JohnnyU who captures the zeitgeist in MLB? I guess Judge, maybe Ohtani? I'd bet they're equally as famous as Tyson Fury.

 

[STEADYMOBBIN 22]

Top 10 Highest Paid UFC Fighters in History
10. Junior dos Santos – $5,970,000
9. Donald Cerrrone – $6,155,000
8. Mark Hunt – $6,304,000
7. Jon Jones – $7,025,000
6. Georges St-Pierre – $7,037,000
5. Michael Bisping – $7,135,000
4. Anderson Silva – $8,112,000
3. Khabib Nurmagomedov – $8,680,200
2. Alistair Overeem – $9,569,500
1. Conor McGregor – $15,082,000


Top 10 Highest Paid Boxers in History
10. Marvin Hagler – $45 million
9. Muhammad Ali – $50 million
8. Anthony Joshua: $60 Million
7. Vitali Klitschko – $65 million
6. Ray Charles Leonard – $120 million
5. Lennox Lewis – $135 million
4. Manny Pacquiao – $200 million
3. Oscar De La Hoya – $200 million
2. George Foreman – $300 million
1. Floyd Mayweather Jr. – $560 million

 

[hagmania]

The NBA's name recognition is held afloat by there being two of the sport's top 10 playing today.

 

[belljr]

https://y.yarn.co/9373a2df-99ba-4c01-97b1-0b7587342f7b_text.gif

 

[Beef Ravioli Part 2]

Eventually society will come to the conclusion that sports that involve beating up another person are too barbaric.

First boxing match I remember watching and stayed with me was Ray “Boom Boom” Mancini versus Kim Duk-koo. They beat the crap out of each other for 15 rounds or so. Kim eventually died from his beating and Mancini was never the same.

Ray ‘Boom Boom’ Mancini vs. Duk Koo Kim Destroyed Lives and Changed Boxing Forever

The fight between Ray "Boom Boom" Mancini and Duk Koo Kim in 1982 resulted in multiple deaths and forever changed the sport of boxing.

www.sportscasting.com

 

[Cowboysfan8]

It got replaced with that UFC garbage.

I tried watching it, but I just couldn't.....

I saw part of a match once. It was two half naked guys lying on the mat in the missionary position. Not sure what “move” this was.

I mean, not that there’s anything wrong with that but not what I was wanting to watch at the time.

Aren't most TV shows that way now?

A lot of commercials are lol

 

[JohnnyU]

Eventually society will come to the conclusion that sports that involve beating up another person are too barbaric.

First boxing match I remember watching and stayed with me was Ray “Boom Boom” Mancini versus Kim Duk-koo. They beat the crap out of each other for 15 rounds or so. Kim eventually died from his beating and Mancini was never the same.

Ray ‘Boom Boom’ Mancini vs. Duk Koo Kim Destroyed Lives and Changed Boxing Forever

The fight between Ray "Boom Boom" Mancini and Duk Koo Kim in 1982 resulted in multiple deaths and forever changed the sport of boxing.

www.sportscasting.com

I watched that fight between Ray Mancini and Duk-koo Kim. It was frightening. It's not like Kim wasn't delivering punishment to Mancini and that it was a total one-sided beatdown, it's just that Kim got the worse end of it and paid for it with his life.

 

[massraider]

UFC/MMA has done very well and has basically replaced boxing in the US. But it's still a niche market. In 2022, the most watched UFC event was watched by less people than the most watched US Tennis, MLS, Grand Prix. UFC was only above the WNBA.

Bloody violent gay porn not as popular as I thought.

 

[Keith R]

Part of it IMO is that Heavyweights are almost too big now. Since Lenox Lewis really.

Big and European. Once Lennox beat Holyfield, American participation in heavyweight title fights has been very limited. We gotten the end of Tyson, the upset of Lennox by Rahman followed by Lennox annihilating him in the immediate rematch, and Deontay Wilder. It's been dominated by Lennox, the Klitchscho Brothers, Fury and Anthony Joshua, all European. No matter how much we may be living in a global community, many Americans want to root for Americans

 

[Keith R]

For contrast to what I wrote above, the heavyweight title was held exclusively by Americans from 1960 (when Floyd Patterson avenged his loss to Ingo Johansson) until Lennox won it almost 40 years later.

 

[SWC]

i dont really get it there is some great boxing available you just have to follow it on your own i would say the only thing that has really changed is that sports media doesnt pay as much attention to boxing as it used to but for true fans there is a lot more information available now than there was when my old man and his brothers were doing ali impressions after four beers at family gatherings if you think boxing is dead in my mind you just sort of a casual boxing fan take that to the bank bromigo

 

[Mjolnirs]

I think there may be some misremembering here how things actually were back in the day. Most of the big fights in the 70s & 80s were not broadcast live for free on TV. They were on closed circuit.

There is truth to this. I was 16 in '80, so most of the big matches in the 70s were probably watched after the fact, or If something was big enough, maybe the adults pooled money to get it. Into the 80s, as I entered my 20s, I know I didn't pay to watch anything.

 

[NewlyRetired]

Are we even sure that the UFC has eclipsed boxing as far as gross revenue generated?

I don't think it has but the comparison is tricky too.

Boxing is a sport
UFC is a single organization which encompasses a sport

While the UFC is by far the largest MMA organization, it is not the only one.
Boxing does not really have a UFC equivalent.

Because the MMA fighters refuse to unionize, the UFC keeps control of a significant amount of revenue that never makes it to the fighters, far more than other sporting organizations (NFL, EPL NBA etc).

Boxers can act more like free agents which allows the stars to gain more control of the revenue where as MMA fighters who stay under contracts have a much more difficult time getting to the revenue. This is why so many older UFC guys take on the gimmick boxing fights, they can make more in a gimmick boxing fight than they can through a contract with the UFC.

 

[Doug B]

My opinion is that it's the PPV model. It was a huge monetary boon for boxing but it slowly cut boxing off from it's American audience.

Does anyone else remember watching Mike Tyson's title rise on HBO back in the day? Heck, 1980s HBO boxing in general?

 

[CGRdrJoe]

It got replaced with that UFC garbage.

I tried watching it, but I just couldn't.....

I saw part of a match once. It was two half naked guys lying on the mat in the missionary position. Not sure what “move” this was.

I mean, not that there’s anything wrong with that but not what I was wanting to watch at the time.

MOST BRUTAL FIGHT IN 2021! Justin Gaethje vs Michael Chandler

#shortsJustin Gaethje vs Michael Chandler Full Fight Highlights UFC PRIDE Check out my second channel *MMAVidmaster* https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCTpe1Ph...

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not really like that anymore

 

[Beef Ravioli Part 2]

Eventually society will come to the conclusion that sports that involve beating up another person are too barbaric.

First boxing match I remember watching and stayed with me was Ray “Boom Boom” Mancini versus Kim Duk-koo. They beat the crap out of each other for 15 rounds or so. Kim eventually died from his beating and Mancini was never the same.

Ray ‘Boom Boom’ Mancini vs. Duk Koo Kim Destroyed Lives and Changed Boxing Forever

The fight between Ray "Boom Boom" Mancini and Duk Koo Kim in 1982 resulted in multiple deaths and forever changed the sport of boxing.

www.sportscasting.com

I watched that fight between Ray Mancini and Duk-koo Kim. It was frightening. It's not like Kim wasn't delivering punishment to Mancini and that it was a total one-sided beatdown, it's just that Kim got the worse end of it and paid for it with his life.

I think you could say that Kim was winning that fight for a large portion of the fight. Mancini just hung in there and all of those head shots added up on Kim and his body (head) finally succumbed. It was brutal!

 

[rockaction]

I never really embraced boxing after the Mancini fight. I was around nine or ten and knew something was wrong with a sport whose main object was basically to kill the other person before they kill you. I don't miss it one bit.

I watched Tyson with interest but then knew something was wrong with his rise and fall. And Don King. That hammered that nail in that coffin.