Is mainstream boxing ever going to make a comeback or is it on its death bed ?

[Remote]

In my opinion what hurts boxing is that it is no longer on broadcast TV.

Everything is PPV or cable subscription. That lowers its profile.

Another is that the best athletes gravitate to other sports now.

Add to that the real long term health dangers of boxing, and I don’t think it will ever return to the level it was in this country 50 or 60 years ago.

It won't go away. But it won't dominate the sports landscape.

Boxing still is far more entertaining than MMA to me.

 

[tremonthustler1]

Mainstream boxing will only be as big as its heavyweight division

 

[PortCityProphet]

Its a combo of things right now....
Boxing is a lil guy sport now
Most the big guys are in other sports now but big guys make big fights. For better or for worse.
All the best boxers and most intriguing boxers now days are lil guys.

PPV kinda killed a whole generation of potential boxing fans. If your folks weren't buying a PPV as a kid you weren't really seeing a fight with stars that often if ever.

Football has taken over mainstream media. ESPN basically controls how much attention any sport gets and they went heavy NFL in the past 2 decades and its hurt the attention that other sports get thus hurting the growth potential for young and casual fans to get into the sport.

 

[The_Sheff]

It won't be back until there is a legit American heavyweight champ. That's what moves the needle for the general public.

And it's too many fukking belts. Seems like everyone is the champ at some point. They even have some shyt where people who don't have belts are called the champ.

 

[Remote]

It won't be back until there is a legit American heavyweight champ. That's what moves the needle for the general public.

And it's too many fukking belts. Seems like everyone is the champ at some point. They even have some shyt where people who don't have belts are called the champ.

I agree with this.
Someone like @patscorpio can explain the belt situation. I don't know enough about the politics around that.

I think all these belts are just a scam to make money.

 

[patscorpio]

I agree with this.
Someone like @patscorpio can explain the belt situation. I don't know enough about the politics around that.

I think all these belts are just a scam to make money.

the champions are either WBA, WBC, IBF, and WBO...with regards to WBA its the super that is the legit champion

if you ever hear an interim, franchise, regular, etc etc champion announced - that is where the belts become bullshyt esp when the legit champion is also fighting...thats where it becomes a unnecessary money grab for sanctioning bodies.

boxing thrived without a legit american heavyweight champ for a long time so its not needed to move the needle but more eyes are on the sport when one does gets attention. wilder is a benefit of this unfortunately his skill level is not in sync with his right hand as now ppl are starting to realize he is average overall

 

[patscorpio]

boxing airs on ESPN, ESPN+, Showtime, DAZN, FOX, FS1, and NBC Sports Network as well as PPV - any known boxer today fights on one of these channels or platforms

HBO got out of the boxing game in 2018 thats literally the only channel that was synonymous with boxing that doesnt air boxing anymore

 

[MikelArteta]

the champions are either WBA, WBC, IBF, and WBO...with regards to WBA its the super that is the legit champion

which would be like the "superbowl" of these belts?

 

[patscorpio]

which would be like the "superbowl" of these belts?

what do you mean?

 

[MikelArteta]

what do you mean?

if all these belts were crypto which one would be bitcoin?

 

[The_Sheff]

what do you mean?

What he means and what a lot of people want to know is who is the actual champ. Like what am i supposed to be watching. Thats the problem with boxing when everyone is the champ nobody is the champ. People tune it out unless its some over the top shyt like what Mayweather figured out.

 

[patscorpio]

if all these belts were crypto which one would be bitcoin?

one belt isnt really better than the other...all 4 have their pros and cons

the superbowl would be if a fighter can get all 4 - right now the 2 biggest fights that are in process of being made for this year have this going for them: fury vs joshua at HW and josh taylor vs jose ramirez at 140

 

[patscorpio]

but unless you are more than 40 years old you have grown up in a 3 or 4 belt era in boxing

 

[KingZaire_]

In a way I like boxing where it’s at there’s less casual fans so talking boxing with people has become so much better in recent years. Also boxing media has been saved from this shytty hot take era of sports media so I’m fine with how boxing is.

 

[cobra]

Boxing is dope right now breh
Even the heavyweight division is nice
Joshua and tyson about to fight


Also

1. Canelo Alvarez.
2. Terence Crawford. ...
3. Naoya Inoue. ...
4. Errol Spence Jr. ...
5. Tyson Fury. ...
6. Teofimo Lopez. ...
7. Oleksandr Usyk. ...
8. Vasiliy Lomachenko. ...

Just sucks that HBO is dead

I hate DAZAN crap

I know 6 out of 8

and I am a casual so no it’s not dead