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You can view the page at http://checkhookboxing.com/content.php?690-Boxing-is-dead-Don-t-make-me-laugh!
Article: Boxing is dead? Don't make me laugh!
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Nobody is saying that boxing is dead. The important point is that the wider public don't care enough about the names mentioned in the article. There has been a worldwide decline over the past 20 years and the sport is in a slightly precarious position in this country imo.
Channel 5 have a 6'9" heavyweight contender with a big personality and the message seems to be that people aren't really interested in him. Or Eubank's son. Or a former Olympic gold medalist. Hearn has been given two years to turn the sport around and in the last month we've had one terrible bill and a card where the main event was a borderline stinker and one of the support bouts was another mismatch. He needs to start stacking cards soon and I'm not sure if the finances are there for him to do it. What happens if Sky pull the plug? It isn't impossible that Warren could be the only game left in town and the only outlet for boxing is on a minor subscription channel. Too many "never been stopped" bore-fests against unbeaten prospects brought us here in the first place.
Certain things about the sport disappoint me. If someone asks me if a fight is for the world championship I just say no. I'm disappointed by the fact that nobody in their right mind would want to watch the heavyweight champion defend his title and at the lack of depth in a lot of the divisions. I'm disappointed by the fact that the best fighter in the world refuses his hardest challengers and that in the sport we often have to settle for second best because vested interests take precedence. In addition, the way the sport deals with PEDs is an absolute joke.
What really clues you in that the sport isn't that important is the issue with PEDs. There have been countless positive tests lately and barely a ripple in the mainstream media. The sport has been discredited but in the wider world nobody cares, the slap on the wrist that boxers have been receiving are an embarrassment. If a one of its two big stars, Mayweather or Pacquiao, were to test positive then it would be news but it wouldn't be as big news imo as the Armstrong case. Is boxing as big as cycling these days? I'd say yes, but not by much.
It probably isn't as big as tennis, a sport with droning cardboard cutout personalities like Murray, Murray FFS, bashing a ball backwards and forwards ad infinitum. A sport where nobody outside of three or four players are likely to win a major tournament. Boxing is more exciting than that, but few in this country access its exciting moments and if this continues then the sport will decline further on these shores.
On a global perspective maybe the Chinese market could be the saviour?
Channel 5 have a 6'9" heavyweight contender with a big personality and the message seems to be that people aren't really interested in him. Or Eubank's son. Or a former Olympic gold medalist. Hearn has been given two years to turn the sport around and in the last month we've had one terrible bill and a card where the main event was a borderline stinker and one of the support bouts was another mismatch. He needs to start stacking cards soon and I'm not sure if the finances are there for him to do it. What happens if Sky pull the plug? It isn't impossible that Warren could be the only game left in town and the only outlet for boxing is on a minor subscription channel. Too many "never been stopped" bore-fests against unbeaten prospects brought us here in the first place.
Certain things about the sport disappoint me. If someone asks me if a fight is for the world championship I just say no. I'm disappointed by the fact that nobody in their right mind would want to watch the heavyweight champion defend his title and at the lack of depth in a lot of the divisions. I'm disappointed by the fact that the best fighter in the world refuses his hardest challengers and that in the sport we often have to settle for second best because vested interests take precedence. In addition, the way the sport deals with PEDs is an absolute joke.
What really clues you in that the sport isn't that important is the issue with PEDs. There have been countless positive tests lately and barely a ripple in the mainstream media. The sport has been discredited but in the wider world nobody cares, the slap on the wrist that boxers have been receiving are an embarrassment. If a one of its two big stars, Mayweather or Pacquiao, were to test positive then it would be news but it wouldn't be as big news imo as the Armstrong case. Is boxing as big as cycling these days? I'd say yes, but not by much.
It probably isn't as big as tennis, a sport with droning cardboard cutout personalities like Murray, Murray FFS, bashing a ball backwards and forwards ad infinitum. A sport where nobody outside of three or four players are likely to win a major tournament. Boxing is more exciting than that, but few in this country access its exciting moments and if this continues then the sport will decline further on these shores.
On a global perspective maybe the Chinese market could be the saviour?
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Thanks for the kid words lads :good
I think plenty have been jumping on the 'boxing is dead' bandwagon for years, and you're right, it is largely down to the general publics opinion of the sport. The PED issue needs sorting out, but now boxers are being caught we can eradicate the cheats, and deter others from following a similar path.
I can't see sky pulling the plug any time soon. Froch is going to make them a mint on PPV against Kessler, and I guess they're hoping Bellew, Groves, Rose and Selby really kick on.
Bright future in my opinion
I think plenty have been jumping on the 'boxing is dead' bandwagon for years, and you're right, it is largely down to the general publics opinion of the sport. The PED issue needs sorting out, but now boxers are being caught we can eradicate the cheats, and deter others from following a similar path.
I can't see sky pulling the plug any time soon. Froch is going to make them a mint on PPV against Kessler, and I guess they're hoping Bellew, Groves, Rose and Selby really kick on.
Bright future in my opinion
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I used to watch fights quite often with friends who I would regard as casual fans:
Hatton-Mayweather
Hatton-Malignaggi
Hatton-Pacquiao
Mayweather-Marquez
Mayweather-Mosley
Pacquiao-De La Hoya (Probably the peak)
Calzaghe-Hopkins
Calzaghe-Jones
Haye-Maccarinelli
Haye-Valuev
Haye-Ruiz
Haye-Klitschko
I regard them as a perfect microcosm of the casual fan. They were let down by the Mayweather-Pacquiao saga and the disappointment of Haye-Klitschko. We need a new generation of talent exposed on the right platform (i.e. terrestrial TV/Sky) to energize the casual fan/mainstream media and fill the void left by Haye, Hatton and to a lesser extent Calzaghe.
Who? I don't think it will be the likes of Fury, Bellew, Rose or Selby. The olympians definitely (Joshua, Ogogo, Campbell), Brook perhaps, Frampton perhaps, Groves perhaps. Maybe even Pricey.
Hatton-Mayweather
Hatton-Malignaggi
Hatton-Pacquiao
Mayweather-Marquez
Mayweather-Mosley
Pacquiao-De La Hoya (Probably the peak)
Calzaghe-Hopkins
Calzaghe-Jones
Haye-Maccarinelli
Haye-Valuev
Haye-Ruiz
Haye-Klitschko
I regard them as a perfect microcosm of the casual fan. They were let down by the Mayweather-Pacquiao saga and the disappointment of Haye-Klitschko. We need a new generation of talent exposed on the right platform (i.e. terrestrial TV/Sky) to energize the casual fan/mainstream media and fill the void left by Haye, Hatton and to a lesser extent Calzaghe.
Who? I don't think it will be the likes of Fury, Bellew, Rose or Selby. The olympians definitely (Joshua, Ogogo, Campbell), Brook perhaps, Frampton perhaps, Groves perhaps. Maybe even Pricey.
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Tbf @Shocked Quartz i think people are interested in Fury and to an extent Eubank Jr and DeGale, they get decent figures and their names are always trending, imagine the difference if boxnig was more regularly on terrestrial? It would have a massive effect imo, all it takes is exposure
And if Eddie Hearn can make darts an attraction, he sure as hell can do it for an actual sport that is interesting like Boxing
And if Eddie Hearn can make darts an attraction, he sure as hell can do it for an actual sport that is interesting like Boxing
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the schedule is sweet, fuck the dead talk.
Agree on Bellew , for the casual or anyone watching his last performance it would have been enough to put jJoe Public off the sport and asking Sky why they are even bothering with boxing, luckily the Matthews v Crolla saved that night in my opinion.
Fury annoys me ,maybe start mouthing off when he has been tested by credible heavyweights but for me out of the two British (if you count Fury as British ) id prefer Price to make it successful and i think in time he will do credit for himself.
Warming to Selby although its early days along with the GB olympians but Frampton i think has a very good future , who can call the Quigg when it happens , id have Frampton all day but thats just my opinion !
Concerning the next few months and the article ,its true ,what a few months we have in store, happy days to be into boxing!
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Same argument, different day. Boxing is now a minority sport & will probably remain so. There will always be a niche market but there is competition from the combat sports such as MMA, Muay Thai etc which 30 odd years ago was more niche than boxing but has somewhat level the playing field.
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Muay Thai has always been mainstream in Asia where boxing has been more niche. 65,000 pro MT fighters to Thailand alone..
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Golovkin, Kovalev, and Wilder will save us all ! :smile
That is, if the top fighters in each division will actually ever face them. Even Stevenson may be in the process of backing down.
That is, if the top fighters in each division will actually ever face them. Even Stevenson may be in the process of backing down.
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You're alive! :happy Email me back.
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Hello mate. I'm alive and kicking. Got ur email will respond. I was happy to get it. In Hanoi @ the mo will get back to u next week. Lots to report mate.
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I'm chuffed to bits!
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