what is the no.1 thing in boxing that's hurting the sport?

Question

Don King and Bob Arum? Bad decisions? Fights not being on free tv anymore? Bad Matchups? To many champions per weight class? No dominant heavyweight champ? What are some of the things that are making boxing not as popular than it used to be? Do you remember the 80's when you could sit in front of your tv and catch a good Saturday afternoon fight on wide world of sports, nbc sportsworld, or cbs sports saturday? You could see fighters like, Ray Mancini, Dwight Braxton, Hector Camacho, John the beast Mugabi, Alexis Arguello, and many others! I think fights should come back to free tv and boxing would do a lot better. What do you think?

Answer 1

the sanctioning bodies, crooked refs, paidoff judjes, no name fighters getting championship fights because they paid the sanctioning fees, shady promoters, do i need to go on, spoiled fighters who will not fight the fights the public wants to see unless they get millions of dollars, everything about boxing needs to be restructured. why do ppv fights now cost 50-60 bucks? whatever happened to 29.99?

try to go see a profesional boxing match and you will probably brake your bank account, seat prices are ridiculous. and by the way the fact that the UFC is much more entertaining doesnt help either

Answer 2

i absolutely agree. pay per view has put a stranglehold on boxing. what it has done has prevented all of those potential fans, especially the younger generations, from becoming folowers of the sport. the fights these potential fans would consider sitting down and watching now have to be payed for, so instead, they're watching something else. even vince mcmahon figured that one out. give them a good show, get'em interested... and THEN they'll pay for the even bigger events. i don't agree with those that say it's due to the deteriation of the heavyweight division, although the absence of iron mike certainly has had it's mark. but there have been several spans in history where the heavyweight division was lackluster, and the smaller guys kept the sport alive and well, and we certainly have some great smaller fighters and have had some memorable fights from them as well. i'll admit it's a smaller problem with boxing, but it's worth noting that the standing 8-count has pretty much become a thing of the past..... and that has contributed to alot of premature stoppages. the refs are under more scrutiny than ever to protect fighters, and not having the standing 8 as a tool to help has been a travesty.

Answer 3

there are circumstances while a fighter can lose a combat and nevertheless pop out a winner by ability of exhibiting fairly some heart and determination. yet there is not something incorrect with rooting on your place of origin fighter or a boxer you have grown to have fun with. each and every game is greater exciting to video reveal in case you save on with a undeniable group or guy or woman - that's no exciting to be detached while it is composed of opposition. i don't watch a soccer game fullyyt to work out 2 communities compete I watch in hopes that my group wins and is going to the superbowl. the comparable is going for boxing i pick my popular combatants to make it so a strategies as they are in a position to. If a fighter is a black eye for the sport like Zab Judah has been while he threw a chair on the referee, and while he hit Carlos Baldimor decrease than the belt rather of shaking palms formerly combat then i visit root against him. that is not a racial ingredient...he's a solid boxer with very solid skills and he shows heart interior the hoop lots of the time. yet while he fights maximum persons like Shane Mosely who's humble and has a great ideas-set i visit clearly root for Shane Mosely. i could have fun with a the solid combat yet i visit be dissapointed if Mosely loses.

Answer 4

There is a really great book - "The Black Lights. Inside the World of Professional Boxing" written by Thomas Hauser that fully explores the sport and business of professional boxing.



In a nutshell, the boxers are the best thing for the sport. The worst aspect is the promoters such as Arum and King who have a monopoly on the fighters, decide who fights whom, and retain most of the profits.

Answer 5

Promoters who aren't just happy to promote but want to control all fighters/boxing organizations. The book mentioned above (Black Lights) does an excellent job in illustrating the problem, and things have only gotten worse since the time it was written (the 80s).



I used to stay home just to watch boxing in the 80s, now I wouldn't even watch half the pay per view fights if they were free. Telefutura has a decent friday night fight show (or did last year I haven't seen it recently) which features nonames who put on great shows.

Answer 6

i agree that don king and the like are hurting boxing by lining their pockets with pay per view also by milking a boxer ,i to remember the good ole days of wide world of sports on a saturday afternoon watching ali and the other greats .back then it truely was a sport now it has become a show.......

Answer 7

It has to be the influence that crooked promoters have had, Don King far and away the leader and trend setter of them all. Its their greed that led to taking boxing off of network television and staging PPV events with garbage fights.



Their strangle hold on the title belts by refusing to fight top contenders and making any contender who wants to fight their "champ" sign a clause that makes them (Don King) their new promoter if they win.



Paying off judges to give nods to their fighters. Even though Tyson lost by KO to Buster Douglas and was thoroughly being beaten, two judges had Tyson ahead on the score cards, that was ridiculous.

Answer 8

the sanctioning bodies have COMPLETELY destoryed the sport..





1) The sanctioning bodies will give undeserving fighters a #1 ranking and a mandatory for whoever is champion..



2) Which in turn makes for downright garbage fights that know one wants to see.



3) They strip champions of belts for not fighting there "mandatory" fights...



4) the IBF and WBC are by far the worst at this.. anyone will tell you the only title that matters is the ring magazine title

Answer 9

I LOVE boxing and HATE Don King. Yea just like mentioned, there is always a part that is fixed. Like payed refs and judges. I always thought Don King was part of some conspiracy! He looks crazy! haha. Anyways, I hate fights that don't have knockouts. That's what we all loved about boxing. And plus, those knockouts said one thing for sure. "YOU LOST" and that can't be denied! so screw those cheaters and payed refs!



Also there aren't great fighters like before. Just like Ali and Tyson, they really beat the sucker down.

Answer 10

the heavy weight division. remember when watching the heavy weight champion of the world fight, it was the most exciting thing in sports. now, i couldnt even tell you who the heavy weight champion of the world is. the heavy weight champ use to be the most popular athlete in the world, now its tiger woods. l also think theres to many weight classes in boxing. another thing i hate is the veterans, holyfield just fought last month, even though he won, the guy needs to retire. most of them already have brain damage. ufc getting popular hasnt helped boxing either.

Answer 11

fixed fights, judges that are paid off. even obvious one sided fights that are split decisions gives the sport credibility problems and puts it in a category with its redneck cousin (pro wrestling) . Who (most) people are intelligent enough to know is purely entertainment. Why do you think even with the popularity of wrestling las vegas doesn't take bets on it?

Answer 12

NOBODY WANTS TO SEE THE VIOLENCE! Boxing is an extremely violent sport. When you see, or hear of, a man hitting on a women till her eye is all puffed out bleeding black and blue, it's called domestic violence. People actually go to jail for this offense. I have a hard time seeing what the difference is between boxing as a sport and domestic violence. It is humans pounding on each other to the point of possibly being knocked out. My gosh! It wouldn't hurt if the sport no longer existed.

Answer 13

Don KIng. He pumps up young fighters then lets them self destruct. Plus he pays off fights.

Answer 14

i've been watching boxing on channel 34 the last few nights and hey great fights but dang the one that wins is the loser.. its still on now.. free.. ops i have comcast and live in michigan.. so i don't know if you get the same channels as i do..

Answer 15

Pancho I know it's gonna seem like I'm copping out because you want me to share my opinion with you. I think the statements you made after your question are spot on and I'm in total agreement with what you said.

Answer 16

well there is still a market for it to be on PPV. I think it will stay there... how else do you think they pay for the 8 million purses and they haven't even faught yet.



if you want to see the classics.... watch ESPN classic or cheap seats even....

Answer 17

I hope dprophet, brent f, santana d and tough guy wade in on this topic.



I love boxing, however this is survival of the fittest. If boxing can not revive itself it may never come back to reclaim it's former glory.

Answer 18

The different sanctioning bodies are too confusing!

Answer 19

The judges need regulating!!

Answer 20

Yup, you're right, pancho. All of the above.

Answer 21

politics and greedy promoters nothing else.

Answer 22

sorry but i think it is mike tyson