Jump to content

Is Boxing dead?


NCB

Is Boxing dead?  

14 members have voted

  1. 1. Is Boxing dead?

    • Yes
      9
    • No
      5


Recommended Posts

This is a topic that has come up in the sports world quite a bit recently...

With the major success of the UFC and the Mixed Martial Arts scene in the U.S., and the lack of any new "big name" fighters or any consistent major fights in boxing, what is the future of the sport? Do you think the UFC's success will eventually kill boxing in America, or has it already done so?

I'd love to hear what you guys have to say about this, as I'm someone who enjoys both boxing and the UFC.

Link to comment
Share on other sites


  • Replies 18
  • Created
  • Last Reply

My computer just fried on me with my long response and did not go thru ! I'm ticked <_<

No doubt UFC and the Mixed-Martial Arts have had a sharp increase in popularity. But I do not believe boxing is dead. But the Heavyweight division may be on life-support kind of like the boxing forums here on UP :lol:

Big names like Tyson, Holyfield, Lewis, etc. have been retired and the best Heavyweight out there Ike Icubuchi of Nigeria can't get out of prison! That's were it hurts boxing the most. My Dad's glory days of Heavyweights Foreman, Ali, Frazier, Norton, Shavers, Holmes, Listen, etc. are only memories.

Last Sat.Night HBO's Main Event (Middleweight Champ for now) Taylor/Spinks was a boring joke and DeLaHoya/Mayweather fight was really nothing to get excited about. But the undercard with Kelly "The Ghost" Pavlik vs. Miranda was a brutal onslaught! And s entertaining as any UFC IMO.

I will always have a place in my heart for boxing; but I enjoy them BOTH!

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Boxing needs its new Ali or Tyson to come along. Right now, it doesn't have one.

The middle and lower weight classes can be entertaining, but the names there don't make money. The guys down there can't pull showmanship or buys like Tyson could. Boxing basically needs a sick freak, and make sure that sick freak is someone who stays away from WWE or UFC.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

^That's a good way to put it, Panamaniac, and I agree. I don't think boxing is dead yet, but it's about as close to being so as you can get.

I'm 22, and I believe to my generation, boxing is barely even recognized. I grew up hearing about those historic boxers and fights, never watching them. That in itself seems to make boxing a thing of the past to people like myself, who grew up after boxing's hey day.

On the other hand, the UFC and other MMA organizations are the "now." The biggest fighters are gaining celebrity status, the biggest fights get national exposure, attendance and demand for UFC fights has skyrocketed, etc. etc. 30, 40, 50+ years ago, you'd go to a fight party to watch a boxing match, now, it's all about the UFC.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 4 weeks later...

Boxing's heyday was at the same time when horse racing was a big event and baseball was the dominant American sport. The culture has changed dramatically since then, and TV altered our idea of "entertainment". Boxing, racing and baseball are great to watch in person; but they suck on TV. Boxing hasn't helped itself by standing alone as the most corrupt, orchestrated sport this side of pro wrestling. You wouldn't want your kids to grow up to be boxers, and kids are generally not entertained by close-ups of sweaty men hugging for 3 minutes at a time. The only boxers with enough skill and panache to draw a crowd are once-in-a-generation guys like Ali, and no sport can rely too heavily on those without paying a penalty in the long run (NBA). No surprise that boxing is pretty much ignored except for gimmicky title bouts, which make most of their money through pure hype.

Yep, boxing's dead.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

:stop: Boxing ain't dead to me as long as MiddleWeight Kelly "The Ghost" Pavlik continues to fight! At 31 wins -0 losses- and 28KO's...he's got bricks in his fist! If you saw him two months ago fight on the Taylor/Spinks undercard vs. Edison Miranda 28-1-24KO's; it was a 7 Round WAR!!!!! :tough: As entertaining as you'll ever see. He will probably fight champ- Jermaine Taylor in September hopefully!

Now on the other hand.... the Heavyweight divison is on "life-support"..and that's he big draw. It's so bad Holyfield wants back in.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Pardon me if this has all been said already, but I didn't take the time to read every response... so here goes.

When I saw this topic I wondered why such a question would be asked, and the first thing that popped into my head was UFC and other mixed martial arts showcases. Before I even clicked into this thread this is what came to mind, so when I read your initial post, Nate, I knew we were on the same page. That said, however, I still don't think boxing is dead! As a MAJOR player in sports, it's slowed down but it's not dead. There are still gyms popping up all the time in my region (and most likely others) that teach boxing and people still turn out to learn! More and more people are taking to kickboxing, though, as well as other figiting forms.

The first fight I ever lost in high school was to a guy who was trained as a MMA fighter. I had no idea... all my friends were saying "Oh he's taking boxing lessons" and such and I was thinking, "Oh then he's going to be an easy takedown. Been there, done that!" Wrong! I couldn't have been more wrong! We began to spar face-to-face, and as soon as I went to make another move he grabbed me, pinned me, and beat the ever-loving crap out of me on the ground. This was my first-ever experience with MMA fighting and I was hooked. I didn't want to learn it, because to me it was just too brutal. Boxing was enough, but at the time I could see how combing boxing with all these different forms of martial arts could be extremely violent... and while I loved to spar in boxing form, I wasn't sure I wanted to get that brutal. I certainly didn't want to spar with that guy after that bloody fight, so I knew I didn't want to spar with his instructors!

Now is where I admit I'm not as hooked as I was in high school but I do still enjoy watching these fights. I missed a big one last weekend... just too much going on... but would like to have made it. Still, I catch at least one live fight every few months and quite a few televised fights. I typically crash on the couch at a friend's house when he orders the UFC on PPV and we'll watch those fights all night.

Anyway, Nate, great topic!!

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 2 months later...

Like I said before Boxing may be on life-support; not dead! But the watered-down Heavyweight division hurts.

From Atlantic City TONIGHT!!!! :tough: Middleweight Champion- Jermain Taylor 27-0-1 17 KO's vs. Kelly "The Ghost" Pavlik 31-0 28 KO's!!! :tough:

Should be a classic, old school brawl!!!! Pavlik will not hold & run like some of Taylor's past opponets! Pavlik has "brutal" punching power! Did anybody see his beat-down of Columbian bad azz Edison Miranda?? This should be a WAR!!!!!! Flip a coin on this fight!!!

Prediction= PAIN

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Like I said before Boxing may be on life-support; not dead! But the watered-down Heavyweight division hurts.

From Atlantic City TONIGHT!!!! :tough: Middleweight Champion- Jermain Taylor 27-0-1 17 KO's vs. Kelly "The Ghost" Pavlik 31-0 28 KO's!!! :tough:

Should be a classic, old school brawl!!!! Pavlik will not hold & run like some of Taylor's past opponets! Pavlik has "brutal" punching power! Did anybody see his beat-down of Columbian bad azz Edison Miranda?? This should be a WAR!!!!!! Flip a coin on this fight!!!

Prediction= PAIN

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Boxing isn't dead, but a lot of the old codgers who used to talk about it are. Boxing's core audience always skewed a bit older and they are slowly dying off. Tyson helped bring in a younger fan base, but his career hit the skids after the Buster Douglas fight, and there was no one to really carry the torch after him. There are still a good number of boxer's going at it, albeit most of them are relative unknowns. Boxing just happens to be way off the radar screen. The only time any media outlet talks about boxing, it's about how irrelevant it's become.

That said, UFC/MMA may be big draws at PPV and at arenas, but it isn't exactly on the media's radar screen either. I never hear it mentioned on ESPN, talk radio or any of my friends or co-workers. I think it's more of an under 25 male thing. I do see it getting bigger, since that demographic is what advertisers salivate over. I think the UFC is hurting the WWF/WCW more than boxing, since they're competing for the much of the same demographic.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

^^Thanks for that feedback!!!!

Well the fight LIVED UP to the HYPE!!!!!! WHAT a WAR it was!!!!!! Anybody missed that needs to catch a replay on HBO!!!

In only the 2nd round Pavlik was knocked down to his hands and knees after a flurry of Taylor punches; miraculously Pavlik survived with his legs like jello the next 1:50. Bloody nose and all somehow Pavlik regained his composure in the 3rd. Pavlik was with Taylor jab for jab; began to chop away backing him up! Then in the 7th Round Pavlik buckled Taylor's knees then some brutal punches(the right is sick) to take him into the corner; before finishing him off with upper-cuts!

Getting off the canvas and being able to take all those serious punches is the mark of a True Champion!!! Pavlik has brutal power; Taylor incredible lightning quick punches. Thanks guys!!!

Awesome Fight that gives UFC a run for it's $$money anyday!!!

Kelly "The Ghost" Pavlik reminds me of Thomas "The Hitman" Hearns!!! WOW!!!

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Archived

This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.

  • Recently Browsing   0 members

    • No registered users viewing this page.
×
×
  • Create New...

Important Information

By using this site you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. We have placed cookies on your device to help make this website better. You can adjust your cookie settings, otherwise we'll assume you're okay to continue.