OT: I'm laughing at all the people this morning that want a refund on the boxing match.

[victor]

One of the reasons boxing is in trouble is that you don't have an American heavy weight as champion of the division. Instead you have a European heavy weight who happens to be a big stiff with a glass chin. At least Lennox Lewis was an exciting fighter. I like MMA, but I have never seen an MMA fight that could compare to the fights between Arturo Gotti and Mickey Ward or Manny vs. Marquez or for that matter the thrilla in Manila or say the two round fight between Tommy Hearns and marvelous Marvin Hagler.

 

[djcon57]

Admittedly I was still in college back then but even so, a glance at the PPV numbers shows that twice as many people ordered the Mayweather fight. Also, with the high price tag, I'd imagine there were more people splitting the fight than a normal PPV event.

Where did I say it was in Mayweather range?
You are comparing it with the biggest PPV of all time.

I said it was a water cooler type fight. It was over 1.5 million. More than any boxing PPV other than Mayweather fights in the past 10 years.

 

[NashvilleOrange]

Where did I say it was in Mayweather range?
You are comparing it with the biggest PPV of all time.

I said it was a water cooler type fight. It was over 1.5 million. More than any boxing PPV other than Mayweather fights in the past 10 years.

That's fair. I guess I'm just trying to say that the fall of boxing at the hands of UFC is a bit overstated.

 

[Toga]

and then there was this ...

 

[Crusty]

No sugar Ray robinson?

Missed him by a few years.

 

[OrangeDW]

The whining pretty clearly lets you know who has watched a Mayweather fight before and who hasn't because all his fights are like that!

He's too good. He won't get hit, and he will win.

So those who got sucked into the hype and paid $90 when they don't even actually like boxing should only be mad at themselves.

 

[SUintheVille]

Why exactly is he popular? His fights are boring and he beats up women.

Good question. I couldn't care less if he's popular or not, but apparently he is. :noidea:

 

[ssbriefcase]

Deontay Wilder "Bronze Bomber" from Alabama, is our only hope to gain major interest in the heavyweight division again. Only 1 of 3 Americans in the top 10 rankings. He's the current WBC champ. One of the hardest punches in the division, once had his opponent convulsing in the ring. He'll fight Klitschko soon enough. I agree on the too many belts thing, but it's coming around. They don't have a choice but to learn from MMA in that aspect. And free fights are back, thanks to NBC and CBSsports. Very high ratings. 2 out of the 4 fights on the NBC events that started in like February, were really good. Boxing is going nowhere, it's cyclical.

 

[Col. Bleep]

Deontay Wilder "Bronx Bomber" although from Alabama, is our only hope to gain major interest in the heavyweight division again. Only 1 of 3 Americans in the top 10 rankings. He's the current WBC champ. One of the hardest punches in the division, once had his opponent convulsing in the ring. He'll fight Klitschko soon enough. I agree on the too many belts thing, but it's coming around. They don't have a choice but to learn from MMA in that aspect. And free fights are back, thanks to NBC and CBSsports. Very high ratings. 2 out of the 4 fights on the NBC events that started in like February, were really good. Boxing is going nowhere, it's cyclical.

I saw Wilder fight Bermane Stiverne earlier this year...and a have to say I was disappointed.
Wilder is a big puncher but he looked wild and sloppy.
Looked like another guy Klitschko would just pick apart.
Bryant Jennings seems a better fighter to me.
Would like to see him in against Wilder.

How about Golovkin v. Mayweather at 154?
Floyd would never take that fight.

 

[Col. Bleep]

I'm laughing at people who paid for a fight.

Now people DO have a right to be angry if they paid for this.
Pacquiao fought with a torn rotator cuff?
Are you kidding me???
That could be very close to fraud...especially when his camp said he didn't have any injuries in the official document.

Buddy McGirt fought Pernell whitaker with one good arm.
But everyone knew it and it cost Buddy his title.
But to deny a serious injury like that??!!!!???
It's a serious violation.

 

[rosconey]

honor and money dont mix in this day and age

 

[DocFlanders]

If anyone wants to see some severe ass kicking, watch Rhonda Rousey fight in women's MMA. Especially if you like seeing arms get broken. Yikes!

 

[sufan4eva13]

As an absolutely hardcore boxing fan and amateur boxing writer (it's second only to Syracuse football and basketball in my heart) I found this thread to be an incredibly interesting read on where our sport is at this point in time. I must start with the qualifier that many of these points are valid. There really are too many robberies in boxing and too many sanctioning bodies handing out world championships and that does turn off average fans. The heavyweight title being held overseas by a guy who hasn't had a competitive challenger in 10+ years has also hurt quite a bit.

That being said, this notion that boxing is unpopular is just the furthest thing from the truth. Last nights fight likely reached 3 million fans and grossed $400 million (though the particulars haven't been released). The premier of prime time boxing on NBC had over 3 million viewers as well and beat out ABC and CBS in their time slot. Hell, just a couple of weeks ago at Turning Stone there was a welterweight championship fight between Lucas Matthyse and Ruslan Provodnikov that was sold out and reached over 1 million people on HBO. Boxing is huge internationally as well. The sport is fairly healthy, in reality!