Oh no... Boxing is dying???

[tkd_person89]

Unfortunately I heard some distrubing news while watching "PTI" on ESPN. The two guys were discussing boxing and how it's becoming a dying art. This worries me; it is really unfortunate. One of the guys said that in twenty years, there will hardly be any professional boxing.

What do you guys make of this? The argument was that mean and nasty boxers like Taylor - who unfairly taunted Hopkins - turn people away as a result of people thinking "boxing" is uncivil. Is it really dying? Will it die?

But also, in addition to that, if boxing is uncivil, what will become of other martial arts?

[blitz]

I don't think it will die at least till another 60 years. There are lots of people who learn boxing these days, some of them who are relatively young so they can become boxing coaches later. It just goes on.

[medic06]

I think that it's due to the corruption that the world of boxing is full of right now. The worse part of it is that there is no dominant heavyweight fighter.

[tkd_person89]

Even still... 60 yrs...

I don't care even if it takes two hundred years. The fact that it will disappear severely disappoints me.

[speedbag]

Boxing is dying?

Perhaps it is just evolving. Evolving into a sport that resembles a real sport of real competition, based on a legitimate ranking system where matches are made by who is a legitimate contender for a shot. A sport where there is some rhyme and reason for a contest. Not by how much the fighters/promoters can make or scam on Pay-per-view.

If it IS dying, it is by it's own hand. It's own refusal to organize and bring some legitimacy to the sport, its fans, its sponsors and - least of all - the athletes. Can you imagine any other sport, (even those based on individualilty such as Golf, Tennis, or Track & Field ) being run like boxing? Six or Seven "bodies" claiming who is best with their own set of rules when "they" sanction a match. Imagine professional tennis, trying to be run like boxing. Andy Roddick has to negotiate with Roger Federer for six weeks to see if they "might" play each other, while Agassi tries to break it up so he can play Roddick for more money on PPV and maybe get a rematch, but Agassi is afraid to play Federer cause he knows he's outclassed and is afraid he would lose. All of them mostly want to play someone they can beat, so they schedule matches accordingly. Imagine professional Golf trying to run like this. JOKE. And the player behavior. Imagine a top tennis player carrying on in public like Tyson. Agassi jumps the net and bites federer cause he's losing. Sure the public would pay to see it, but don't take your kids. Tiger Woods punches out a fan at a stop light, and threatens to eat his children. I just don't see the PGA putting up with that, #1 ranking or not.

Think about Pro Baseball, football, or basketball being run like boxing? You might get 5 games a year played. If their is PPV potential, maybe 10 games. JOKE.

If boxing doesn't clean up its act and organize, it may end up on the circus heap with professional wrestling, or worse, turn into the fiasco of no rules cage fights. Sure the punches, the knockouts, the toss out of the ring into the cheap seats ARE real. But who cares. If it doesn't change, boxing best days may be in yesteryear. It has some great athletes and some honest, good human beings - but as a sport, it is in serious need of some organization and legitimate structure.

[tkd_person89]

Very insightful...

But if boxing is dying... what about UFC? K-1? PFC? other open MA tournies?

[speedbag]

Boxing is Dying?

What about UFC, K-1 etc? They do appear more organized, where the sanctioning body holds a tournament, and all fighters show up. they fight when the tournament is scheduled. Usually NOT when the individual athletes or promoters make a match.

But these extra violent sports will only be of marginal importance in the sports world. There popularity waxs and wanes like the tides. The fan base has too little to follow, and generally the main stream public avoids them due to their extreme violence. The big super sponsers with lots of money won't touch them, because there is no return on investment. Cadillac and Rolex will easily drop 3 million each to run ads on the Masters or US open. They wouldn't spend 3 bucks on UFC, because so few watch, and few still of the those watching can really purchase their products. And I doubt they want to be aligned with the vision of hundreds of fans around the ring shouting "kill him! Kick his mutha#%%* teeth out!" Sorry. they'll pass.

If a sport wants to grow: expand it's Fan base, and catch the sponsors that go with them, then they need to appeal more to the mainstream - and they need to figure out how to be a FAMILY event. Just ask Nascar, which has grown astronomically in the past 5 years in all areas - fans, sponsors and support for the drivers. Boxing should be so lucky, but I don't see it happening. Not to any of the extremely violent sports.

[tkd_person89]

Things like K-1 are good for martial arts though. It increases a the popularity of martial arts and it allows people to have some organized fights with some actual skill, not some freak show where the fighters are completely unskilled.

I disagree with you on the popularity comment though. UFC and K-1's popularity is currently on a heavy rise, but I still worry the popularity might wane someday.

Fight leagues need to survive so that martial arts do not disappear and get the respect they deserve.

[tkd_person89]

And so are you basically saying boxing is dying because of a lack of organization?


And peopel say UFC is too violent for them??? Please... That crap just pisses me off. How many people into UTTERLY POINTLESS rated R gory movies on a daily basis? How many people stop to see the scene of a car crash?

A lot of people are getting hypocritical and they cry this "civilized" bullshit. This BS is making peopel soft and it's bad for the MA world.

Day by day, year by year, decade by decade, people of this world are growing softer and softer.

Today a kid gets a cut. = The ER

Fifty years ago a kid gets a cut. = Put some ointment and be done with it.

[speedbag]

Boxing is Dying??

A world without boxing_thread on Boxing Scene Forum

And so are you basically saying boxing is dying because of a lack of organization?

As a legitimate professional sport, where an athlete can expect to make a living, and a fan can expect to have something to believe in, support and spend money on, YES. The lack of a legitimate organizational structure recognized by all parties will continue to hurt the sport and all who endorse it. But I don't think it will completely disappear, unless the AMA or world wide medical community wins their calls for banning it. Then of course, it will go underground. Boxing competition has been glorified since ancient Greece. I don't think it will truly disappear now either. And as long as the Olympics recognizes it - It is not going away. But the amateur level and competitive system is much different than the professional level.

As an "ART" of defense and method of manly combat, NO, the lack of sport organization will not make it disappear. Many little known MA still exist at the fringes of the MA community, and have their own loyalists or "cult" followings that believe in the system. I think their will always be a gym system with teachers, training and boxing coaches.

And peopel say UFC is too violent for them??? Please... That crap just pisses me off. How many people into UTTERLY POINTLESS rated R gory movies on a daily basis? How many people stop to see the scene of a car crash?
A lot of people are getting hypocritical and they cry this "civilized" bullshit. This BS is making peopel soft and it's bad for the MA world.

..Yes, people love to see gory movies. and they know they are seeing a movie. It isn't real. (On the other hand, Hundreds of woman saw hilary swank in MDB and started boxing. Gotta love it.)
...and people love to see car crashes. But they don't want themselves or their family or friends to be IN them. For a "sport" to survive and grow it needs public support to PARTICIPATE, not just watch. And very few people will want their kids to avoid getting "soft" by jumping into UFC or toughman competitions or boxing or other full contact activities. I don't think their avoidance to participate in those activities is hypocritical to their curiosity to see it. I see lots of things I don't want to do, or want my kids doing. We can't avoid it.

and I disagree with your statement: "This BS is making peopel soft and it's bad for the MA world" I believe the MA world has many places for "people who are soft". In fact their are many styles for them. Many people practice Martial Arts of many styles with no intentional purpose to fight, compete or otherwise raise fist or foot to hurt another. I have yet to catch "The international Tai chi Smackdown" where suped up great grand mothers get it on. Now THAT would be bad for the Martial Arts. Otherwise soft people have little of no influence, except to use the arts for their lesser known but just as legitimate purpose to heal the body or spirit Many of these "soft", middle aged or ill people wouldn't spend a Dime on watching a UFC or KFC match, but they'll spend good money every month to participate in the MA activity that helps them. How is that bad for the MA world?

[Elizapunch]

Interesting article on topic

This thread has some interesting points on boxing, MA and sports organization. I agree on most but I do not think boxing will die out if it doesn't change it's current methods. Here is an article that seems to make an argument FOR its current makeup.

It's the Dark Side That Saves Boxing

but it does indicate that match making is all about the money and the hype. For more on the boxer hurt in the about article, read here about Gerald McClellan

...Today, years after this fight, McClellan is blind, in need of 24 hour a day care for the rest of his life. McClellan is taken care of by his sisters.

It is sad and difficult to remember this fight. Gerald McClellan went to work that night and returned a man who will never be able to see his three children. McClellan would have eventually fought for millions against Roy Jones. The two may have had the greatest fights of the past decade. McClellan was one of the few to defeat Roy as an amateur.

Of course, none of this will ever happen. Instead, Gerald McClellan sits as a forgotten champion in Freeport, Illinois. Fortunately, Gerald McClellan has received much needed support from his fans as well as many fellow boxers. For example, in 1998, Roy Jones worked with HBO to establish a trust fund for Gerald McClellan's children.

Good for Roy Jones!

[tkd_person89]

All of you have presented interesting aruments.

But I still stand by my firm belief that martial arts will experience a heavy decline if exciting events/tournamnets are not held.

I believe that to be highly true.

[Oreomeister365]

there needs to be some more excitment, I agree. When people are always choosing their fights, making sure they win or whatever it gets boring rather fast.

[hEmPY]

stoopid assholes
boxin will never die boxin for real men not for pussies claimin its shit
it'll never die
get through with it u ain't goin anywhere

[Warrior189]

hEmPY brings a good point. Boxing will never die. Yeah theres not as many ppl who r fans like back than, but there will always b ppl willing a pay money to see 2 guys punching their brains off for our entreatment.