[The BadBoy]

Is boxing a dying sport popularity wise? What does the future hold for this noble art of prizefighting?

[Robert_RedBeard]

I don't follow boxing much anymore. Never really followed it to close.

I did learn boxing skills first. Some Mexican kid in juvenile hall taught me a thing or two, when I was younger and stupider. Basically he kicked my ass. You learn a lot the first time that happens real good.

You get a burning to never let that shit happen again. LOL.

I swallowed my pride and asked the guy that kicked my ass to teach me a few things. I was knocking other kids out soon after.

I think UFC type sports are growing. And a lot of potential fighters are turning to this newly emerging market all over the planet. So yes, boxing is getting less popular. At least I hear about it less and see it less.

But that could just be because I am not paying atention to it.

[Wilhelm von Wankenstein]

Seems to be alive and kicking down under. I was watching the aussie super-middleweight title a few weeks ago at the local pub, and it was packed. So was Sydney Stadium, by all accounts, and there were lots of undercard fights - both in the ring and outside of it (the bouncer versus miscellaneous drunken deadshits ).

[samurai6string]

I think here in the States boxing just isn't that heavily promoted anymore. I think the 90's killed boxing, Everyone got tired of the overpriced pay-per-views with Don King, and watching Tyson knock people out in under a minute. I don't think boxing has been exciting since he (Tyson) went to jail. I hated Lennox Luis, I was sooooo hoping that Tyson would tear him a new one.

[atapp21]

Zefff,

I'm not gonna dispute the fact the mma has been around longer than boxing and currently is growing at a much faster rate but do you honestly believe it will die, I don't think so. Hey and what do you mean by the feminized west?

Samurai6string,
I too was a big Tyson fan and was bored to tears with the Lennox Lewis era. As I said the Heavyweight division right now is atrocious and maybe someone some where will come through to usher in some excitement. You have to admit there is a lot of talent from the 140 to the 160lbs.

I also agree that there are too many pay per veiw events in boxing but in mma every event is pay per veiw.

[samurai6string]

atapp> I gotta agree with Zefff that we live in an increasingly feminized, sanitized, and neutered culture. But I agree with your 2 points about talent in the lower weights, and all mma events being on pay-per-view.

[zefff]

Atapp21,

there are other members who are more educated in the socio-philosophical fields and they will probably have a wider knowledge and better understanding but regarding feminisation of society: Although we could take it on face value as 'the ascendancy of womens rights and equality' I actually see the it as a movement that has affected both men and women equally to make us all passive, subserviant and needy of 'the state'.

Attaching a sexual label is probably the wrong thing to do anyway because the labelling itself seems to imply that feminine traits are negative ones, thus masculinity must be right. I guess men have to blame someone for their shortcomings!

Ultimately my belief is not about men being forced to behave more as women by society but rather all citizens being influenced to be passive and docile.

BACK ON TOPIC!

Modern pro boxing will only continue if money flows through its veins. Sadly the promoters of boxing dont really love the sport, they only love the money thats associated with it so if the revenue potential dives, they will act like any business man would and leave for new pastures. Boxing will continue but maybe the emphasis would switch to Olympic / amateur boxing TBH the sport needs marketable characters. Even team sports need star players and MMA is the same. Imagine MMA with no Wandy's, Coutures, Robbie Lawler or Crazy horse Bennet!

[atapp21]

samurai6string, Zefff,

I was just wondering what was meant by a feminized society and by your definition I could not argue against your points. We are becoming to wussified.

Now I don't believe that Olympic style boxing would ever be a major draw. Too many flaws with the scoring. A jab and power punch are treated the same, riduculous.

[zefff]

Im not saying we will have amateur boxing on saturday night pay per view. Just that when the big promoters and TV networks finally jump ship, the only other big draw I see for young atheletes is the Olympics. Maybe the belts will still be a draw for young pro fighters?

As for us being "wussified", well yes we are but the bigger problem for me is the killing of spirit. I dont watch much TV but I really dislike these shows you get where you sit and experience the world and its challenges through other people. You know...the ones where someone goes to the rainforest or to some strange foreign culture or they go bungee jumping....or they fight people, have hot sex, run from the police etc.

[atapp21]

Ultimately as long as there are people who enjoy the stand up game, and that's a lot, we will have boxing around. It's the sweet science! In order for boxing to truly die those athletes who become boxers will have to be wooed away to other sports like mma.