Kelly Pavlik vs Jermaine Taylor PPV Buys

[LEONARD]

Disappointed to hear that it only did 250k buys...

Can boxing survive?

Discuss

[2centsworth]

Long Term boxing may go the way of tennis where it's glory days are behind it. However, there will still continue to be quality fights. But so far this year, Taylor vs Pavlik, Pacman vs Marquez, Marquez vs Vasquez were all excellent fights. I hope last year wasn't fluke, because boxing did tremendously well in all aspects of the game.

Also, the PPV numbers were about what I expected for Taylor Pavlik II, remember their first fight was on free TV. Taylor Calzaghe should atleast double those PPV totals.

[Evan]

Ok my standard qualifier…boxing was the first sport I followed and I basically gave up on the sport due to its pathetic inability to govern itself. While I passionately follow MMA part of me really hopes boxing gets it back together so I can follow both…but I can't see them ever doing that.

What boxing needs is a polarizing central figure/organization like Dana White and the UFC to put this on track. Dana has a lot of flaws but he is doing this thing right.

Don King could have been that but he is beyond a scumbag and ruined boxing. It is possible Golden Boy Productions could do this but I don't know... in fact I doubt it.

Here is how to save boxing…

I honestly don't think it would be too hard as long as you have the money and conviction to stay the course

You have one organization who simply signs the best 100 best or fighters that are under 25 that nobody knows about across all weight classes

Change the weight classes (in this case eliminate half of them)

Have them fight each other on a regular basis all the while cutting the garbage and re-sign the contracts of the quality fighters and as they grow into stars so does your organization

Keep on signing new guys to cheap contracts and force them to prove themselves

Do the best you can to put on legit fights and protect nobody (sometimes you have to protect a fighter to make money but sooner than later you must risk them)

Get rid of that f-cking body armor they wear around their groin

Smaller gloves

No standing 10 counts so these guys can extend their career and have a brain

So…radical but massive changes need to happen. Stop being MLB by refusing to makes changes. This would take time but if one league did this they would gain attention and 5 or so years down the road would have something massive on your hands.

That is basically what the UFC did.

Flame my post away!!!

[2centsworth]

Ok my standard qualifier…boxing was the first sport I followed and I basically gave up on the sport due to its pathetic inability to govern itself. While I passionately follow MMA part of me really hopes boxing gets it back together so I can follow both…but I can't seem them ever doing that.

What boxing needs is a polarizing central figure/organization like Dana White and the UFC to put this on track. Dana has a lot of flaws but he is doing this thing right.

Don King could have been that but he is beyond a scumbag and ruined boxing. It is possible Golden Boy Productions could do this but I don't know... in fact I doubt it.

Here is how to save boxing…

I honestly don't think it would be too hard as long as you have the money and conviction to stay the course

You have one organization who simply signs the best 100 best or fighters that are under 25 that nobody knows about across all weight classes

Change the weight classes (in this case eliminate half of them)

Have them fight each other on a regular basis all the while cutting the garbage and re-sign the contracts of the quality fighters and as they grow into stars so does your organization

Keep on signing new guys to cheap contracts and force them to prove themselves

Do the best you can to put on legit fights and protect nobody (sometimes you have to protect a fighter to make money but sooner than later you must risk them)

Get rid of that f-cking body armor they wear around their groin

Smaller gloves

No standing 10 counts so these guys can extend their career and have a brain

So…radical but massive changes need to happen. Stop being MLB by refusing to makes changes. This would take time but if one league did this they would gain attention and 5 or so years down the road would have something massive on your hands.

That is basically what the UFC did.

Flame my post away!!!
all good recommendations, but to describe it as "saving" boxing is a bit much. It's better said if you say "improve" boxing. They are still putting on tremendous matches and making millions and they do have some momentum from last year. However, I'll agree more needs to be done in order to regain past glory.

[LEONARD]

I enjoyed Marquez vs Vasquez 2 a couple weeks ago...it was the best fight that night...Strikeforce sucked ass...

[dbreiden83080]

I don't know if boxing can survive long term. The thing is there really are not that many stars left out there that the public loves. De la Hoya is at the end of the road, Mayweather people don't love but they pay to watch him fight says he has maybe 1 or 2 left in him. Klistchko is actually a tremendous Heavyweight but nobody knows him and he has nobody in the division to challenge him with big name status. Cotto is good and a few others but as MMA gets bigger and bigger the problem is more young athletes are aspiring to become MMA fighters, not boxers. So it is going to ge harder and harder for boxing to find that next big rising star. I was a huge boxing fan and i still watch it. Marvin Hagler was one of my all time favorites as was Tommy Hearns, i loved Tyson in the 80's when he was on top. The sport of boxing though as a whole i think has a very shaky future.

[michaelhellfish]

boxings ametuer program is great. a ton of great fighters that are tough. i think boxing is taking a back light now to mma. its not as flashy and for the most part too long of fights compared to mma. i think the general public, wants to see a dude get his head cracked with a flying knee or someone get pounded in the face from a mounted position over a guy being caught with a hook off the jab.

i am not sure if boxing will recover maybe if people decided that mma is too brutal looking, but i dont see that ever happening.

ufc on tv def helped. i think the promoters got a little cocky thinking that they didnt need to put bigger fights on anything but ppv and it bit boxing in the ass. friday night fights for boxing on espn is really the only cable tv i ever see and its on way too late for the west coast so that doesnt get much exposure. boxing on the east coast seems to be doing fairly well. and like i said the lower level pros and ameture program do great out here in california.

do really know where i am getting at with this. dont think boxing will ever be number one in the publics eyes again. not sure if i want it to be. the guys in charge didnt seem to take great care of the sport when it was the number one.

sorry for being all over the place at work while i am typing this.

[michaelhellfish]

also, i think the lack of really great heavy weights like we had in the 80's isnt helping. nobody wants to watch two 140lb guys fight. to a person who doesnt follow boxing that much and maybe watching it at the bar or at the weekend party, they think "i could take that little guy". i have heard that a few times and it makes me shake my head knowing how hard i work and i am trying to cut. and then people will say that about me.

[Evan]

I followed you...well said michaelhellfish. That makes alot of sense.

As far as MMA being too brutal..I wish they would ban "ground and pound" elbows. Cuts look far too viscious.