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While boxing is still a popular sport, it seems to have lost the interest of many fans, particularly in America. The arrival on the scene of so-called exhibition matches, pitting various characters of all ages and backgrounds against each other seems to have caught the eye of the public far more than regular boxing matches lately.
Because of the advertising surrounding these fights, the money earned by the fighters in these bouts and the vast scale of betting that takes place at casinos online helps to fuel this craze, taking away from the glorious world of top-class boxing.
Some big fights are coming up that are being eagerly anticipated, but sometimes even these are not the fights the public wants to see. For example, while the people are baying to see British fighters Tyson Fury and Anthony Joshua get in the ring in a battle it out, mandatory title defences or rematch clauses have taken priority thus setting back a potential fight for the ages. So where else is boxing going wrong?
The arrival of the Ultimate Fighting Championship(UFC) has certainly drawn fans away from boxing. All styles of mixed martial arts are catered for here and the fights can be very exciting. Although the matches can be decided by points, fighters usually attack each other regularly to try and end the fight.
There is not so much emphasis on standing off or being cautious. Add into the mix highly promotable characters like Conor McGregor, whose star is on the wane but can’t help leaving you feeling entertained. In this sport, they also don't shy away from making the fights the fans wish to see happen with a constant stream of events pitting the closest challengers against one another.
Boxing fans just don't feel entertained by the sport anymore. Being a spectator sport, it has to keep the fans happy, as wrestling does, or they will simply turn off. The days of exciting fighters seem to have gotten rarer, the chances of seeing a high profile knock out or two fighters going hammer and tongs at each other appear to be over as fighters take great care to avoid any damage to themselves and are happy to sit back on the defensive.
A good example of this is Floyd Mayweather Jr. While a great boxer, fans got bored as his fights proceeded in a pretty similar style, winning on points, but very rarely a knockout. Fans long for another Wladimir Klitschko who gave their all, such as in his fight against Anthony Joshua, despite losing.
Currently, there are quite a few belts available for heavyweights to do battle over. This is why Joshua and Fury are keen to fight as Joshua holds the IBF, IBO, WBA and WBO belts with Fury holding the WBC title. These separate groupings have been making understanding boxing difficult for a while now. The average fan would just prefer if the best heavyweight was the real world champion.
Whoever is second best is next in line for a title shot, really simple. It used to be like this in boxing before, but now the waters are a little murkier and this allowed the UFC for example to creep in as they arrange these types of fights and are more open to having an entertaining range of fighters involved. People are confused as to just who exactly is the heavyweight champion. The number of belts giving the impression there are currently two champions simply doesn't help.
Fans of previous generations may remember Muhammed Ali battling Joe Frazier or more recently Manny Pacquiao squaring off against Juan Manuel Marquez four times. Mike Tyson against Evander Holyfield guaranteed controversy. Yet now it appears there simply aren't any massive rivalries anymore. These added tensions seemed to add to the round atmosphere of the fight and keep fans interested. For now, it seems to be run more like an unemotional business that seems to bore the fans.
Boxing needs some proper characters and of course, the rivalry between them to add into the mix would be great. While there was not a huge rivalry between them, Floyd Mayweather Jr. vs Manny Pacquiao was eagerly awaited as a boxing battle of the times in 2015. Billed as the Fight of the Century, it disappointed on all fronts as both fighters were far too wary of each other and losing, casually sparring to a finish of a points decision in favour of Mayweather.
When boxing fights were shown on normal cable channels, it had a far bigger audience base. People were interested and it was easier to watch. Now, while vast amounts of money flow into the sport, it must be said that the numbers that are watching are down. These fights can be pricey to order and indeed at times can be a major disappointment to the average fan. If there is a quick knockout, it could be a very expensive night for very little time.
Even more frustrating could be the boxers perceived lack of effort as they stroll through 12 rounds of a fight you have paid for. Yet, pay per view appears to be here to stay. Even if the fights do attract fewer people watching, it can still be a major boost to boxing's coffers. Fighters have benefited massively from this and it is surprising to hear some boxers don't get paid that much.
Another thing missing from boxing is the presence of a truly great heavyweight fighter. Seen as the recognised of all the divisions, it is felt there hasn't been any genuine champion in quite a while. Even Wladimir Klitschko has his doubters as he didn't really face any top-class fighter during his long spanning reign at the top. Perhaps Fury or Joshua will put up a good fight, but whether or not either will be judged as greats is highly debatable.
They will have to navigate their upcoming fights first before getting the chance to face each other. With Joshua facing mandatory challenger Oleksandr Uysk and Fury having a very tough rematch against Deontay Wilder, they must come through these fights unscathed to ensure the highest level of interest from the public. While both fighters are heavy favourites for these matches at online betting sites, as all gamblers know, that doesn't mean that a shock defeat won't happen.
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