[Cshel86]

I don't know about the rest of the boxing fans out there, but waiting for two big names to save the sport, is killing it. Some fighters are depending on "The Big Fight" before they start to step on the gas. Whatever happened to "everybody fighting everybody"? I was proud to be a boxing fan in the era of De La Hoya, Trinidad, Vargas, Wright, Forrest, Mosley, Mayorga, Hopkins, Taylor, etc. They all fought each other and convincingly worked their way towards big fights, and gave fans something to talk about.

We now have a nearly failed 140 lb division that was very promising, a shakey Welterweight division (still a lot of money in it though) and inexperienced/relatively unknown fighters trying to cash out by begging for fights with the big name fighters. Again, when the two big names hang 'em up, where will the sport be? Will we be proud to watch fighters who stepped it up and earned the top spot, or will we be stuck with guys who got recognized by default?

[caneman]

I don't know about the rest of the boxing fans out there, but waiting for two big names to save the sport, is killing it. Some fighters are depending on "The Big Fight" before they start to step on the gas. Whatever happened to "everybody fighting everybody"? I was proud to be a boxing fan in the era of De La Hoya, Trinidad, Vargas, Wright, Forrest, Mosley, Mayorga, Hopkins, Taylor, etc. They all fought each other and convincingly worked their way towards big fights, and gave fans something to talk about.

We now have a nearly failed 140 lb division that was very promising, a shakey Welterweight division (still a lot of money in it though) and inexperienced/relatively unknown fighters trying to cash out by begging for fights with the big name fighters. Again, when the two big names hang 'em up, where will the sport be? Will we be proud to watch fighters who stepped it up and earned the top spot, or will we be stuck with guys who got recognized by default?

All depends...funny, I mean this could about fall right under my ABC thread cause they have so much to do with it! Until the best fight the best regularly, it's a mess and then there's the subject of judges and promoters and so much more!

[caneman]

sorry DP

This post has been edited by caneman: Aug 22 2011, 12:21 PM

[Eighty88Eight]

Boxing is going the way of the dodo, is where it's going. I don't think there has ever been a time when there has been less marketable talent in boxing. Aside from Pac and Mayweather, can anybody generate 300,000 buys in the USA? I'm not sure anybody can, and the guys that have a shot at that number (Cotto, Marquez against a name opponent) are damaged goods. What's worse is that there really isn't anybody on the horizon that lights the world on fire.

[Cshel86]

Yeah these sanctioning bodies are doing what they want to do, and putting these "mandatories"(relatively unknown fighters) on the schedule for "mandatory reasons" obviously. Another point that was brought up concerned the amount of buys that these guys aren't capable of producing, which makes for a devastating situation in the sport. 300,000 is a lot of buys...especially for fighters who cant even fill up a 2000 seat venue. The older fighters/possibly damaged goods fighters are still carrying the load and putting their health on the line at the same time, while the inexperienced/no-seat filling fighters beg for a "big fight". When Erik Morales wiggled his way back in and became the first fighter in this "promising" 140 lb division to headline a PPV in years, that let me know everything that I needed to know about where the sport was going. The fight was great by the way...

This post has been edited by cshel86: Aug 22 2011, 12:41 PM

[PlayaPartner]

It is mostly due to Promoters. If a promoter will only let his fighters fight, fighters under the same promotional banner you will have lack luster talent. Some promoters need to retire they are 80 plus years old and need to go the way of the dinosaurs.

[gravytrain]

whatever makes the most sense for promoters is where boxing is going. i think that after Mayweather and Pac are gone the top earner spot will be going to hype jobs that got their career created and never really put the work in. look at a fighter like Alvarez, people say his quality of opposition is going to improve but why do that when he's going to get paid and get dates on HBO anyway? the fans aren't going to do anything, they didn't stop Berto from making a million dollars to fight cans.

[EAlbian]

whatever makes the most sense for promoters is where boxing is going. i think that after Mayweather and Pac are gone the top earner spot will be going to hype jobs that got their career created and never really put the work in. look at a fighter like Alvarez, people say his quality of opposition is going to improve but why do that when he's going to get paid and get dates on HBO anyway? the fans aren't going to do anything, they didn't stop Berto from making a million dollars to fight cans.

Berto and Alvarez are entirely different animals. Alvarez actually can fill a stadium and sell out shows, Berto was unknown by a lot of casual fans and only got fights on HBO because of Haymon. Greenberg is gone and I'm hoping that with that so are the days of trading HBO boxing dates for securing Lady Gaga and other pop star concerts on HBO.

Alvarez is only 21 and It would be wrong for GBP to rush this kid into a fight that he's not ready for. He has easily 10 years in the game left and had a very limited amateur career, I would hate to see him end up like Vargas.

I think Gomez is a step up for him, he's durable and has some skills(looked pretty good against Sotto-Karras). I'd like to see him in there with someone like Mosley(someone experienced with a name) or even K9 next and then look for the winner of Vanes v Angulo. After those 2 fights i think he's ready for Cotto/Margarito winner.

I think right now GBP has three potential stars to carry the sport after Floyd and Manny(Khan, Ortiz, Alvarez). I think all of them can make for good fights against each other.

If Top Rank and GBP are really serious about matching their fighters(hasn't happened yet, not any of their good crop at least) then I think boxing will be just fine.

If good fighters fight other good fighters the sport can turn itself around. GBP has a good young stable and it seems like they are willing to match their young(er) fighters tough(Guerrero vs Maidana)(Ortiz vs Berto)(Khan vs Maidana)(Deleon vs Broner) and that's what boxing needs.

[Cshel86]

It is mostly due to Promoters. If a promoter will only let his fighters fight, fighters under the same promotional banner you will have lack luster talent. Some promoters need to retire they are 80 plus years old and need to go the way of the dinosaurs.

(IMG:style_emoticons/default/laugh.gif)

[Cshel86]

whatever makes the most sense for promoters is where boxing is going. i think that after Mayweather and Pac are gone the top earner spot will be going to hype jobs that got their career created and never really put the work in. look at a fighter like Alvarez, people say his quality of opposition is going to improve but why do that when he's going to get paid and get dates on HBO anyway? the fans aren't going to do anything, they didn't stop Berto from making a million dollars to fight cans.

I can truly understand promoters wanting to look out for themselves and make sure that their cash cow(s) retains their marketability. I'm believe Im more upset with the fact that these fighters lack personality, and when they are matched against quality opposition that will raise their stock, they lay an egg (Alexander/Bradley) (Alexander/Matthysse) (Khan/Judah). The promoter can only do so such, but if the fighter isn't giving the promoter something to "promote", then that fighter deserves to fight tomato cans and beg for big fights. I was a ashamed at how Ortiz proved to the world that this new wave of attention he is getting is too much for him. How can you sit there and let your opponent help you to promote yourself during a Face-Off? Though I feel this way about Ortiz and that Face-Off, he is the only young star that I feel deserves this shot right about now...everybody else still has work to do.