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Originally Posted by Joey Slugs
not a chance. even as fucked up as the heavyweight division is in boxing, there will always be more fans and up and coming boxers (in all classes).
just think of the TV/PPV deals that boxing has: ESPN, HBO, Fox Sports, Showtime, HBOPPV, ShowtimePPV, and more...
not to mention that boxing is an olypmic sport.
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Boxing coverage is at a downfall right now. You talk about up and coming boxers. Aside from Joe Calzaghe, Ricky Hatton and Manny Pacquiao, there have been no new stars to make any name for themselves in the last few years in the States. People couldn't get behind Vitali Klitchsko or Lamon Brewster. Roy Jones Jnr's day is over. As too is De La Hoya's (who will still draw the same audience but nobody new). Mayweather is perhaps the only U.S fighter people will pay to see and as of this moment, they won't. Okay they have the odd fight that will still sell on PPV like Vargas vs. Mosely but there are ZERO new fans because there are no new stars to get behind.
In Britain, people are behind Hatton, Calzaghe and Amir Khan because Frank Warren just took all his fighters to free TV (Hatton was already a star when he left Warren). Our other big prospects like Scott Harrison, Alex Arthur and David Haye won't draw new fans though. Guys under them have even less hope. Danny Williams KO'd Mike Tyson (okay after his prime but still) and people still don't care about him.
Boxing being an Olympic sport means jack shit too. Who really watches boxing in the Olympics? The only time I ever did was for Amir Khan but that's with a national push behind him. I didn't even give Audley Harrison the time of day and I am a massive boxing fan. The only sport anyone really watches in the Olympics is Track and Field and even that's dead.
MMA is growning by the day. Marc Ratner joining the UFC is a absolutely MASSIVE move. Words can't describe really how big of an impact this is gonna make on MMA. The cloest thing is saying him signing with his credentials is bringing instant legit sports crediblilty to UFC.
Frank Shamrock just sold out a show in San Jose with over 13,000 breaking the highest MMA attendance in the States and probably the biggest paid gate and that was with ZERO TV coverage. Pure word of mouth. That was with 3 names half well known in the MMA world - Shamrock, Cesar Gracie and Daniel Puder of WWE Tough Enough fame (and I can't describe what a big national star I think he is going to become). UFC is gonna break these records in the next 2 months on their next show at the Arrowhead Pond with Tito Ortiz main eventing and the show after that at the Staples Center (Hughes vs. Gracie) will break that record!
MMA will get licensed in New York. More companies will get licensing and TV deals and it's just gonna explode when newspapers finally cover MMA (and Ratner's signing is a push in that direction).
Boxing is dying from dodgy decisions, boring fights and lack of characters. They are attracting no new fans. It might take a while, maybe 1 year, maybe 20 years but MMA is taking over. The minute the Bert Sugar's of the worlds stop writing their boxing columns, MMA is replacing them.