Calzaghe: Boxing on the ropes

by yardbird on Dec 10, 2008 7:53 PM EST Comment 16 comments

Saw this on ESPN.com y'all.

I think this is one of the biggest questions facing the sport today and worth finding out everyone's opinion on it.

"I think boxing is a dying sport. Globally -- in America for instance -- you've got UFC, which has taken a lot off boxing, business-wise," Calzaghe said, referring to the mixed martial arts Ultimate Fighting Championship.

Personally, I agree with Calzaghe, but I want to see what you all think.

FanPosts do not necessarily reflect the views of the editors of Bad Left Hook or SB Nation. They might, though.

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I call BS.

by RoyalB on Dec 10, 2008 8:29 PM EST reply actions 0 recs

I think Joe's explaining his own lack of popularity in the U.S.

Joe Cal isn’t popular in the U.S. and isn’t popular with me, because of his style.

He may have a point as far as the UFC, but that only detracts the ‘scene’ boxing fans. Scene boxing fans are those that show up at a fight or watch a fight because of the attention it creates or draws to that person.

Boxing has declined, but I don’t think that it is declining right now. It must share a market with the UFC but only for those marginal scene viewers. I think boxing as a commercial entity is viable.

My real question, as MMA rises, is where will boxing get the competitors? Compare a boxing gym to an MMA gym and the MMA gym has a much more welcoming feel to the newcomer, and maybe more importantly, to the newcomer’s parents. Class format, concrete scheduling, names like: “self-defense for kids”. Sounds better than a salvation army basketball gym, though I’m much more a fan of the latter.

the sport isn’t dying, I’m not a fan of Super-Joe, I think he’s commenting on his own failures in the U.S. market. However, I do question if we’ll still have U.S. competitors in boxing. Kind of like baseball. Kids don’t play baseball like they used to either, we still watch it though.

by lcollins1 on Dec 10, 2008 9:39 PM EST reply actions 0 recs

I'm not the only one, but boxing is making the turn back up..

I’ve trained in both boxing gyms and as of late, MMA gyms. I learned more and felt more accomplished in my time at the boxing gym than I did at the MMA gym I use to train at. My boxing coach gave me great one on one instruction and showed more attention, gave more motivation to be better. The MMA gym felt like my first day of college… I was just another face in the crowd…. the owners of the MMA gym convinced me that they would take me to the moon and back but the moment I signed on the dotted line… I was just another 100 bucks a month to them. Sadly that good ol boxing gym has since closed and my old coach has retired. I can’t find another boxing gym anywhere close to where I live… especially with the great coaching I received. I’m definitely ashamed of leaving, I fell for the “trend”. I bought into the whole “boxing is a dead sport” and that “mma is the future”, was a huge mistake.

I’ve luckily seen the light, from the conversations that I’ve been having with other boxers that I’ve met up with in my town…. people are starting to see that boxing isn’t dead and its gonna make a huge upturn back to the top. I feel that Pacquiao vs DLH is just the beginning…. that fight forced people to take notice again and the fights that come after that will just make things bigger and better.

by Gunslinger20 on Dec 15, 2008 9:35 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs

similar circumstances

I’m somewhat in the same boat. I boxed for a while, then moved to MMA. Certainly not as enjoyable. I like boxing more, I like watching it more. I guess I’m in the gym I’m in because it offers a change of pace, different day different skill to practice. It is a bit like: ’you’ve got a phone and you’ve got a camera. There each good separately, but when you put them together you’ve generally got a shitty phone and a shitty camera’. I don’t know…

by lcollins1 on Dec 16, 2008 3:13 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs

I agree 100%

Plus, I hated dudes constantly trying to grab my junk whenever we’d do that “rolling” for BJJ. Just made me uncomfortable and it sucked cuz I couldn’t hit them for doing it.

Its ok though, luckily I’ve found a few buddies around where I live that are in the same situation as me and we just train and spar in a basement. Its dirty… but hey….beggers can’t be choosers.

by Gunslinger20 on Dec 16, 2008 3:39 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs

lol

the worst is if one dude isn’t wearing a cup…I almost throw up, just brutal

by lcollins1 on Dec 16, 2008 3:43 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs

been there...

I immediately came home to my wife and reminded her that she married a man… lol.

There is just something not right about wrestling with dudes in some positions. I could never get over it and thats probably why I never got good at it. Having someone grab me in a “no no, well for them at least” and not be able to hit them…. just didn’t seem fair.

by Gunslinger20 on Dec 16, 2008 3:51 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs

I said enough

at the North/South position…. i said, thats it… I’m done.

by Gunslinger20 on Dec 16, 2008 3:52 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs

Boxing isn’t dead. Boxing isn’t dying. Boxing doesn’t need saving. Calzaghe’s lone attempt at promoting a card may not have gone so hot, but most times out promoters are making money. Yes, even on the American cards. Joe is a great fighter, but I don’t think he knows his ass from a hole in the ground about the business side.

"Yesterday I was lying, today I am telling the truth." -- Bob Arum

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by SC on Dec 10, 2008 11:14 PM EST reply actions 0 recs

I got a chance to watch Calzaghe vs Jones, Jr

With all the fights I’ve been watching the last week and a half or so…. I didn’t really see anything impressive. Both great fighters, just no real excitement for me.

by Gunslinger20 on Dec 15, 2008 9:36 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs

well

Jones is well past it and Calzaghe is often hard to get into because as many times as his opponents can say his punches do hurt, if you’re just watching it’s hard to say they look like they do. Joe’s a great boxer and something of a brilliant tactician (in my opinion) but certainly not an action star. Jones turned into his punching bag.

"Yesterday I was lying, today I am telling the truth." -- Bob Arum

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by SC on Dec 16, 2008 3:01 AM EST up reply actions 0 recs

It was not the Roy Jones, Jr that I remembered

Thats for sure. Its just really sad when these guys just don’t know when to let go and stop. Say what you will about Lennox Lewis… but at least he knew when to walk away.

by Gunslinger20 on Dec 16, 2008 3:41 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs

Calzaghe-Jones was a shit fight the minute they signed the contract

And everyone knew it. That’s as much of a reason why nobody bought the fight as anything else.

Vogt early, Vogt often.

by Brickhaus on Dec 16, 2008 4:15 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs

Calzaghe is an idiot but that is just me…

by Zocalo on Dec 12, 2008 12:17 AM EST reply actions 0 recs

I don’t think Joe is an idiot, and I’ve frequently defended him on this site. Nevertheless, I think he is making a thoughtless and defensive remark with this comment. Boxing, if anything, is making a small comeback, and there is no evidence to prove that MMA is the problem for it what ails it: in reality, boxing was suffering well before the rise of MMA. The more likely cause is an anemic heavyweight division.

by Matt Miller on Dec 12, 2008 4:59 PM EST reply actions 0 recs

This, in large part

But other than the cancellation of Solo Boxeo and WNF, there’s little evidence that boxing is worse off than it was 5 years ago. Most of the numbers for boxing are up overall. MMA might be growing faster because it’s new, but (a) it’s still not bigger than boxing, (b) it has a long ways to catch up outside of a few markets, and © the big boxing PPVs still gross more than the big MMA PPVs, DESPITE, the MMA PPVs having better production values and more evenly matched fights. Boxing promoters have a lot ot learn from UFC and even WWE, but boxing isn’t dying quite yet. It’s out of the mainstream here, but overall it’s more popular than it was a few years ago.

Vogt early, Vogt often.

by Brickhaus on Dec 16, 2008 4:18 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs