Fighting Words

"A Boxing Resurrection?
Part 1"

By BMikeA

They say boxing is dead. It isn't the first time that I have heard that in my lifetime of being a fan of the sport. Unfortunately, the one specter that seems to loom over our sport is the success of the UFC and MMA fights in the octagon. I am all for combat sports of any type. A good fight is a good fight. I have heard people debate the merits of the two sports and why MMA is better and so on. I don't agree with the idea of comparing the two sports. Boxing may be an aspect or one of the fighting methods in MMA but a true boxing match showcases skills and fighting styles that will never emerge in an MMA bout. A good give and take boxing match is just as exciting as any other competitive sport out there – and more so when you have truly game fighters competing in the ring. So, for excitement, MMA and boxing, to me, go toe-to-toe. See both on their own merits for being the great spectator sports that they are.
If you want to talk about the impact that the both sports have had, Boxing became a part of our culture in a way that MMA will never have the opportunity to do. We saw some classic fights that put the spotlight on our cultural struggles and reflected the times. I remember learning about the Jack Johnson era of boxing and the challenges of racism. What about when Gerry Cooney was heralded as "The Great White Hope" against the black heavyweight champion Larry Holmes? In the 70's, as Ali lost his title to Leon Spinks, I kept seeing the reference to Ali's stance against participating in the draft during the Vietnam War - his subsequent ouster from boxing for many years during his prime. Boxing was a mirror that showed us things we didn't necessarily want to look at or accept. Sadly, it seems to be that way now too. Confusion and debacle seem to have control over the sport in some key areas.
Going back to the UFC, we see, for better and worse, how an organization brought a cohesive identity to the MMA field. Boxing could learn some lessons from the way that Dana White and his fellows run the organization. Marketing examples, the vibrancy of the sport, and the seeming willingness of great matches to be brought to the viewers, the UFC seems to be delivering each time. By no means do I think everything is right about how the UFC is run but we do need to accept the fact that boxing has a severe identity problem and needs to reconnect with the imagination of the fight fans out there.
How many organizations are there in boxing? Why are we not seeing fights like Mayweather vs. Pacquiao come to life? Sure, it's all about the money etc., but the powers that "rule" boxing have to remember that these are different times and the sport is not in the position it used to be in. The managers and fighters need to understand that the fans want to see the best fighters go at it. We've had "ducking" of worthy opponents all throughout the history of the fight game but the emphasis has to be on excitement and value for the money that is being shelled out. Just because this was acceptable in the past does not mean that it should continue. We need to capture the fire and excitement of having the world’s best warriors bring the excitement and buzz back to the game.
I think there is another problem. Boxing does not seem to be nurturing stars like it once did. Remember when De La Hoya was an Olympic prospect with a real-life story that touched our hearts? Sugar Ray Leonard's rise from Olympic glory? Where are the stories? The fight community is a rabid and passionate one but it is getting smaller. We need to reconnect with the masses with some hard-hitting action that stirs our souls and the imagination. Maybe it is because of the lack of funding for amateur sports or because boxing is not the "media darling" it once was? Again, we don't seem to have those human interest stories before we go into major local and amateur events. Sure people can make a splash if they have a pro fight where they are explosive and make their presence known by putting up a stellar display of their fighting skills. Unfortunately, there just does not seem to be an attachment to them at the levels we once had because we are not seeing these fighters with the same charisma and media savvy some of the champions in recent decades have had.

I think sparking the interest of fans on the local level with great fights can help to change that. Truly making a local fighter a hometown champion that "Anytown, USA" wants to root for, these are the things we can do when we focus on boxing locally. So the task ahead is to find these prospects through the avenue of amateur boxing. Where will the next champion come from? What will their story be?
Can boxing rise to the challenges it faces?

Part 2 of my thoughts will focus on some comments on what our scene is like here in Chicago and what else can be done to harness and promote it.