20.05.05 – By Andy Meacock: Boxing has been given many nicknames over the years, some call it the ‘sweet science’ but most still refer to it as the ‘noble art’. There was a time when boxing was considered to be one of the most prominent mainstream sports in America. It’s had an influence of a number of serious social issues in society at that time such as the development of civil rights and it was also significant in major struggles like the Second World War. As regards the Second World War, I of course refer to a fight between Joe Louis and Max Schmeling which proved to the world that there is no such thing as the superior race.
Since the days of Joe Louis, Rocky Marciano and other legendary fighters from that era the sport has become more commercial. As with everything money has brought politics, dirty politics in some cases and we have seen the emergence of corruption in a sport that was meant to embody courage, discipline and hard work. The core beauty of the sport has been smeared by these scandals and it seems to have lost credibility amongst the mainstream and perhaps even amongst some fans. As an end result there are fewer networks that are prepared to commit to this great sport.
So how did it get so bad?.
Was it when Pay Per View was created?, was it the perceived contoversy that the likes of Don King and Bob Arum brought?, the many alphabet world titles?, or is it the well publicized injuries caused by poor regulations and badly sanctioned commissions?. In truth, I feel it’s partly because of all these things and many others that I’ve declined to mention.
Boxing is approaching a tough time. The two biggest active Pay Per View fighters Mike Tyson and Oscar de la Hoya are nearing retirement, Tito Trinidad has just retired, Lennox Lewis is retired and the likes of Shane Mosley, Roy Jones Jr, Bernard Hopkins, Marco Antonio Barrera, Erik Morales and other prominent fighters of the last ten to fifteen years are at the tail end of their careers.
So how will this void be filled?
A real danger boxing faces in these modern times is the recent emergence of Mixed Martial Arts (MMA). MMA was first introduced to America on the 12th November 1993 in the form of the Ultimate Fighting Championship. This was considered to be more of a spectacle than a sport in those days as the fights were staged in a steel cage, the fighters fought bare knuckle and you would witness bizarre matches between the likes of sumo wrestlers against karate practitioners. Things have moved on though and MMA is gaining real credibility in America. The fights are monitored by the likes of the Nevada State Athletic Commission, there are quality athletes participating and the shows are staged in huge arenas like the MGM Grand and Mandalay Bay casinos.
So what is MMA?
MMA is a combat sport that is staged either in a cage or in a ring. The rules vary slightly depending on the organisation but essentially MMA is a sport that incorporates all aspects of fighting from punches, kicks, takedowns, slams and submissions. It’s considered by many to be the most unpredictable combat sport as fights can end quickly in various different ways and some consider MMA to be the most similar combat sport to street fighting.
Advantages?
MMA has some advantages over boxing at this stage as it is that it is still a new sport and therefore there have been no scandals, no deaths and there is no sleaze feel to it.
Modern entertainment has brought us reality tv shows, both boxing and MMA have been quick to ride this bandwagon. Boxing brought us Sylvester Stallone’s ‘The Contender’ and ‘The Next Great Champ’. Both of these shows have drawn disappointing viewing figures in America and not lived up to their expectations. In contrast to that, America recently saw a show called, ‘The Ultimate Fighter’ which was tentively scheduled late in the evening on the Spike TV network. The ratings exceeded what had been expected and there is already filming taking place for another season.
Conclusion
There is a bright horizon for MMA, whilst the future of boxing is not clear. What is clear is that there needs to be change in boxing to bring people back to the sport. This needs to start in the heavyweight division. The heavyweight division has always been the most popular division and it is still the glamour division. Boxing needs there to be a champion at heavyweight, there are currently four title holders but no clear champion, this division must be unified. This is just one obvious improvement or many that must be implemented.
This writers view is that boxing will never die out as there will always be diehard fans out there who love the sport but the industry does need to change or the fears it has about MMA could come true…