(Photo by Yahoo! Sports)
There was a time in the late 80's and early to mid 90's where professional boxing was at an apex and most Saturday nights were spent on shelling over $50 dollars to see the best and most marketable talent in the industry. Promoters like Don King would entice viewers to see great boxers in events that would be talked about for yours. Even before that, Ali vs. Frazier is the most talked about rivalry in the history of ANY sport. Those were the days.
Now, at present day, boxing has become a sideshow. Tomorrow is going to be the apex of a bout that not many people wanted, Jake Paul vs. Mike Tyson. Many establishments here are carrying this with a cover, of course. Sure, it's going to pay both men some serious dough and it will generate revenue out of the wazoo, but what at what cost? The YouTuber millionaire squares off against a man considered the most feared competitor in history.......who is pushing 60. This is where we are at now.
It doesn't take a historian to know that the names Muhammed Ali, Joe Frazier, George Foreman, Sugar Ray, Roberto Duran, Riddick Bowe, Evander Holyfield, Lennox Lewis, Oscar De La Hoya, Money Mayweather.....you get the point, boxing has always been about name recognition. This brought people to see them and have said people shell out the green to watch the events. Boxing events were also easy access on cable TV to see the future stars of the sport. Right now, one name that popped in everyone's head is Canelo, that's it. Maybe Tyson Fury or Deontay Wilder has, but the money is always when Canelo is on the card. Cable availability is also dwindling since not many cable networks carry coverage of it anymore. The proof is when Showtime, who aired boxing for 37 years, decided to stop airing boxing. You can give money to ESPN+, DAZN or Dish Network to see it, but it's a crab shoot at this point.
If there is one daring reason why boxing isn't the option that is once was, mixed martial arts and particularly, the UFC, has eclipsed it in many avenues. On Saturday nights, many fight fans will throw capital at the events since it is now established many of the time that would have been for boxing. Also, the fact that ESPN+ airs the UFC events on every Saturday makes the two parties a lot of money, which leaves boxing out in the cold.
I know you are saying, "A.J, this is the only way that boxing can make money, and it draws interest." I know and its sad. Jake Paul is not the conventional boxer who worked his way through the ranks to gain respectability. He has the capital to do what he can to finance a boxing career and the notoriety to convince older boxers and MMA guys to compete with him. I mean, look at the other big boxing events recently, the long overdue Mayweather vs. Pacquiao dream bout, the Conor MacGregor vs. Mayweather hype fest and the Mayweather vs Paul clunker, boxing has been subdued to hot shot gimmick bouts to draw attention. So, why does Mayweather and Tyson do these bouts? Simple, they get paid handsomely and don't lose any creditability since they are old.
So, I hope everyone enjoys the money-making guilt fest known as Paul vs. Tyson tomorrow night. This is where we are at now.
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