Boxing may be done, all hail MMA

[Kenpojujitsu3]

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/18445713/

 

[Thesemindz]

I think Boxing as it was in it's heyday, when everyone knew the heavyweight champions and held their breath in anticipation of the next big fight, is on it's way out. I think that UFC has something to do with this, but I think most of the blame has to go on boxing itself. It's become so fragmented that it's hard for fans to maintain their interest. There's 6 or 7 heavyweight champions of the world right now. If there were 6 NFLs or 6 MLBs, those sports would suffer too. People care about the Super Bowl Champion, but how much would people care if there were 6 different World Champions in baseball. It causes the sport to lose credibility.

I don't think boxing is going to disappear. I think it will always be a real sport, and a real martial art. I think young men will be drawn to it and will continue to respect its history and its tradition, but I think it's on the decline. I think more interesting and dynamic combat sports, like kickboxing and MMA, are on the rise, and as their star ascends, boxing's will fall. But don't count boxing out yet. It's filled with come back stories. If Foremean could come back to win the title, boxing might have a resurgance some day. Maybe people will tire of the complexity of MMA and desire a simpler, more constrained form of combat. Then again, maybe it will be like Tyson's comeback, and an old, infirm loser will rise up to get immediatly knocked back down by those who follow in it's footsteps.


-Rob

 

[Andrew Green]

People care about the Super Bowl Champion,

I think you mean "Grey Cup"

but how much would people care if there were 6 different World Champions in baseball. It causes the sport to lose credibility.

...People care about Baseball

(I think my Canadian is showing )

 

[Kenpojujitsu3]

I think Boxing as it was in it's heyday, when everyone knew the heavyweight champions and held their breath in anticipation of the next big fight, is on it's way out. I think that UFC has something to do with this, but I think most of the blame has to go on boxing itself. It's become so fragmented that it's hard for fans to maintain their interest. There's 6 or 7 heavyweight champions of the world right now. If there were 6 NFLs or 6 MLBs, those sports would suffer too. People care about the Super Bowl Champion, but how much would people care if there were 6 different World Champions in baseball. It causes the sport to lose credibility.

I don't think boxing is going to disappear. I think it will always be a real sport, and a real martial art. I think young men will be drawn to it and will continue to respect its history and its tradition, but I think it's on the decline. I think more interesting and dynamic combat sports, like kickboxing and MMA, are on the rise, and as their star ascends, boxing's will fall. But don't count boxing out yet. It's filled with come back stories. If Foremean could come back to win the title, boxing might have a resurgance some day. Maybe people will tire of the complexity of MMA and desire a simpler, more constrained form of combat. Then again, maybe it will be like Tyson's comeback, and an old, infirm loser will rise up to get immediatly knocked back down by those who follow in it's footsteps.


-Rob

I'd second this.

 

[tellner]

The sleaze and corruption in boxing are legendary and have hurt it badly. So did the sport's unwillingness to adapt to changing conditions, especially new media. For a long time, and I hate to say this even though it's true, the lack of prominent White champions hurt boxing badly in the US at a critical time.

 

[mrhnau]

For a long time, and I hate to say this even though it's true, the lack of prominent White champions hurt boxing badly in the US at a critical time.

Not White. American English speakers. I'd even narrow it down to English Speakers.I don't think people cared that Ali, De La Hoya, Frazier, Foreman, Tyson, Holyfield were not Caucasians...Hard to relate to someone through a translator though...

 

[Thesemindz]

I think you mean "Grey Cup"



...People care about Baseball

(I think my Canadian is showing )

HAHA! You snotty kanucks. Always think you've got the answers! But without us, you'd never have such icons as

Kim Cattrall, Will Sasso, Jennifer Tilly, Michael Buble, James Doohan, Jason Priestly, Ryan Stiles, Nelly Furtado, Steve Nash, Elisha Cuthbert, The Hart brothers Bret and Owen, Todd McFarlane, Bruce McCulloch, K.d. Lang, Tommy Chong, Michael J. Fox, Robert Goulet, Joni Mitchell, Gordie Howe, Ashley Banfield, Monty Hall, Roddy Piper, Neil Young, Wayne Gretzky, Phil Hartman, Ryan Gosling, Neve Campbell, Martin Short, Bryan Adams, Alan Thicke, Lennox Lewis, Jenny Jones, Avril Lavigne, Scott Thompson, Dan Akroyd, Brendan Fraser, Tom Green, Peter Jennings, Alanis Morissette, Sandra Oh, Matthew Perry, Rachel McAdams, Shania Twain, Paul Shaffer, John Candy, Jim Carrey, David Cronenberg, Dave Foley, Corey Haim, Howie Mandel, Lorne Michaels, Colin Mochrie, Rick Moranis, Mike Meyers, Catherine O'Hara, Raffi Cavoukian, Amazing Randi, Kiefer Sutherland, Hayden Christensen, Elvis Stojko, Kevin McDonald, Caroline Rhea, The Great William Shatner, Sarah McLachlan, not to mention great bands like Skinny Puppy, Loverboy, Nickleback, Bachman-Turner Overdrive, Crash Test Dummies, The Guess Who, Five Man Electrical Band, The Band, Barenaked Ladies, Our Lady Peace, Platinum Blonde, Rush, Steppenwolf, Sum 41, and Men Without Hats. Safety dance man, safety dance.

I won't even bring up that without us you wouldn't have snowmobiles, chainsaws, hockey, ice fishing, fir trees, salmon, bears, dog sleds, huskies, cabin fever, avalanches, or waterfalls. I won't belabor the point by describing how our country has protected you from Mexico for hundreds of years, while your pot smoking hippies continue to flood out of the forests of your country and across our northern border. I won't mention that without us, you wouldn't have developed a higher understanding of math, engineering, physics, architecture, plumbing, mechanics, science, and medicine. I'll be nice and not point out that our nuclear submarines are the only thing which stand between Canadia and total annhiilation at the hands of the red chinese.

I don't have to state the obvious.


-Rob


Pfff... Grey Cup...

 

[Kenpojujitsu3]

http://msn.foxsports.com/boxing/story/6772742?MSNHPHMA