Why are the big battles not done? Partly because fans are now root for promoters and managers
By: Sean Crose
Jack Dempsey, the legendary heavyweight champion of the 1920s, went three years without defending his title. Needless to say, he lost that title to Gene Tunney in his belated return to the ring. Likewise, John L. Sullivan, the first modern heavyweight champion, went three years without defending his title. When Sullivan finally returned, in 1892, he was most appreciated by “Gentleman” Jim Corbett. The problem here? The fact that famous boxers rarely participate in their chosen profession is nothing new – but there are also huge risks attached to sitting out most of one’s career, such as losing a world championship. .
The truth is that we are at a stage where big fights are simply not done in boxing. Spence-Crawford? Negotiations have failed. Fury-Usyk? The negotiations dragged on. David Garcia? Again, the negotiations dragged on (while the doomsday forecasters began to weigh in). The end of boxing? Are not. A sign of a dysfunctional sport? Absolute. People can reasonably argue that “these are just part of the business” all they want. The entire bureaucracy of the boxing industry now looks terrible. And it is impacting the fans.
Of course, we could go on and on about how boxing is losing popularity. But we have discussed it so much that it is difficult to continue at this point. We know that most Americans don’t know who Canelo Alvarez, Tyson Fury, Ryan Garcia and Errol Spence are. We don’t need another piece of hand-wringing thought focused on such a grim reality. The focus now needs to be on boxing’s remaining fan base, a fan base that is being forgotten.
More importantly, however, it is being divided. While no one can argue that Western society isn’t in a highly fragmented state right now (When was the last time there was a TV show outside of the Super Bowl that EVERYONE watched or at least knew? ), boxing fans themselves seem to find a strange degree of comfort in boxing’s divisive state. It feels like a homecoming to be part of a loyal fanbase of Team Haymon, Team Arum, Team De La Hoya, Team Hearn, or…
In fact, the strange phenomenon of advertising loyalty is preventing advertisers, managers and networks from causing the biggest wars. The sizable fan base on social media provides boxers with a cushion to lean back on when the fights everyone wants don’t come true. Furthermore, it gives the cheerleaders themselves a sense of purpose. Free time can be spent chatting with members of the “other side” on social media instead of actually watching the top matches.
If last year’s Spence-Crawford negotiation failure has taught us anything, it’s that the current fragmented state of boxing doesn’t benefit boxers. While it’s true that Spence and Crawford will most likely become Hall of Fame inductees after they retire, the chances of either boxer becoming a legend in the sport are now slim. much more so than if two men were actually confronting each other in the ring. And that sucks, for the boxers, for the fans, and especially for the sport of boxing.
After all, even the cheerleaders eventually leave the cheerleading squad.
