Boxing Facing Challenge From Mixed Martial Arts
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Hall of Fame trainer Angelo Dundee has a saying for times like these: "Someone always comes along." His theory has rung true for decades. Each time boxing fell out of the mainstream, a star emerged to make the sport matter again. Muhammad Ali, Sugar Ray Leonard, Mike Tyson and Oscar De La Hoya were all viewed as boxing saviors. They possessed that blend of talent, toughness and charisma that enthralled not only boxing fans, but casual sports fans, as well. But what about now? With De La Hoya's talent waning and his career coming to a close, from where will the next star emerge? It may not be easy. Controversy has long courted boxing and it has become increasingly harder to bounce back. To the mainstream media, it has become a niche sport. Thus, the vehicles that once allowed the aforementioned stars to rise - daily newspaper coverage and network television exposure - are scarcely available to boxing. Yet, someone always comes along, right? It is quite possible that boxing's next savior is in the gym right now. He's young, he's tough but now he's forsaken the sweet science and is learning the intricacies of Brazilian jujitsu. Yes, the emergence of mixed martial arts is yet another hurdle in boxing's path back to importance. It's bad enough that boxing contends with the traditional self-inflicted wounds such as the proliferation of world champions and corrupt sanctioning bodies, but mixed martial arts is also vying for the almighty entertainment dollar. The challenge before boxing is steeper than ever. "I think mixed martial arts is a threat to boxing in that it's giving the younger demographic another reason not to become boxing fans," Showtime boxing analyst Steve Farhood said. Some traditionally strong boxing outlets are providing the exposure. There was a time when the Internet was the only place you could read about MMA. It's now appearing in major daily newspapers and it was recently the subject of a Sports Illustrated cover story. There was also a time that boxing was the only sport Showtime televised. The cable network now airs MMA cards. Fox and ESPN report on MMA matches and HBO, boxing's premier cable network, has been in talks with the Ultimate Fighting Championship to televise its events. The MMA emergence began in the early 1990s. It is a sport that combines a variety of fighting techniques - striking, grappling and other forms of martial arts - and its appeal is in its no-holds-barred type of action. It's fast-paced and exciting. But such mayhem is part of the reason the sport remains banned in 30 states, including New York. In 2006, as its popularity grew, the UFC hired former Nevada Boxing Commission chairman Marc Ratner to help establish safety standards and regulate the sport. Now MMA is on the precipice of national acceptance. "I don't understand the attraction of MMA," Farhood said. "But then again, I'm 50; very few people around my age understand it, either, but so many 25-year-olds love it. I think it has to do with instant gratification because the bouts are shorter. I think the fan base is much more middle class and white than it is in boxing." One could debate the merits of boxing versus MMA, but one thing that cannot be debated is the marketing job done by the UFC. connections The title of heavyweight champion was once the most prestigious in all sports. But UFC grapplers are now sitting next to David Letterman and others on the talk circuit. And when the hit HBO show "Entourage" wanted to cast a classic tough guy during a recent episode, it chose the UFC's Chuck Liddell. "The average sports fan's inability to identify the heavyweight champ of the world really hurts boxing," Farhood said. There has long been a belief that, as goes the heavyweight division, so goes boxing. But the names Wladimir Klitschko (IBF heavyweight champion), Oleg Maskaev (WBC), Ruslan Chagaev (WBA) and Sultan Ibragimov (WBO) mean very little to the American sports fan. "Yes, boxing is healthier when there is a heavyweight champion that eveyrone can agree is the champ and he is a compelling fighter," said Nigel Collins, editor-in-chief of The Ring magazine, long considered the bible of boxing. "But anyone who thinks that's the only way to attract fans is not paying attention." Indeed, the May 5, junior middleweight fight between De La Hoya and Floyd Mayweather Jr. generated a record 2.15 million pay-per-view buys for $120 million, on top of a live gate of $19.3 million. One month later, the fight between welterweights Zab Judah and Miguel Cotto drew more than 20,000 to Madison Square Garden. Of the De La Hoya-Mayweather Jr. fight, Farhood said, "It reminded you of how exciting boxing is when the world stops and everyone watches." But good business doesn't always mean good fights and that is where De La Hoya-Mayweather Jr. fell short. It certainly pitted two of the best boxers of this era, but it turned out to be a mediocre fight. "It wasn't the major fight that we expected it to be," former light-heavyweight champion Roy Jones Jr. said. "They expected that explosion and that explosion never happened. You can never tell. Whoever thought the first Arturo Gatti-Micky Ward fight was going to turn out to be [as great as] it was?" Jones Jr., a world champion in five weight classes, said he often watches UFC matches. "They have the best fighters fighting the best fighters and that's what boxing needs," he said. "You can never tell what will happen in a fight. Look at the last Chuck Liddell fight . Bam, 10 seconds it was over. They got that explosion they were waiting for." Liddell is one of the UFC's biggest stars. His rematch against Tito Ortiz in December reportedly drew just more than a million pay-per-view buys. That was a UFC record. Though it falls at least a half-million buyers short of boxing's top five pay-per-view telecasts, it is certainly a significant number for a sport basically still in its infancy. Yet, boxing insiders don't seem threatened. "I don't think it will hurt boxing," Jones Jr. said. "I think UFC is a great thing, but boxing just has to get on its game." "Mixed martial arts have a very loyal and faithful following," said Ross Greenburg, president of HBO Sports. "HBO is intrigued to look at this new brand of fighting. I believe that boxing will be unaffected by mixed martial arts. In fact, maybe we can introduce each sport to the other's audience." Added Collins: "I don't think MMA is taking away fans from boxing, I think it's taking away potential new fans." Boxing fans could be rewarded in the coming months. Mayweather Jr. signed to fight Ricky Hatton, middleweight champ Jermain Taylor is defending his title against Kelly Pavlik and Sugar Shane Mosley may be fighting Cotto. All are high-profile bouts. "Big fights are being made and promoters are now joining forces to match the biggest names in the sport," Greenburg said. "The HBO and HBO pay-per-view lineup this fall is as impressive as any we have put together in the last 20 years. Yet, editors who have turned their backs on this vibrant sport continue to ask whether the sport is dying. We at HBO Sports say to all of them, 'Wake up. Look at this lineup of fights and deliver news on these exciting matchups to your faithful boxing fans."' "I think boxing is starting to undergo an upward surge," Collins said. "People in the U.S. have this tendency to think if it's not going on here, it's not important. But boxing is truly an international sport and it's thriving all over the world. And what I have found ironically stupid is how so many media outlets said boxing is dead right after the highest-grossing fight in history." Part of the problem is that matchups like De La Hoya-Mayweather are the exception. While several intriguing fights are scheduled, it may not be enough with the new challenge. Boxing certainly has survived worse. It may not be dead, but MMA is applying a choke hold.
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de la hoya?
i thought he wun even show his face since being defeated by Pacquiao