Boxings Last Round

Last Saturday tens of thousands of people slapped down 60 dollars to watch Oscar De La Hoya and Floyd Mayweather Jr fight it out in what was supposed to be the bought to save boxing. While the match raked in roughly 120 million dollars, it did nothing to help the struggling sport. The fight itself was dull and predictable, with Mayweather playing hit and run while De La Hoya struggled to land the knockout punch early then tried to avoid getting KO'd himself in later rounds. While boxings most vocal supporters have been singing the praises of this fight, most people have merely shrugged their shoulders. Frankly, they should.

Look, I like boxing, I watched it often while growing up. I watched Holyfield, Tyson and Lewis in their primes. I could sit back and look at Bernard Hopkins fights for hours, marveling at how he studied an opponents style during a fight then dissected him in later rounds. Or smirk as Lennox Lewis delivered yet another beating to a loudmouthed youngster who had never faced off with a pure pugilist. For all this, however, I can't watch boxing anymore. There are more weight classes and organizations then I can count, and fewer and fewer title defenses. In fact, the more belts a fighter obtains, the less you see him in the ring. No one really studies boxing anymore outside of the hardcore fans because bosing gives people no reason to, which is why so many found last weekends fight so dull.

Mayweather is a masterful defensive fighter, able to block punches, deliver blows then back away before his opponent can even think of counter-punching. Thing is, it's dull as hell to watch. Mayweather relies on hit and run tactic, delivering punches my pregnant sister would shrug off and relying on the scorecard to hand him wins. Those who tout the "sweet science" prop this up as proof of how technically sound boxers are. I'm not taking anything away from Mayweathers skills, but let's face it nobody outside of the hardcore boxing circles could watch that fight and be entertained.

This is all further compounded by boxings own corruptness. The scoring in title fights is shady to down right greasy. With Mayweathers split decision win(it should have been unanimous) a re-match is already being whispered about. But would half as many people actually pay to see that fight again? Hell no. No matter how loud commentators like TSNs Russ Anber shout, boxing is falling to the way side.

Of course the truest measure of just how far boxing has fallen was shown just after the fight ended when HBO boxing commentator Jim Lampley took the time to deliver yet another rant against UFC and other mixed martial arts. On top of that, Mayweather had some harsh words for MMA, saying people went there when they failed at boxing. Andrew Siciliano of FSR has repeatedly trashed UFC, acting like it's some sort of flash in the pan, flavor of the week type of combative sport. Don't these people wish.

In reality UFC is destroying boxing. Last year Dana Whites promotions took in over 200 million in PPV profits, breaking the old record set by boxing. Boxing has had two failed attempts at reality shows with both De La Hoya and good old Sly Stallone each trying their hands at getting boxing back into the lime light. Both shows were utter failures while UFCs Ultimate Fighter series is in it's 5th successful season. The last three main events in UFC PPVs have ended in upsets. The fights themselves are fast, furious and unpredictable and people can't get enough. Sitting in a bar watching Ortiz/Shamrock 2 I saw fans young and old, men and women watching, cheering and talking about UFC. Boxing was only brought up to be laughed at.

MMA is doing what boxing seemingly isn't willing to do, give the fans what they want. Fans today don't want long, technical bouts, they want fast paced, exiting, unpredictable slug-fests. They want the fight itself to be more entertaining then the weigh-in or the pre-fight press conference. And most importantly, they want a reason to tune in again. UFC and other MMA promotions give them that, boxing does not.

Pugilist aficionados of course lament that MMA is not a true craft, that there in nothing sound about it, it's just a televised bar brawl. It may have been true a decade ago, but no longer. UFC has taken mixed martial arts to the forefront by giving the fans legit bouts, with discernible weight classes, charismatic fighters and the feeling that they care what the fans think. Watch a UFC fight, if it starts to slow down, the refs will tell the fighters to get moving. If it turns into a mat fight with nothing but slow grappling, the fighters will be brought to their feet and start again. People keep coming back to UFC because it is entertaining, anyone can tune in and fully understand what is going on. Only a handful of those watching could truly appreciate how sublime Floyd Mayweathers skills are, and they will be the only ones paying if there is a re-match.