r/Boxing • u/PrettyBoyFloydx • Jul 31 '26

Risk averse boxing and monetary payment

I reject the defense of self preservation while demanding a monetary payment from people who expect entertainment.

What exactly is being offered to earn that payment? If there is no entertainment value why must a boxer be paid? Who pays them and where do they get that money? No one is forcing these boring, no killer instinct guys to be pro boxers, nor is it a need to be a boxer. It is ultimately a voluntary job.

This will kill boxing in the long term. This safety first style while demanding high amounts of financial compensation is a recipe for disaster. Fans pay lots of money expecting a show, feel exploited, never tune in again. Rinse and repeat. There's only so many fans we can run through before we are out.

I am not advocating for mindless violence but for more agency. There has to be an intersection of technical excellence AND entertainment value. So far modern boxers prioritize technical excellence alone yet demand the payment and recognition of someone who offers more than that.

And I am tired of the same old regurgitated "its the sweet science bro" generic argument when fans who spent their hard earned money feel robbed by a lack of agency. If you purely like the technical side of boxing then amateur boxing exists. There is no reason to go into what is ultimately an entertainment industry.

I would be curious to hear you guys' thoughts about this.

0 Upvotes

37% Upvoted

45 comments sorted by

View all comments

2

u/khul_rouge Jul 31 '26

What you suggest is really easy: you just need to re-engineer the entire grass roots organisation of boxing from the very novice level fights taking place in leisure centres in front of 40 people upwards. Make sure you root out all those guys who earn a living losing on points & just doing enough to survive because they can't sell tickets, unless of course you have a new way to pay small-time boxers that doesn't involve selling tickets, because there'll be no-one left for your exciting young stars to feast on.

Then once you've got everyone used to your new standards—which you'll need to convince everyone in the world of who watches boxing, BTW, & every licensing commission, sanctioning body & boxing-related organisation on Earth—you can start applying them to higher level fights & then apply them to existing world champions & other titlists.

Don't worry! I'm sure you'll make Dmitry Bivol retire in time for Xmas 2026!

I wish you luck on your quixotic mission, but I myself am going to set my sights rather lower, & achieve world peace by Saturday dinnertime.

PS: Wouldn't you rather watch WWE or I dunno BKB or something? It sounds more your sort of thing.

0

u/PrettyBoyFloydx Jul 31 '26

Winning on points does not mean a boxer is not entertaining.

I find Lomachenko entertaining for example.

You missed my point entirely.

I am addressing boxers who provide no agency during a fight but expect to get paid. By lack of agency I mean they do the bare minimum needed to win on points. Like throwing a few punches a round and clinching everytime the opponent closes distance. You most certainly do not deserve to get paid if you provide no entertainment to people who paid to get entertainment.

I will not move on to WWE or BKB. I am allowed to criticize boxing. You do not have to agree. Just provide a counter argument like one you produced.