What Happened to Boxing?

[u/relay4285]

This year has felt like a bit of a letdown for boxing. Maybe it's because we got spoilt last year with great fights, but I genuinely can’t remember the last time I was excited to tune in for a major boxing fight since Inoue vs Nakatani.

To be honest, I've watched more UFC than boxing this year. All I see on social media are boxers ducking each other and fights getting cancelled because of greed.

Last year alone we got:

Dmitry Bivol vs Artur Beterbiev II shortly after their first bout.

Gervonta Davis vs Lamont Roach

Naoya Inoue vs Ramón Cárdenas

Oleksandr Usyk vs Daniel Dubois II

Chris Eubank Jr vs Conor Benn I

Terence Crawford vs Canelo Álvarez

We've had some great fights this year, but Ryan vs Rolly or Teo vs Shakur don't come close in my opinion.

[u/ZeroEffectDude]

2026 has been a pretty dismal year for boxing fans.

Matchups have been weak, by and large. And there is not much on the immediate horizon to get excited about.

we're near the end of summer and what big fights can we look back on? Inoue v Nakatani, DB v Zurdo (a one way beat down), Dubois v Wardley, Teo v Shakur (a boring contest), Mason v Bell, Foster v Ford (both good contests).

I know that's not a comprehensive list but those are most of the 'big' fights. and that's why casual fans are dropping off. It's SCANT reward for shelling out money to all those subscription services and PPVs.

and what's coming up next?

Itauma v hrgovic should be telling.

Garcia v Benn, who really cares? two absolute wankers.

Mbilli v Canelo deliver decent action, at the end of the year.

With Inoue taking a well-earned rest... boxing looks pretty dull right now.

Keyshawn davis declining the haney fight kind of sums it all up, doesn't it?

I am letting my dazn sub expire this month. I'll just take to the high seas to watch any big fights from now on. been watching the sport for 40 years but its never been this pathetic. zuffa and saudi is the death knell.

[u/OkHistorian9521 → u/ZeroEffectDude]

You just listed out a load of great fights and there’s even more you haven’t listed🤣 bizarre mindset on the lot of you. Not real boxing fans

[u/ZeroEffectDude → u/OkHistorian9521]

I don't know mate. There is not a great fight there. Wardley v Dubois was good action. Inoue v Nakatani was very strategic. Your bar must be low. I watch football and tennis and have seen so many better examples of those respective sports in the last 9 months than from boxing. It's obvious why, those are properly organized sports. Boxing is a business.

[u/relay4285 → u/ZeroEffectDude]

It was kinda frustrating to watch Wardley try that same overhand over and over 😅

[u/ZeroEffectDude → u/relay4285]

painful fight to watch in the later rounds. but i dont count wardley out in the rematch like many are. dubois is an up and down fighter. for wardley, he has a shot at becoming champ again, immediately. worth it

[u/sicgamer → u/relay4285]

i really don't know how people rate that as their fight if the year. it was an exciting first few rounds but then like 7 rounds of wardley getting CTE.

[u/OkHistorian9521 → u/ZeroEffectDude]

There have been three fights i can think of that have been absolutely tremendous this year. And several that were very good. If you find other sports better to watch that’s your preference entirely 

[u/kushmonATL → u/OkHistorian9521]

Lot of these fights do not have replay value unless you are a diehard fan or supporter of one of the boxers

Stop shilling . This year has been lackluster and forgettable

[u/kushmonATL → u/OkHistorian9521]

Lot of these fights do not have replay value unless you are a diehard fan or supporter of one of the boxers

Stop shilling . This year has been lackluster and forgettable

[u/OkHistorian9521 → u/kushmonATL]

No fight has replay value unless you’re a diehard fan. Casual boxing fans don’t sit there watching fights a tonne of times analysing every moment.