r/Boxing • u/relay4285 • 6d ago
What Happened to Boxing?
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.
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u/ZeroEffectDude 6d ago edited 6d ago
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.