Killer blow for boxing

Mixed martial arts is becoming more and more of a commercial threat to professional boxing because the cage provides fans with gladiators who walk the talk. In the boxing ring, not a few fighters don’t back up their gab with what they’re supposed to do as warriors – they stick, run, hide and dance their way out of trouble, refusing to engage and content to “win” on points.

What turns off fans is a fight that’s boring and uneventful. Fighters like Floyd Mayweather, Jr. are inclined to avoid battling the likes of Manny Pacquiao toe-to-toe because of the high risk of getting hurt. Mayweather puts a premium on making his opponents miss rather than offense. In his last fight against Marcos Maidana, Mayweather landed an average of only 13 punches a round. On May 2, Mayweather and Pacquiao face off in a much-awaited showdown to unify the WBA, WBO and WBC welterweight titles. Whether it will be a boring or entertaining fight depends on Mayweather.

With Pacquiao, fans are assured of a swashbuckling effort. With Mayweather, you can’t be sure what he’ll bring into the ring. Pacquiao is a swarmer, Mayweather a swimmer – a fighter who floats with the tide. If Mayweather stands his ground and exchanges, it’ll be a heckuva duel. If he reprises his role in “Dancing With The Stars,” fans will end up yawning more than applauding.

Another factor that’s causing unrest in the boxing market is the proliferation of world champions. It’s become a farce to recognize 74 different world champions when there are only 17 weight divisions. And that’s just covering the WBA, WBC, IBF and WBO. Additionally, there are four vacant thrones. Other organizations like the IBO and WBF crown their own champions so the list is virtually endless.

Governing bodies make money out of charging sanction fees for world title fights so the more, the wealthier. The WBA is the most unscrupulous player of all. It recognizes “super.” “undisputed,” “unified,” “regular” and “interim” world champions so that in the latest ratings, there are six super, three unified, one undisputed, 17 regular and 11 interim titleholders. Believe it or not, the WBA recognizes 38 world champions in 17 weight categories and therefore, charges sanction fees each time they fight.

At the moment, only two fighters are recognized as world champions by three governing bodies – heavyweight Wladimir Klitschko by the WBA, WBO and IBF and lightheavyweight Sergey Kovalev by the WBA, IBF and WBO. Five world titlists are recognized by two bodies – Mayweather as superwelterweight and welterweight by the WBA and WBC, superlightweight Danny Garcia by the WBA and WBC, superbantamweight Guillermo Rigondeaux by the WBO and WBA, flyweight Juan Francisco Estrada by the WBA and WBO and minimumweight Katsunari Takayama by the WBO and IBF.

Because Japan has lots of money to spend for world title bouts, there are three divisions with different Japanese world champions. In the superfeatherweight division, the WBA recognizes Takashi Uchiyama as its “super” champion while the WBC ruler is Takashi Miura. In the bantamweight class, Tomoki Kameda is the WBO king while the WBC recognizes Shinsuke Yamanaka. In the superflyweight category, the WBO champion is Naoya Inoue and the WBA ruler is Kohei Kono.

Fans are confused as to who the real world champions are and often ask who deserve to rightfully sit on the throne? The Ring Magazine also recognizes its own world champions and claims its titlists are the consensus “people’s” choices or the lineal kings. The term “lineal” refers to a direct line of descent from the undisputed world champions. A measure of “lineal” descent is when a world champion holds a “unified” or “undisputed” belt.

In the welterweight division, the IBF recognizes Kell Brook as world champion and the WBA’s “regular” titlist is Keith Thurman. But everyone knows that Mayweather or Pacquiao deserves to be the real and only world welterweight champion. Their May 2 showdown will decide who the undisputed king is.

As for the rivalry between professional boxing and mixed martial arts, writer Matthew Bazell said it’s about upholding the integrity of sport. “Boxing is losing young fans to MMA and will continue to do so if one sport provides the best matches and the other one doesn’t,” said Bazell. “Without greatness to counterbalance the political bullsh*t, eventually we’ll just turn away.”

Of the 74 world champions recognized by the WBA, WBC, IBF and WBO, only seven hold unified titles. That’s the reason why fans are losing interest in professional boxing and turning to mixed martial arts. The best fighters avoid facing each other because governing bodies shy away from unifying titles to keep their sanction fees intact without sharing the loot. Some fighters also avoid facing the best out there because of the danger of losing with Mayweather a fit in that profile.