Boxing — two men throwing fisticuffs one-on-one in a square, waiting for one to be knocked out, counted out, or a bloody war that ends in a decision.
MMA — a young, new, different sport that takes a variety of martial arts and big chunk of boxing into a cage where fans of the sport are constantly on the rise.
Question is — can boxing stay relevant with little brother on its heels? Many said the exciting fight in Las Vegas betweet Manny Pacquaio and Timothy Bradley was a sign that boxing can still thrive
Here’s 5 reasons boxing will thrive and survive despite changing times:
5. Roots: Boxing has been sanctioned for decades. Without boxing MMA would probably not be sanctioned in 49 states. The roots of standup boxing in America go back to the 1800s. A sport that has been around for over a century doesn’t just go away.
4. Celebrities: Yes, celebrities love MMA, you can find Will Smith and wife Jada Pinkett there, Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson, Sylvester Stallone and more at UFC events — but boxing has them all — from young to old, Justin Bieber, Jack Nicholson, 50 Cent, Will Ferrell, Dave Chappelle and the list goes on.
You might also like: Manny Pacquiao wins unanimous decision in exciting fight
3. Coverage: The media coverage and television shows leading up to the fights, like HBO’s Emmy Award winning 24/7 are mini-documentaries that transform these fights into mega-events and bring viewers inside the homes of boxers and give fans an up-close-and-personal glimpse of the fighters going to battle.
2. Legacy of Fighters: Muhammad Ali, George Foreman, Joe Frazier, Sugar Ray Leonard, Julio Cesar Chavez, Floyd Patterson, Rocky Marciano — this list could be a hundred deep and still go… The legacy of these legendary fighters will be engrained in history, while MMA is less than three decades old.
You might also like: Manny Pacquiao versus Timothy Bradley round-by-round analysis
1. Money: Boxing stars are making up to forty times what MMA stars make per fight. Last year, ESPN reported that Floyd Mayweather was the highest paid U.S. athlete, taking in around $90 million. The money that goes into boxing is ginormous. Boxing has its crowd and will always have a crowd. Will it go away anytime soon? Nope.
(That being said, MMA is the fastest growing sport in the world, and even though I’m a huge fan of boxing, MMA calls for fighters to be far more well-rounded than boxers.)
You might also like: UFC Fight Night: Roy Nelson knocks out Antonio Minotauro Nogueira cold
Watch UFC Next on FilmOn:
For more streaming TV and movies, visit FilmOn.
Follow TV Mix on Twitter: @tvmixusa
Contact TV Mix: editors@tvmix.com
SOURCE: TVMix.com
