The allure of combat sports has always relied on its strong appeal to the primordial instincts of fighters and fight fans alike. Before fight fans became accustomed to spectating world championship bouts from the comfort of their La-Z-Boy recliners, legendary men like Joe, the Brown Bomber, Louis packed stadiums to the brim with roaring fans hailing from all across the world. Despite their different backgrounds, ethnicities, incomes, etc., all fans and fighters in attendance entered the arena with the common goal of experiencing the competitive energy that only prize fighting can provide. While the violence involved in this sort of sporting event is understandably reminiscent of the savagery which took place between gladiators in the Coliseums of Ancient Rome, boxers, unlike gladiators, aren’t fighting for their lives. Instead, boxers climb into the ring fueled by dreams of earning previously unattainable luxury, fame, and glory. This common dream held amongst fighters models the rags to riches mentality which is often associated with the American dream, and provided generations of seemingly forgotten youth hope that if they were tough enough, hit hard enough, and worked hard enough, they could hold the world championship belt in front of an ocean of adoring fans one day too.
Perhaps it was the invention and mass production of television sets which crippled the sport of boxing. After all, why would anyone go out to support local amateur boxing when highly skilled athletes fighting for high stakes are only a click away? Or perhaps it was newly discovered information regarding boxing’s long-term effects on the brain which scared parents and some younger fans away from the sport. Some blame the emergence of new combat sports leagues such as the UFC for boxing’s sliding popularity. MMA’s triumphant emergence into combat sports has produced household names like Ronda Rousey and Conor McGregor, and in the process has drawn in fans from all walks of life. Just like boxing’s golden age, Mixed Martial Arts is now selling tickets and pay-per-views as a result of an even greater appeal to our primordial instincts than people witnessed during the rise of boxing. For whatever reason it may be, boxing’s popularity has been reduced from its steady climb upward to a steep plummet down, and is currently facing pretty serious match-making issues due to the retiring of one of the sports last and greatest money fighters in Floyd Money Mayweather.
One of the true great money makers in the sport, Floyd Mayweather is still finding ways to cash checks and fuel an industry with tantalizing match-ups even from the depths of retirement. In fact, it could be the ingenuity of match-making experts like Floyd Mayweather and Dana White that reignite boxing’s spirit. Floyd Mayweather has been keeping fight fans on their toes over the last couple months, teasing them with not only a prospective fight with MMA superstar Conor McGregor, but also promoting a match-up pitting rap stars Chris Brown and Soulja Boy against each other. Anyone who pays attention to the sport can tell you that while great fighters are made in the ring, great money makers are made from running their mouths just as much as they use their hands. Chris and Big Soulja have surely been doing a lot of talking, and the hype surrounding their fight has already attracted Boxing Legend Mike Tyson to Chris Brown’s corner. With hype tapes appearing on the internet almost daily, professional trainers in each man’s corner, and an already existing group of loyal fans behind each fighter, celebrity boxing could yield impressive income. I realize claiming that Celebrity boxing could save the sport is a bold statement, but who wouldn’t want to watch a fight card consisting of Riff Raff vs. 50 Cent, Kodak Black vs. Lil Wayne, Rick Ross vs. Action Bronson, and Meek Mill vs. Drake. Out of those four fantasy fights, two of them have already been proposed! The Finesse Kid himself, Kodak Black, called out rap icon Lil Wayne in a video, stating “Tell Lil Wayne Fight me… I’m finna knock that stupid a*s N***a out, and if you whoop me, you’re the best rapper alive, ya heard?” Meek Mill has been caught making similar claims, suggesting on camera that “I’d beat Drizzy the F**k up for five mill. Of course I would. And we gon let Nicki be the ring girl!” The never ending turmoil which has seemingly existed alongside the rap industry since its foundation offers a promising pool of young entertaining competitors. This concept also offers rappers and their fans an opportunity to learn the value of addressing beef with their hands rather than guns. Although an official Celebrity boxing league may come as a slap to the face to many fighters who have dedicated their lives to the sport, the popularity of the league and reckless nature of these Celebrity fighters should push boxers to compete for ratings with a renewed focus on entertaining knockout blows rather than money making decision bouts.
Dana White, UFC President, has recently reached out and made a formal offer to Mayweather which guarantees each fighter would receive twenty-five million. Never running away from conflict, Floyd had these choice words to say. “We tried to make the Conor McGregor fight… They know what my number is. My number is a guaranteed one-hundred million. That was my number.” Laughing at Dana’s disrespectful offer, Floyd continued to add “You’re a f*****g comedian” towards Dana and his offer. In respect to Mr. Mayweather, Dana’s offer was seventy-five million dollars short of Mayweather’s request, and absurd offers warrant absurd responses. While the foundations of these groundbreaking fights are shaky right now, negotiations are taking place, and big name fights like these could reignite the spark which propelled boxing to its previous glory.
