Honestly felt the boxing world could have and should have gone ahead and arranged fights when the corona virus pandemic was really on the rage. If the Mixed Martial world could get fights done via UFC, why couldn’t boxing do it? If fights-real or not-were fought between wrestlers in the World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE) Universe, why couldn’t boxing do same? Both are contact sports that aren’t recommended to be indulged in during the COVID 19 era.
Tony Ferguson (black shorts lost to Justin Gaethje
However, UFC and WWE went on as scheduled albeit with a few hitches while observing safety protocols including multiple testing, barring fans from arenas and hosting athletes in an area with minimum contact from the outside world. With several cities and countries in various forms of lockdown, people were stuck indoors and spent a lot of time behind screens devouring everything to while away time. The UFC and WWE cashed in so did the Bundesliga when the latter became the first major football league to continue after a near two month break.
Pro Wrestler Seth Rollins fought in an empty arena
Boxing could have utilized the chance to fill the massive void in the wake of the pandemic and get more casual eyes on the sport. UFC, Bundesliga and WWE did it and recorded impressive numbers and surely won some few hearts in the process. The opening weekend of the Bundesliga’s return had five million viewers on Sky Deutschland. Though boxing is late to the party of returning sports related events compared to the likes of NASCAR racing, it is ahead of football’s other major competitions (EPL, Italian Serie A) and many other sports disciplines including Tennis and Formula One.
Bundesliga Games have been played without any fans in the stadiums
By staging a handful of fights in the wee hours on Thursday, June 11, boxing is officially back on the sports radar and thanks to one of its many rising stars, fans were given a good welcome back in the noble of art of self defense. Shakur Stevenson dispatched Felix Caraballo with ease and showed off skills that have made many tab him as the next Floyd Mayweather Jnr. Dropping Caraballo to the canvas with body shots in the opening round, the unbeaten Stevenson (14 wins in 14 fights) delivered a solid upper cut that ended the fight in the sixth round.
Stevenson dropped Caraballo in the first round
The 2016 Olympic silver medalist from Newark, New Jersey won his latest bout under different circumstances as there were no fans inside the MGM Grand Convention Center in an attempt to create a bubble to protect folks involved in fight nights. Hearing Caraballo moan while he was on the canvas after taking those body shots was a revealing element; football has incorporated extras such timing athletes speed and measuring how hard they hit the ball to spice up viewing experience for fans and up until this point, fans have felt how hard punches land based on reactions from boxers and sound picked up by hyper sensitive microphones.
Stevenson
Until a COVID 19 vaccine is found and made affordable, Caraballo’s experience could be the first of many. However, that wasn’t the biggest take away from boxing’s continuation date after a lengthy COVID 19 induced break. Promoter Eddie Hearn’s announcement of a signed two fight deal between Heavyweight Champions Anthony Joshua and Tyson Fury moved boxing further up the sports conversation ladder. After several failed attempts to get a deal done, the announcement was a boost to boxing after a trying period in its history.
Fans have clamored for a Spence-Crawford since 2017
With the dearth of money left behind by corona, securing such mega fights is the best route to restock the capital shelf. With money awash in the ranks of the big promotion companies’ pre corona, several A list fights were only fought in board rooms around the negotiating table but not in real time. Promoters were just fine arranging easy fights for headline acts like Terrence Crawford, Canelo Alvarez, Gervonta Davis among others without worrying too much about the money because they were almost assured of at least breaking even no matter how overmatched opponents were because there was “loose” money to be spent.
Davis
For the next two years (possibly), only big fights will draw money from fans and sponsors alike to the sport so fans are in for top fights in the short term. A Gervonta Davis-Ryan Garcia matchup looks plausible now than ever before ditto Crawford’s very anticipated matchup against Errol Spence. A Shawn Porter bout with Manny Pacquaio or Mickey Garcia wouldn’t be bad at all.
The next “Golden Boy” Ryan
Before Joshua and Tyson Fury square off sometime early next year or very late this year, both fighters have to take care of mandatory challenges first against Kubrat Pulev and Deontay Wilder respectively. Both fights are interesting since they could shape the narratives for the immediate subsequent bout; imagine Fury loses to Wilder to set up a fourth fight against the Bronze Bomber. Imagine Pulev giving Joshua a good run for his money to generate enough interest to factor him in the conversation as a contender for the remaining members of the Big 3.
Joshua-Fury could come off early next year
The frequency of top billing bouts would surely be good for boxing to convert casual fans into diehard fans and cement boxing in the upper echelons of the sports industry for the next decades. While the football industry would have a difficult time in the immediate post corona-no fans, less money for transfers rather swap deals which don’t generate enough buzz-boxing is set up to win big as the world strives to get back to the “normal” way of life.
Story By: Yaw Mintah