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Boxing is alive and well!

May 4, 2017

There has been a false narrative spread throughout sports that boxing is dead.

Let’s get something straight, boxing might not dominate the sports world like it once did but it is definitely still doing great and once again making a resurgence.

If it’s numbers you want to see, check these out. On Saturday, April 29th, 2017,  up and coming superstar Anthony Joshua (19-0, 19KO’S) squared off with a legendary boxer, Wladimir Klitschko in an IBF heavyweight title bout. They fought in England at Wembley Stadium with a capacity crowd of 90,000 fans.

The fight was also broadcasted in 140 countries, sold 1.5 million pay-per-view buys and nearly 2-million views on HBO/Showtime. Lastly, HBO’s broadcast was not the live feed. Take that for data!

Now, let’s dive a little deeper and get into this week’s May 6th bout between two Mexican superstars, Saul “Canelo” Alvarez and Julio Cesar Chavez Jr. They are fighting at sold out T-Mobile arena in Las Vegas with the average ticket price starting at $2,000.00.

On top of that, they are projected to sell 350,000 pay-per-view buys, around $80.00 a pop. Along with international purchasing and merchandise sales, this fight can bring in anywhere from $90-million to $100-million. These kinds of numbers only support that the sport remains in demand.

Image result for canelo chavez jr

(Photo credit: FightHub)

Regarding the history, there has been a changing of the guard within boxing where the heavyweight division that once carried the sport, is now being carried by the welterweight and middleweight divisions.

Fighters like Floyd Mayweather, Manny Pacquiao, Canelo Alvarez, Miguel Cotto and now Gennady “GGG” Golovkin have been the life blood and the reason why boxing was able to remain relevant through its transition. With the welterweight and middleweight divisions thriving, the heavyweight division is making a comeback and has made sure boxing is still a force in the sports world.

As long as humans are alive, fighting in any capacity will always be a spectacle in high demand. And as long as boxing generates the money it does, it will always have top tier athletes in the ring. It’s safe to say, boxing is very much alive and not going anywhere.

-Chris Rodriguez, Twitter: @BlueCollarSprts

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