The following is a lesson. (or things) 10 lines that one boxing writer took from the final years of boxing
1. The United States is less important to boxing than it once was.
With Riyadh Saudi Arabia fighting in some of the biggest fights of the year (Oleksandr Usyk-Tyson Fury I and II as well as Artur Beterbiev-Dmitry Bivol), the US of A isn’t as important as it once was in terms of Do big battles and big matches.
The first Usyk-Fury fight for the undisputed crown in the heavyweight division and competition. Beterbiev-Bivol Competing for the undisputed title in the light heavyweight division draws big crowds and PPV viewers at venues like Dignity Health Sports Park in Carson City. California What was once a revered classic in the Brandon Rios-Mike Alvarado fight has held just one bout this year. That fight came in August against undefeated super middleweight prospect Diego Pacheco. Was able to stop Maciej Sulecki in six rounds.
How important is this to how boxing is viewed, discussed, and perceived in the United States? Only time will tell.
One thing is for sure –– top fighters are slowly being phased out on the pound-for-pound list with more active foreign fighters Terence Crawford, David Benavidez, Shakur Stevenson and Gervonta Davis fighting only once a year. And even Jesse “Bam” Rodriguez fought only twice.
2. Boxing has a middle class.
Major sponsors are now focused on bigger shows and developing top talent. We’ve seen the emergence of ProBox TV, OTX Boxing, Best Value Promotions, and Salita Promotions’ Big Time Boxing USA. These promotions put together strong cards to showcase competitors in interesting fights. In particular, ProBox TV saw Vladimir. Junior middleweight Hernandez revived his career with a Knockout of the Year contender over Guido Schramm and a Fight of the Year contender with Rau. L Garcia (Disclosure: BoxingScene is owned by ProBox TV) Angelo Leo reinvented himself on ProBox TV, then won the featherweight title. These platforms should only grow and become more prominent in 2025.
3. Lower weight classes have meaning.
When Roman “Chocolatito” Gonzalez debuted on HBO Boxing, it was a big deal. One of the best fighters who fight in a weightlifting division that is rarely broadcast live on television Given the opportunity to showcase his skills on a large platform, 2024 saw unified strawweight titleholder Oscar Collazo appear on a variety of cards, junior flyweight Kenshiro Teraji gaining a level of attention. Nation, Sunny Edwards-Galal Yafai is the flyweight champion in England and Jesse “Bam” Rodriguez is not just a headliner. But he is also regarded as one of the best fighters in the world.
It looks like lighter weight fighters will have more exposure than ever before.
4. The heavyweight era is ending.
When Usyk defends his heavyweight championship Many people wonder what will happen next. Usyk has proven that he is the best player of this generation. He has two wins over Anthony Joshua and two wins over Fury, and he stopped Daniel Dubois, who stopped Joshua earlier this year. Even though we can look to the future But it’s probably fair to say that Usyk has proven he’s the best of his generation. And whatever else he decides to do is fine.
5. Good matches don’t always lead to good fights.
Usyk-Fury II and Beterbiev-Bivol It’s not a dramatic fight. The two fighters competed and the fight was interesting and had a great historical impact. However, I doubt that the tactical battles lacking intense action would attract a large audience. Experiencing these great matches this year also taught us that not every great match equals a great fight.
Keyshawn Davis should be the title holder in 2025. Shakur Stevenson should become a marquee name. Devin Haney and Ryan Garcia are the biggest topics in boxing. When Floyd Mayweather Jnr retired, Terence Crawford quietly became the best fighter in the world. Now, the picture is changing again. With fighters like Gervonta Davis and David Benavidez moving closer to the top. of items on a pound-for-pound basis
Guys like Beterbiev, Crawford, Usyk, Fury, and even Canelo are all closer to success than most people think. 2025 could be the year we see a changing card among the sport’s biggest names.
7. Boxing is a big deal in Japan.
Naoya Inoue didn’t come from nowhere — he’s been a star for ten years. Boxing is booming in Japan now more than ever. The country has nine men’s title holders and a mega card every two years as pound-for-pound star Junto Nakatani keeps getting better. Japanese boxing’s status quo won’t disappear once Inoue retires. Japanese boxers are also here.
8. One day, influencer/crossover boxing will compete in the world boxing championship.
The writing is on the wall At some point, a big fighter in boxing will have to face off against a boxer who appears on social media. Famous celebrities on social media quarrel How will this be resolved? Will it matter? Only time will tell.
9. Is boxing based on personality or success?
As we head into the new year We must make a difference: What do major event fighters deserve? If it were just a lottery draw and ticket sales Will we see an era of main event fighters not competing for titles? The title fight will become the co-main event. Does the show accompany the main event with a famous star? With the influx of Influencer Boxing, this is something to keep an eye on.
10. Who will perform boxing in 2025?
The story for 2024 from a distribution standpoint is There is only one traditional boxing platform available in the United States.– ESPN In 2023, Showtime dropped out of the competition overall. Now that most sports are on streaming networks like DAZN, what’s next for boxing’s distribution? How much will Premier Boxing Champions contribute to Amazon Prime? Will we see more niche networks supporting boxing? How people watch sports in 2025 may help us answer the perennial question of how boxing fits into mainstream culture.
