Did DLH/PBF save boxing?

Crashsti · 05-07-2007, 10:36 AM

i don't really follow boxing much but even the guys at work were talking about the fight over the last few nights. usually its all baseball talk this time of year. so my question is, Did this fight rekindle the general public's interest in boxing? i will say that it helped stir up some interest but that boxing still needs to do more.

AikaImmortal · 05-07-2007, 10:38 AM

I don't think so as it was a technical battle that true fans of boxing/combat sports could enjoy but your casual fan wanting to see a big KO was let down and possibly made to think that they were just in it for the money and not to fight.

Crashsti · 05-07-2007, 10:44 AM

most of my coworkers only got interested in the fight because of DLH, a few of them did'nt even know who Mayweather was. one of them was conviced that DLH lost the fight because he did'nt use his jab enough. i was surprised though when a few of the guys said they'd be interested if they had a rematch.

GSPALLTHEWAY · 05-07-2007, 11:52 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by AikaImmortal

I don't think so as it was a technical battle that true fans of boxing/combat sports could enjoy but your casual fan wanting to see a big KO was let down and possibly made to think that they were just in it for the money and not to fight.

i disagree.... i am a "true fan" of boxing... probably moreso that than MMA.. i thought this fight was as boring as can be... PBF runs away, DLH chases him into the corner.... it was speed and glancing blows, vs ring control and occational body combos.... it was a sparring match, nothing more IMO

droplogic · 05-07-2007, 12:14 PM

I personally think it hurt boxing. MMA was called out early on in the hype for this fight by Mayweather, Freeman and others so there was a lot of interest in this fight, it was being looked at as an end or a beginning. Even people who didn't watch the fight were still interested in the outcome, the fact that it failed to deliver on the war it promised only helps to enforce the arguement that boxing may be dead. Good job on Mayweather delivering the final blow by calling out MMA to promote his fight, he pulled in non-boxing fans just long enough to pump up the ppv buys, collect his cheque and crip-walk out the back door. Apparently, we have been trolled.

PS: Mayweather went back on his previous assessment of MMA after the fight...gee, I wonder if he was sincere the first time around.

JoeRoganismyhero · 05-07-2007, 12:16 PM

I really think this fight needed a great ending or a 12 round slugfest to put boxing back in the limelight a little. a 12 round decision win where even a boxing fan I know in work said was a "boring" fight is not gonna help this sport.

PINOYPRIDE · 05-07-2007, 06:43 PM

I don't think the DLH vs. PBF saved boxing cause like other members said it was like a sparring match, and yes, if DLH did use his jab more often he could have won the match or even set up something for PBF.

I wasted my $ on this match and was anticipating more of a fight then it was. I give DLH credit though for pressuring PBF throughout the fight but that wasn't enough for a good boxing match. If boxing was like MMA or should I say UFC and put on fights that the people would like to see then I think boxing will not decline in PPV sales, but now a days it all depends on $ and if PBF's paycheck wasn't huge, then this fight with DLH would not have happened.

MTKrav911 · 05-07-2007, 07:21 PM

Thre was one fight on the under-card that was good. That Filipino fighter Boom Boom Bautista or something. Great fight.

Other than that, I think the event hurt boxing even more.

Even Mayweather, who usually displays great combinations, was tentative at best. He defended well, he counter-punched well, but it was not textbook Mayweather Saturday to say the least.

There was no WOW factor in that fight is what I guess I'm sayin. There were a few times they teased us where either DLH or Mayweather would open up, but then they flaked out.

Not a good night for boxing. Other than the Boom Boom fight. Bautista, that's his name.

Dirty Fighter · 05-08-2007, 03:38 AM

The only things that will "save" boxing are great ad guys working for the promoters and great scouts finding the next group of contenders. I put save in parenthesis because I don't really feel boxing needs saving. Boxing is down from where it was 10 years ago but I think it would be foolish to say that mma has overtaken it in popularity. If you asked 100 people on the street what mma was, at least 70% would not know. If you asked them what the UFC was the numbers would go up, but the fact that most people don't yet recognize a sport by its true name and not by one of the organizations inside of it tells me there is still a ways to go. I am a big fan of both sports and don't really get the conflict between the fans, commentators, sportscasters of each sport.

SeikanJudanski · 05-08-2007, 10:42 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Dirty Fighter

If you asked 100 people on the street what mma was, at least 70% would not know. If you asked them what the UFC was the numbers would go up, but the fact that most people don't yet recognize a sport by its true name and not by one of the organizations inside of it tells me there is still a ways to go. I am a big fan of both sports and don't really get the conflict between the fans, commentators, sportscasters of each sport.

In think the number is even higher, I would say at least 85% wouldn´t know what "MMA" is. Heck, we got people on this site still calling it Ultimate Fighting, what do you think a normal person on the street would say.

MTK · 05-23-2007, 11:34 PM

I really don't know why people thought this was going to be a slugfest and save boxing. That's not PBF. I was surprised that DLH kept it close through 8 rounds though. I didn't agree with the split decision. IMO it was even through 8 rounds. Then PBF won the last 4 rounds putting him comfortably ahead.