Where Has Boxing Gone? Missing Modest Athletes

I grew up with two main sports in my household growing up: Lakers and Boxing. I was born in 1981 and was blessed to be brought up in a great decade of boxing that continued into the 1990's.

Pops didn't watch much baseball on television and football Sundays were pretty mellow. Friday and Saturday nights were filled with uncles talking crap in the living room, food all over the place, and boxing lighting up the dark scene.

We're now in a Mixed Martial Arts era. I heard an interview today with UFC owner, Dana White, and he laid it out perfectly regarding the state of boxing: people are no longer training to box, they want to do it all. Why train to learn just to box when you can be multi-skilled?

White makes a great point... and he's run a tight ship.

The years of boxing I was blessed to watch growing up caused the downfall we have today. There were super fights that have given boxers their big heads today. The 80's we got to watch Roberto Duran and Sugar Ray Leonard, Mike Tyson's fights, Spinks-Holmes, Leonard-Hearns to name a few. Oscar de la Hoya, Whitaker-Cesar Chavez, Roy Jones Jr., Holyfield, Hopkins, dominated the 90's.

Now, I'm not saying that we don't get super fights in boxing today... but the boxers have taken control. That's why the UFC has been so successful, White decides who fights who and when... the fighters don't decide like in boxing. We don't get to see Mayweather-Pacquiao because FLOYD decides if and when he wants to fight.

The best don't fight the best in boxing. In the UFC, if you've paid your dues you get your shot and the big time fighters can't decide who they fight. The boxing association needs to take control of the sport again if they want to resurrect a dying sport.

And can we please get some heavyweights back in boxing?!?!