by Eddie Goldman Repeat after me, ladies and germs: Boxing is a TV sport. Boxing is a TV sport. If you don't get that, you don't get boxing, especially its immediate future. Yes, streaming is growing, but it is still often a lousy, glitchy, unreliable substitute for ye olde televisione, and will remain so for at least a few years if not longer. Besides, the major … [Read more...]
No Holds Barred: Is 2017 the Year of Anthony Joshua?
On this edition of No Holds Barred, host Eddie Goldman discusses whether 2017 will be the year that IBF heavyweight champ Anthony Joshua (18-0, 18 KOs) becomes the most popular boxer in the world and the best known since Muhammad Ali. Joshua's next fight is April 29 against former champion Wladimir Klitschko, at London's historic Wembley Stadium. We also discuss some parallels … [Read more...]
Andre Ward vs. Boxing: Magno’s Monday Rant
It's not at all odd that Andre Ward would find himself the target of disrespect and derision. I'd love to say that it boggled the mind or even gave pause for thought, but it's all so predictable. Ward returned to the ring after a nineteen month absence Saturday night to pummel no-hope tune-up Paul Smith-- a bout that would serve as the punchline to those intent upon turning … [Read more...]
Rogue Media Roundtable: Round One
Some members of the boxing media only care about being semi-quasi-niche celebrities and rubbing elbows with big shots. Others are cooler than cool bloggers who rejoice in stroking their beards while marveling at their own awesomeness. But there are other media members who make up the boxing scribe underground-- Writers who have disdain for the glad-handing media-types who … [Read more...]
Walking in the Shadows of Tyrants: A UFC Model for Boxing?
The UFC's rapid expansion, from a minor entity to a legitimate mainstream presence, stands in contrast to the stifled, frustrating mess of the current American boxing scene. As such, some boxing fans and media see the UFC as the shining city upon the hill when it comes to combat sports in the new millennium. The temptation is to point to the UFC business model and push to … [Read more...]