CLASH OF THE TITANS
Watching the Heavyweight Championship of the World this weekend, a bout between Tyson Fury and Wladimir Klitschenko, from pretty much ringside seats in Düsseldorf, I was amazed at how much money people will pay for a sporting spectacle and for what can be poor entertainment. It's intriguing to learn who gets what when the purse is so high and how boxing makes so much money for those involved.
I like the art of boxing and I like the idea of two evenly met gladiators fighting each other, as much as they fight themselves; to have courage for stepping into the ring, to test their strength of character and body and to deal with honour in victory and defeat.
The spectacle of a major boxing match itself is filled with tense energy, extravagent lighting and loud music, but if like me at this fight, you're in a football stadium but at the back of one of the higher seating tiers, you'll question what the point is in investing even £30 for a very poor viewing experience? Even the pay-per-view is ridiculously high these days. Yet even more people are prepared to pay around £500 for a ticket at a major boxing event and be barely in earshot of the ring which is mostly obscured by the heads in front of them. It's a true sign of the times that globalisation is making everything more accessible - but at an increased price to match the demand.
I remember watching the major boxing matches with my nan & granddad, mum & dad back in the 1990's - it was often a family affair that we enjoyed together, yet cost nothing more than the cumulative cost of the TV licence. Now everything has a high price much greater than the value it offers us these days. Looking at boxing in particular, we have to ask ourselves the questions; how can it justify paying such high prices? Is it just the point of being present at the time of the event that we want, or are we really interested in the skills of the fighters?
The way the bouts are locked down to the networks, we are having to pay the money just to be part of the event and that means going in person or paying a premium elsewhere at little guarantee of any value - especially with the risk of a no-show, early knock-out or just a poorly matched contest.
It's one thing to give sportsmen the chance of glory - but now such excessive payouts must severely corrupt the sport's promotors and all those that stand to make so much from these bouts that we really need to go back to boxing roots - and that's possibly where Premier Boxing comes in. The matches are broadcast on major US TV/cable networks or highlights can be watched on Youtube - something the current boxing fraternity ensure is securely locked down to the likes of Sky and the other cable companies only.
I like the art of boxing and I like the idea of two evenly met gladiators fighting each other, as much as they fight themselves; to have courage for stepping into the ring, to test their strength of character and body and to deal with honour in victory and defeat.
The spectacle of a major boxing match itself is filled with tense energy, extravagent lighting and loud music, but if like me at this fight, you're in a football stadium but at the back of one of the higher seating tiers, you'll question what the point is in investing even £30 for a very poor viewing experience? Even the pay-per-view is ridiculously high these days. Yet even more people are prepared to pay around £500 for a ticket at a major boxing event and be barely in earshot of the ring which is mostly obscured by the heads in front of them. It's a true sign of the times that globalisation is making everything more accessible - but at an increased price to match the demand.
I remember watching the major boxing matches with my nan & granddad, mum & dad back in the 1990's - it was often a family affair that we enjoyed together, yet cost nothing more than the cumulative cost of the TV licence. Now everything has a high price much greater than the value it offers us these days. Looking at boxing in particular, we have to ask ourselves the questions; how can it justify paying such high prices? Is it just the point of being present at the time of the event that we want, or are we really interested in the skills of the fighters?
The way the bouts are locked down to the networks, we are having to pay the money just to be part of the event and that means going in person or paying a premium elsewhere at little guarantee of any value - especially with the risk of a no-show, early knock-out or just a poorly matched contest.
It's one thing to give sportsmen the chance of glory - but now such excessive payouts must severely corrupt the sport's promotors and all those that stand to make so much from these bouts that we really need to go back to boxing roots - and that's possibly where Premier Boxing comes in. The matches are broadcast on major US TV/cable networks or highlights can be watched on Youtube - something the current boxing fraternity ensure is securely locked down to the likes of Sky and the other cable companies only.
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