Boxing's popularity 50 years ago?

[RubenSonny]

I would've thought the late 80s/early 90s was when the popularity of boxing in Mexico peaked.

[BennyST]

I thought the 60s were a very down time for boxing until Ali came along?

Also globally boxing is at an all time high in Mexico, Germany and southeast Asia(Thailand Phillippines and Indonesia)

Boxing was huge in the '60's with and without Ali. Ali created a globally recognised figurehead as a sportsman and more in general, but it was huge just the same before he came along. Before him Joe Louis, Rocky Marciano, and Floyd Patterson were all more recognisable than any fighter today to the common man. Boxing fans go and watch the fights now. Every man watched a heavyweight title fight then. It would be similar to the Super Bowl today I'm guessing.

Boxing is not at an all time high even a little bit in southeast asia or Mexico. There might be a sudden influx of young guys in the Philippines but just as Pac is a national hero today, Flash Elorde and Pancho Villa were before him of a similar stature. In Japan, Korea etc, boxing was probably at its peak in, funnily enough, the '60s. Harada was the Pacquiao of Japan, and was highly recognised over here in Australia too for his great fights with Lionel Rose and Johnny Famechon.

Boxing was considered as much a national sport here as the AFL (Aussie rules football) is now and the champions were also national hero's adored everywhere. Jimmy Carruthers, Rose, Famo, and a slew of top quality contenders and Aussie champs made the 50's, 60's, 70's and 80's the highlight of Australian boxing.

The one place where it might be heading up and hopefully staying up is in the Eastern European countries. Again though, it was just as big 20 years ago in Germany as it is now.

The biggest thing though is that no matter how big it might seem today or how big we think a fight is, it will never, ever compare again to the global, widespread, mainstream sport that it used to be. Every man and his dog used to talk about the 'big fight' on the weekend. Not boxing fans, everyone.

On the sports shows, boxing took up as much airtime as any other sport. There were weekly shows dedicated to it here, rather than only on cable PPV today. It's numbers are simply incomparable and that's why it will never reach even a decent % of what it once was. Oh well....

[SCtrojansbaby]

Im not saying you're wrong, but what are your sources for this? Germany is understandable since the collapse of the Berlin wall. Southeast Asia? Possibly considering the popularity of Pacquiao. But there have been much stronger era's for Mexican boxers and their popularity than this one, in my opinion. The early to mid 70's to the early to mid 80's was stacked with popular fighters such as Sanchez, Zarate, Napoles, Oliveras, Chavez, Castillo, Zaragoza and Saldivar and others just as an example. Im sure Scott could shed more light on this and would be interested in his opinion. Boxing in Mexico always seems to popular though no matter what era in the last 50 years.

It is not just Pacquiao in southeast Asia its Chris John and Pongsaklek Wonjongkam.

In Mexico Canelo's fights are putting up huge TV ratings, to go along with Chavez Jr the Marquez bros Margarito etc and before that you had Barrera and Morales who are after Chavez the most beloved Mexican fighters of all time and DLH was obviously HUGE. Living in Southern California boxing is king right now even more then Soccer among Mexicans.

[JAB5239]

It is not just Pacquiao in southeast Asia its Chris John and Pongsaklek Wonjongkam.

In Mexico Canelo's fights are putting up huge TV ratings, to go along with Chavez Jr the Marquez bros Margarito etc and before that you had Barrera and Morales who are after Chavez the most beloved Mexican fighters of all time and DLH was obviously HUGE. Living in Southern California boxing is king right now even more then Soccer among Mexicans.

No offense, but none of this proves boxing is more popular and at an all time high in these places. This is only your opinion and I find it very arguable. Im not saying Im right, only that you have given no proof to support your claim.

[SCtrojansbaby]

No offense, but none of this proves boxing is more popular and at an all time high in these places. This is only your opinion and I find it very arguable. Im not saying Im right, only that you have given no proof to support your claim.

You're right, the only way to get proof would be to have the ratings and attendance #s from 50 years ago and today.

I do think its very safe to say that with Southeast Asia having pretty clearly with Pacquiao John and Wonjongkam the 3 most popular fighters in their respective countries history.

[NChristo]

You're right, the only way to get proof would be to have the ratings and attendance #s from 50 years ago and today.

I do think its very safe to say that with Southeast Asia having pretty clearly with Pacquiao John and Wonjongkam the 3 most popular fighters in their respective countries history.

Galaxy was far more famous then Wonjongkam is in his time, but yeh I'd agree with that especially with Pacquaio.

[McGoorty]

I can't comment about it's global popularity at that time, but it was much more popular in America than it is now. Its decline is do to multiple weight divisions, titles and day before weigh ins. All water down boxing's claim as a serious sport and its credibility is questioned because of it's lack of organization.

You are right about America..... they were nuts about boxing. As for global, it was not wholly global,,,,,, but it's popularity in the U.K. and Australia and in Europe, Mexico and much of the rest of Latin-America was very high,.... especially Australia,..... Les Darcy lit an enormous fire and passion for the sport and was going as strong as ever in the 50's and through the 60's too. Since WW1 nearly every man and adolescent had an idea of how to wield a pair of gloves........ everybody went to the fights... names like Vic Patrick, Tommy Burns #2, George Barnes, Ron Richards, Fred Henneberry and Elley Bennett pulled massive crowds and many of them, especially Tommy Burns were as big as Hollywood A plus list idols........ The one thing that held us back was that no matter how impressive their records were, none of them could ever get a title shot in America.... the message was clear.... get out, stay out, and shut up,.... we've never heard of you. --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- As a result, a national resentment built up and most Aussie boxing fans decided they'd go it on their own and by the 40's most Australian fans knew exactly who every Australian and State Champion was 100 times better known than most world champions........ I don't know how many blokes I've come across who had boxed and loved the sport who could name 500 fighters easily........ but say a name like Barney Ross or Pancho Villa or Beau jack or Ike Williams or anybody not called Sugar Ray Robinson or a heavyweight champ.... and they stare at me blankly,....... and they will say yeah I remember one American boxer, that was Freddie Dawson, he was easily the best Lightweight I ever seen..... This mike Williams bloke must have been bonza if he beat Dawson..... but I find it hard to believe!!...well things very similar to that,--------------------------------. Freddie was and still is a boxing superstar here.

[SCtrojansbaby]

Galaxy was far more famous then Wonjongkam is in his time, but yeh I'd agree with that especially with Pacquaio.

Wonjongkam has been a champion for 10 years I don't know how it would be possible to be far more popular

[paulf]

It's been 'on the way out' for a long, long time, but things have definitely gotten much worse since the turn of the century.

Boxing's transition to HBO/Shotime and then PPV is the main reason for it's decline in America. Boxing used to be on national television, just like NBA and NFL. Even when I was a kid (mid 90s) we had USA's Tuesday Night Fights (GREAT cards), and other televised boxing formats that are long gone now.

Also, as often mentioned by the Ricardo on The Boxing Truth radio show; back in the 80s and 90s when someone couldn't afford HBO and wanted to see the fights, they got the "black box." It would illegally give you HBO, Showtime, ect for free. It was simple, easy to acquire, and widespread. When I got to school on Monday, and I grew up in a super poor area, all the kids had seen the latest fights.


Basically, boxing in America has way less fans than ever paying far more than ever to see the sport. As Dana White has unfortuneately said many times; everyone involved in the sport just takes, takes, takes. They never look to grow the sport or build it's future. They don't care that they're destroying the sport.

Boxing as a worldwide sport is strong and growing in many countries, but Boxing as a major sport in America is fast becoming a thing of the past.

[SCtrojansbaby]

Boxing was huge in the '60's with and without Ali. Ali created a globally recognised figurehead as a sportsman and more in general, but it was huge just the same before he came along. Before him Joe Louis, Rocky Marciano, and Floyd Patterson were all more recognisable than any fighter today to the common man.

Correct me if I am wrong but Maciano and Louis never fought in the 60s. I highly doubt Floyd Patterson was more recognizable then Pacquiao Floyd or the Klitschkos.

Boxing was certainly bigger in america back then but from what I have been told the 60s before Ali had drought of box office stars.