With the British Boxing Board of Control cancelling all events under their jurisdiction until April at the earliest, it leaves many questions unanswered.
Will we see Billy Joe Saunders fight Canelo? Will AJ ever fight Tyson Fury? How long before boxing returns? Will unknown or lower ranked fighters have to stop boxing and get normal 9-5 jobs?
Although the suspension on fighting is the correct response in the current climate, it is an extremely disappointing decision for not only boxers but also fight fans around the world.
Exciting fights such as Josh Kelly vs David Avanesyan have been postponed and it is uncertain when they will be put back on, casting major doubt over the boxing schedule for the next few months.
With Cage Warriors London set to go ahead tonight (with Merseyside fighter Paddy ‘The Baddy’ Pimblett featuring on the card) behind closed doors its left fans wondering if Boxing could follow a similar path over the coming months.
BBBoC General Secretary Robert Smith stated in an interview “while conversations about upcoming fights were had, events were still free to go ahead and that they would ‘await to follow advice from the government’.” However, the main question is how is this feasible?
Fighters and their teams alike can spend thousands on training camps preparing for the most important nights of their lives so how will they earn an income if shows are behind closed doors.
My solution to this would be a subscription-based service similar to the one DAZN offer as mentioned on episode of an OnTheCanvas podcast. It works out perfectly for the two most important parties when it comes to a boxing event: the fighters and the fans. Most fans spend a minimum of £30 attending events, paying for sky sports monthly or the final option is illegally streaming.
With the three ways of watching live boxing events mentioned, charging fans between £5-10 for a full card of boxing keeps everyone involved happy as it’s guaranteed to be a success and will catch on with the majority of fans.
Fighters need to keep stepping over the ropes to avoid ring rust and carry on their quest for glory, and the fans sat at home need their fix of fighting every weekend.
For the majority of boxing fans like myself, this is a completely new experience and hopefully one that never returns. Despite the shadows cast by Coronavirus, millions around the world are eagerly anticipating the first announcement of a return to fighting and it simply cannot come quick enough.
picture credit goes to okeeffemarc
