By: Sean Crose
First things first – boxing is not dead. I’ve literally been told by people for decades the sport is no longer alive only for those same doomsayers to open up their wallets for the next superfight, be it a legitimate throwdown or a ridiculous novelty act. With that being said the sweet science is currently in a grand state of inertia here in 2026. Don’t believe it? Ask yourself what signed fight you’re authentically excited for. Not a hoped-for bout, but an upcoming event that’s been guaranteed by law via a signed and legitimate contract? If your response is none or perhaps one at the most, you’re not alone. A simple scan through social media will let you know all you need to about the current state of boxing fandom. And yeah, fans shouldn’t be happy.
A prime example of the current state of things is the endlessly hoped for heavyweight bout between Tyson Fury and Anthony Joshua. After years of he said/she said nonsense, it now seems that no, the fight may not happen after all. Mind you this is a battle between two former heavyweight champs who, let’s face it, are past their primes and are of dwindling relevance in the big man’s division. The current king of the heavyweight heap – Oleksandr Usyk – is himself heading directly towards retirement. Then again, so is Canelo Alvarez, once the face of the entire sport.
Give both those guys this, though, they at least fought top competition in their era. So did Joshua, Fury and Deontay Wilder, for that matter. This isn’t to say they all earned an easy late career for it , but the truth is that each of these fighters has paid his dues. Can the same be said of Gary Antuanne Russell? The man is extremely talented but has made it clear he won’t fight pound for pound great Shakur Stevenson until the money is right. Maybe Russell has a point here – but boxing fans are tired of hearing such things. Russell indicated that boxing is show business. Whose going to watch the show if no one is on the stage? Don’t expect an answer or even perhaps a modicum of interest from many of the sport’s biggest players. They seem to genuinely be in a state of inertia. It seems that the root of the problem is that many boxers, promoters, and managers – as well as streaming and television executives – are living in a bubble.
This isn’t the Mayweather era. This isn’t even the Canelo era anymore. The old way of doing things simply isn’t cutting it. It was barely cutting it when Mayweather and then Canelo were the prime names in the sport. Not one of the current horizon of notables in the sport is a household name. That’s not good for anyone. But when you’re in a bubble, when you’re with people who think and generally behave like you it’s s hard to arrive at a degree of objectivity. Once big money is being thrown around from places like Saudi Arabia it must be easy to see things other than as they are.
Again though, boxing isn’t dead. It’s in need of some serious help. And that help has to come from within. There are fighters that are willing to risk whatever they can to have a good legacy just as there are fighters who care about more than just money. And in the end they’re the ones that can save the day. Boxing simply can’t continue without boxers plying their trade. In the end, the sport is theirs, which makes it their responsibility.
