It began with Floyd Mayweather fighting an MMA fighter and smashing all exhibition records out of the ballpark. Then followed Mike Tyson.
But now, a whole spate of former champions from a golden era for the sport have unretired.
Miguel Cotto and Juan Manuel Marquez are just two of those adding their names to a growing list.
All seemed okay when the king of Pay Per View was teasing a comeback before Tyson followed through with his promise against Roy Jones Jr.
Little did “The Baddest Man on the Planet” know that he would spark an explosion of comebacks.
We knew Julio Cesar Chavez was staging some low-key exhibitions for some time in his native Mexico, but Tyson took it to the next level.
Selling one million PPVs has since pricked the ears of Evander Holyfield, Lennox Lewis, Oscar De La Hoya, and others.
The only problem is these legends are selling a substandard product and diluting the sport. They are also taking away from the rising stars who hope to get where they did in their pomp one day.
They had their time and should not be attempting to sell Pay Per View at an inflated price when what takes place inside the ring is not up to par anymore.
Exhibitions should be free or for charity, unless on the grand scale of Mayweather vs. McGregor and featuring two fighters who were retired for years.
MIKE TYSON MEMORIES
Mike Tyson vs. Roy Jones Jr. was a trip down memory lane. It was significant to Mike back in their swinging punches. But Mike is Mike. He’s a PPV legend who graced magazine covers worldwide.
It’s a far different story to say, Cotto or Marquez. Two legends in their own right but are using Puerto Rico vs. Mexico’s angle on the paid platform.
No charitable association exists to benefit from the fight, as far as we are aware.
Therefore, the whole system needs a rethink in some form. Being able to stream online or with Fite TV has brought around a free-for-all regarding selling events.
COTTO vs. MARQUEZ
The boxing die-hards will undoubtedly buy Cotto vs. Marquez, but it’s hard to see what new boxing fans would make of it. Maybe they’d be turned off?
Many would argue that if this new breed of punters would fork out money to watch YouTubers, they’d pay for anything – and that’s a valid point.
However, when older fighters come back for PPV events, the more the market is saturated. And in the end, it will only be boxing in its purest form that suffers.
The views expressed in this article are that of the Editor, Phil Jay. WBN celebrated its 10th Anniversary on August 1st, 2020, and is the top-visited independent boxing news website in the world.
Phil Jay is the Editor of WBN. An Auxiliary member of the Boxing Writers Association of America since 2018. And a member of the Sports Journalists’ Association. Follow on Twitter @PhilJWBN.
