Is Boxing Still Relevant?

This weekend I was all excited to see the boxing match between two undefeated world class boxers in Devon Alexander and Timothy Bradley. The two gentleman represent the  Jr.welterweight division which means the weight limit is not to exceed 140lbs. The most famous Jr. Welterweight boxer was Sugar Ray Leonard to give you an idea. Both boxers were title belt holders, so this made for an interesting contest. Needless to say, the boxing match did not live up to the media hype surrounding this long awaited event. In defense of the boxing match in general, boxing historians will tell you styles make fights, so maybe that had something to do with it. After talking with friends about this contest, it got me to thinking is boxing still a relevant sport?
Growing up I was exposed to boxing by my dad, who's a major fan of the sport. During those days, you could see well-known boxers on Saturday afternoon's right after cartoons. Boxing didn't have a problem marketing its product to fans because it was accessible. Today, if you want to see boxing you need to have cable and that's just to see the average boxer. If you want to see the major players of the sport you have to buy the fight for an average cost of $50. I believe over time this had disconnected the average person from watching the sport and more importantly disconnected the athletic kid from becoming a boxer. Most of the best athletes play football, basketball, soccer, track, etc. You could say these sports have done a great job over the same period of time in marketing the product to the fans. As boxing experienced a decrease in fan participation, football had experienced the opposite affect. There are reports that this year's Super Bowl will have over 100 million viewers. Still does that mean boxing is relevant? The answer is YES, boxing is still a relevant sport. Boxing is trying to do a better job in marketing its product to the average viewer, and over time I think these efforts will work. Boxing has a major place in American History. It was boxing that gave American's hope in WWII, when Joe Louis defeated Germany's Max Schmeling in the rematch at Yankee Stadium. The most beloved athletic figure in all of sports in the world is Muhammad Ali. American's couldn't erase boxing out of our culture if we tried.
Today, boxing is our "Sneaky Obsession". Most people who say they're not interested in boxing find themselves at fight parties. Why is that so? Well, the next time you talk to someone and ask if they watch boxing and they tell you no, just ask "Will you watch the Manny Pacquiao  vs. Floyd Mayweather Jr fight?"