Can Boxing Survive after Mayweather?
There’s no question that Mayweather has been the king of boxing for the past 10+ years. He has consistently drawn in the highest pay per view buys in the last decade, his last bout with Pacquiao grossing over $400 million (4.6 million ppv buys). Over the years the Mayweather legend has grown, from his professional debut in 1996 against Roberto Apocado to mega fights against Oscar De La Hoya and Manny Pacquiao, the only blemish on his perfect career being a controversial loss at the 1996 Olympics.
There’s no dispute: Mayweather is the man.
And in 2017, as he prepares to taken on UFC poster child Connor McGregor in perhaps the biggest crossover event the sporting world has ever seen, many people believe that boxing cannot survive without the Mayweather brand. The popular opinion is that there’s no one with Mayweather’s swag, no shining stars left with that elusive star quality, no one left that can draw massive PPV buys…
Setting Context
Historically, boxing has been dominated by heavyweights, light heavyweights and to a lesser degree, middleweights. To illustrate, even though Mayweather was a champion in the late 90s and early 2000s, in those years he was overshadowed by names like Mike Tyson, Holyfield, Lennox Lewis and Roy Jones. Lennox Lewis’s retirement after his epic match with Vitali Klitschko and the decline of Roy Jones career (both events happened/began in 2004) ushered in a “stale” era in the heavyweight and light heavyweight divisions. This period in the heavyweight world was ruled by the Klitschko’s, with some funny trolling entertainment provided by Shannon Briggs. During this period in heavyweight boxing, Mayweather was building his resume in the lightweight and welterweight divisions, with his “coming out” fight against Diego Corrales in 2001 and subsequent victories over prized boxers like Arturo Gatti (2005) Zab Judah (2006) and Carlos Baldomir (2006). Floyd then moved up in weight to fight Oscar De La Hoya in 2007 for the WBC light middleweight title, in a fight that officially put him in the “Money” Mayweather status.
Floyd was always a champion, but defeating De La Hoya made him the official poster child for boxing, and he would hold his throne as the king of the ring until his retirement in 2015.
Mayweather emerged to prominence precisely when the world of boxing needed a star to fill the void left by the heavyweights. He was a pioneer, as he brought mainstream appeal and respect to the smaller divisions. In addition, his bout with McGregor will (hopefully) bring much needed attention (and gate + ppv buys) to the boxing world.
But Mayweather in boxing years is an old man, and its hard to see him carrying on after the McGregor match. Is there any boxer that can fill Floyd’s shoes after he faces McGregor and likely retires for good? Any boxer that can keep boxing relevant in today's digital age? Absolutely. Boxing is experiencing a revival of sorts, with the once dormant heavyweight and light heavyweight divisions coming back to life. Allow me to make the case for 5 boxers that in my humble opinion have the skills, swag and marketability to carry boxing forward in the years to come:
Deontay Wilder
I really enjoy watching Deontay Wilder, and have to admit that he’s one of my favorite modern era American boxers. This guy is ferocious, and has the charisma and swag to match. With the exception of one, ALL of his fights have ended with vicious knockouts, which is precisely what most boxing fans pay to see (think Tyson, think Foreman, think Liston, think Roy Jones). He is explosive and has a KILLER overhand right that has knocked out 37 of his last 38 opponents. He is currently the WBC Heavyweight champ, and with a perfect record at 38–0 is definitely a force to be reckoned with. He was featured in a Showtime boxing special, and I would love to see major networks and sports shows like Undisputed and First Take start showing this homegrown champion love by inviting him for interviews and showcasing his body of work.
Anthony Joshua
Smooth talking Anthony Joshua is built like a Greek statue, and his GQ persona has earned him a loyal following with women around the world, complete with endorsements from brands like Under Armour and Beats by Dre. But don’t let his laid back, pretty boy demeanor fool you; this guy is a walking powerhouse standing at 6"6 with an 82 inch reach. His main strengths in the ring are his patience, power and precision, traits that helped him become the unified WBA and IBF champion when he defeated Wladimir Klitschko earlier this year in a match that many boxing pundits saw as a changing of the guard. He has excellent timing, hits with precision, and for a big man, throws some great combos. He also has incredible endurance. I would love to see him him and Deontay Wilder fight it out in a unification match. That’s a fight I would pay good money to see.
Tony Bellew
This guy is awesome. I love his passion, his sincerity, and his intensity. He is a bona-fide trash talker. His rivalry and recent match with David Haye was epic (to be fair Haye had an ankle injury, so a rematch is in order). Like Joshua and Wilder, he is also very marketable (if you’ve watched Creed you’ll recall his supporting cast appearance as “Pretty Ricky Conlan.” He has good hand speed, great ring sense and his battle with David Haye proved he has a rock solid, iron chin. He was the WBC cruiserweight champ, but that sanctioning body made him an Emeritus champion after he moved up in weight to battle David Haye. This is another guy I would love to see battle Deontay Wilder or possibly Andre Ward.
Tyson Fury
I first learned about Tyson Fury (and Joshua) years ago while watching an episode of The Gloves are Off, and from that moment I was intrigued. I had never seem anything like him. A huge man standing at 6"9 (literally as tall as Shaq) with an 85 inch reach and perhaps the most colorful personality in modern era boxing. Tyson Fury has a remarkable place in boxing history, as he is widely regarded as the fighter that officially ended the Klitschko era when he defeated Wladimir Klitschko in 2015. He had to give up his belts for personal reasons, but I’m happy he’s making a comeback. Boxing needs him.
Triple G
Gennady Golovkin is one of the most technically proficient boxers today. He is an interesting character, always wearing a Joker smile outside the ring (I think his team should start calling him Triple G aka The Joker, has a nice ring to it, would be great for marketing and suits his personality, you heard it here first). I first saw him training for his match with Marc Antonio Rubio, then I watched a few of his fights, and it became clear to me why he’s one of the top names in boxing today. He’s a mysterious figure, full of contradictions: in interviews he’s always smiling, very polite never offering up too many words in conversation…but then in the ring he becomes a monster. Like Mayweather he can adapt to most styles, but unlike Mayweather he is an offensive fighter, always pushing the action. Like Mayweather he has a high connect rate, but unlike Mayweather almost all his fights to date have ended with knockouts. He is currently the unified and undisputed middleweight champ.
Other Notable Mentions
Andre Ward, Vasyl Lomachenko, Keith Thurman, Terence Crawford, Sergey Kovalev.
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