Boxing Is Experiencing A Slow Death: In-Fighting Is Costing The Sport Its Popularity

Boxing is on the fringes of death and the sport has only itself to blame. A few days ago, a press conference set for Errol Spence Jr. and Shawn Porter's IBF/WBC welterweight unification match barely had any spectators.

If that's not a sign that the sport is dying, declining gate numbers on pay-per-view matches will support the alarming notion. What happened in the Staples Center the other day is no mystery to some.

While names like Manny Pacquiao and Floyd Mayweather Jr. are trying to make the sport relevant, boxing is slowly drowning in its flaws. Dull, lackluster and full of inside politics, the boxing we grew up with is now a thing of the past.

We are far from the Don King era of the sport, where fights were headlined 24/7 and were full of bigger than life personalities ready to put it all inside the ring.

The sport is slowly slipping away and is clinging on the fringes of the American sports landscape. Boxing itself isn't short of talent; heavyweights like Deontay Wilder and Anthony Joshua are lighting up the scene with their one-punch power.

Andy Ruiz Jr and Adam Kownacki are interestingly fun to watch despite their girth and pudgy frames. Another heavyweight, Tyson Fury is quite the character, he has the witts and audacity of Ali and the showmanship of retired great, Joe Calzaghe.

So what's causing Boxing's decline, simple, it's complicated politics. The difference separating the past and the present is promoters and managers before would often forego differences to pursue blockbuster fights.

Today, a lot of politics would often interfere with potential matches. Pacquiao and Mayweather had years of negotiations before their fight pushed through in 2015. Now despite fervent fan clamor for a rematch, no contest would possibly take place between the two.

The momentum gained over the past years has entirely been negated by in-fighting, take, for instance, Alvarez and Golovkin's case. The world's best middleweights fought twice that ended in a controversial draw and a disputed Alvarez win.

Canelo didn't overwhelm Golovkin in their previous matches; others also believe that Alvarez shouldn't have won in their second fight. While the best course would have been part III, the Mexican champ isn't keen on giving "GGG" the third fight because he hates his guts, period.

Alvarez wouldn't even allow Golovkin the massive payday and he's being punished severely for his indiscretion. His popularity has since dipped because he is not willing to fight the Kazakhstan native. He fought and won against Danny Jacobs in May and it failed to create much noise.

Another case includes Deonte Wilder and Tyson Fury. The two fought a climactic 12-round year-ender in December that resulted in a draw. Despite knocking Fury down twice at the Staples Center, the Briton slugger was spared the embarrassing loss.

The two should have been scheduled for a rematch, but boxing politics are preventing it from happening. Fans aren't sure if the fight will happen next year. Fury will instead be fighting an unknown Otto Wallin in September.

The infighting is costing the sport its popularity, Joshua was set to become a household name in the US if not for the legendary performance of Andy Ruiz Jr. The upset match not only lowered Anthony's stock in America but also questioned the Briton's drive for Boxing.

Although a rematch has been struck and negotiated in Saudi Arabia by Joshua's promoter, a win in the middle-eastern country will not help with his popularity. The same can be said to Ruiz Jr. if he triumphs for the second time, his reputation will not improve fighting overseas.

The decision was also criticized by boxing fans anew, Saudi Arabia has been criticized for its poor human rights record. Recently, Jamal Khashoggi was murdered under the order of Mohammad Bin Salman Al Saud, the Crown Prince of Saudi Arabia.

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To sum it up, Boxing is losing its grip on the mainstream media because of Boxing. In-fighting, self-interests, lack of exciting match-ups, the sport needs a wake-up call to redeem its losses.

The predicament is there is little else to look forward too, Errol Spence is a fantastic boxer. However, the press turnout a few days ago is an ominous sign. There is still a chance, though, a full paradigm shift would benefit the sport in the long run. What's happening in the past few years is more than a wake-up call, it's a call for action.