Novelty Bouts Reflect Boxing’s Current Lack Of Stars

By: Sean Crose

Let’s admit it, boxing hasn’t been doing that bad lately. Unlike say, 10 years ago, the best are now fighting the best or nearly the best. Matches are actually being made, matches that people want to see. It’s not fair to gripe about the sport in general right now. It’s arguably doing better than it has in a while. Sure, there’s things in need of improvement, but overall matters don’t seem to be all that bad for fight fans.

Still there’s something unsettling about the fact that the biggest fights in the world right now are novelty fights. You know, Jake Paul versus Anthony Joshua, Floyd Mayweather versus Mike Tyson, and of course, this fall’s upcoming Manny Pacquiao-Floyd Mayweather rematch. Yes, that’s a novelty bout too because both men are way past their primes. This isn’t Leonard-Hearns 2, this is Mayweather- Pacquiao the sequel no one was really dying for.

Make no mistake about it. I’m looking forward to Mayweather-Pacquiao part two. I think it’s going to be an interesting matchup. For something that doesn’t cost extra to be viewed on Netflix, it’s hard to say why this would turn anyone off. It’s just that there’s no current stars bringing in this kind of attention – at lease stateside. And that really is the reason why novelty bouts are doing as well as they are… because boxing is lacking any real stars right now. You know, the kind Mayweather and Pacquiao used to be.

This of course doesn’t mean there won’t ever be major boxing stars again. That’s ridiculous to even imagine. Anthony Joshua, for instance, is a big star in England, but not globally. That doesn’t mean the next big name to come around won’t be an international phenomenon. It just hasn’t happened yet. Shakur Stevenson certainly has the makings of a serious household name. As long as he keeps winning, there’s something there for the general public to keep an eye on. There’s other names of course too, such as Ryan Garcia.

It would be nice to see these fighters take the spotlight now, though, instead of waiting for things to move at a snail’s pace while novelty bouts suck up all the energy. That’s simply not the way it’s going to be though, and that’s what we’re all going to have to deal with. Having said that, there are going to be excellent, high profile fights between contemporary combatants in the near future. Let’s just hope some of them will be able to make the jump to household name.