America's Fall from Boxing Glory Explained: Turki Alashikh is Not to Blame

As I sit here trying to think about what to discuss today on the show, I realize that there's nothing that would interest the fans. Then I ask myself why. The WHY is the million-dollar question.

The decline in mainstream popularity of American boxing has several interconnected causes. While boxing still has strong fanbases, its cultural dominance in the U.S. has faded compared to its golden eras (1940s–1990s).

America used to be the Mecca of boxing for years. But in 2025, things have changed. So, I've decided to find out why, and this is what I've discovered. There are seven reasons why American boxing has fallen off a cliff.

1. Fragmented Championship System:

Too many belts and organizations (WBA, WBC, IBF, WBO, plus newer sanctioning bodies) confuse casual fans. Unlike in the past, when one heavyweight champ like Muhammad Ali or Mike Tyson ruled, today multiple "world champions" exist simultaneously.

Fans struggle to determine who the true best fighter is in each division.

2. Lack of American Heavyweight Stars:

Historically, heavyweights drove U.S. boxing popularity—Joe Louis, Ali, Tyson, and Holyfield.

After the early 2000s, the Klitschko brothers (Ukraine) dominated the division, later by European or UK fighters like Tyson Fury and Oleksandr Usyk.

The U.S. had Deontay Wilder, but he didn't fully capture mainstream attention outside his hardcore fans. Wilder was more of a manufactured champion who benefited from great matchmaking.

3. Rise of Competing Combat Sports:

UFC/MMA stole much of the younger audience. UFC offers undisputed champions, stacked cards, and clear matchmaking—no months of "who's ducking who."

Boxing cards often feature one main fight with weak undercards, while the UFC has multiple high-level bouts per event. Is the UFC perfect? No. However, the UFC fanbase is growing, while American boxing has fallen off a cliff.

4. Pay-Per-View & Accessibility Issues:

U.S. fans became frustrated with $75–$100 PPVs and fights on different platforms (DAZN, ESPN+, Showtime, PBC). Historically, boxing was on free TV or HBO/Showtime, making stars like Tyson and De La Hoya household names.

Modern casual fans often don't even know fights are happening. Maybe this is why Turki Alashikh has banned PPV fights for the Riyadh Season.

5. Lack of Consistent Storytelling & Marketing:

Stars like Ali, Tyson, Mayweather, and De La Hoya were cultural icons—people cared about their personalities as much as their fights.

Modern U.S. boxers (like Shakur Stevenson, Jermall Charlo, or Gervonta Davis) are talented but less marketed to the mainstream public. Social media hype exists but rarely translates to household recognition outside hardcore fans.

6. Globalization of Boxing:

Boxing thrives in the UK, Japan, Eastern Europe, and Mexico.

Significant events (Riyadh, London, Tokyo) often overshadow U.S. fights, and Saudi Arabia's mega-cards pull global focus. American boxing no longer "owns" the sport the way it did from the 1920s through the 1990s.

7. Matchmaking & Politics:

Fans are frustrated by fights that take too long to make. For example, Mayweather vs. Pacquiao (2015) came five years late, and Crawford vs. Spence took five years to materialize.

In the UFC, champions fight the best regularly; in boxing, promotional and network barriers stall big matchups. Thankfully, the major American networks have bowed out of boxing.

American boxing isn't dead, but it lost casual sports fan interest because there's no dominant U.S. heavyweight star. Fragmented titles & promotional politics.

High PPV costs & poor accessibility. UFC's simpler, more exciting product. The sport is now global first, and America is just one of many markets instead of the central hub.

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