Boxing takes a hit from MMA’s growing popularity

Morgan Campbell

Mixed martial arts hasn’t killed boxing, but the fast-growing sport has sidelined the sweet science at Casino Rama.

On Saturday night, the casino will host the Reckoning, the first ever legal MMA show in Ontario, and the first of three mixed martial arts cards Rama has planned this year.

The packed MMA schedule means the casino won’t host any boxing shows this year, said Jeff Craik, the casino’s VP of Marketing.

“All of the excitement from the public is all MMA, MMA, MMA,” Craik said. “We have done better with this than with any of our boxing events.”

Craik insisted the casino hasn’t abandoned boxing. From 2007 to 2010, Rama hosted 13 boxing cards, including eight title bouts involving former IBF 122-pound champ Steve Molitor.

But the legalization of MMA last August has introduced both the casino and fight promoters to a different set of combat sports aficionados — younger than boxing fans and more numerous.
And more insistent.
Promoter Robert Waterman said he has staged boxing matches in England with stars like Ricky Hatton that haven’t generated the buzz among fans that he’s heard for Saturday’s card.
“I’ve got people phoning me up just to talk to me about it. I’ve never had that before anywhere,” said Waterman, who promoted the last boxing show at Rama in October. “Maybe the absence of (MMA) from Ontario has created an extra pent-up demand.”

If the Ultimate Fighting Championship is the major leagues of mixed martial arts, Saturday’s card is roughly double-A — a mix of rising prospects, faded UFC vets and fighters who will spend entire careers on the undercard.

But the lack of star power hasn’t dulled ticket demand. While every “sold-out” show at Rama includes a mix of paying customers and casino regulars on complimentary tickets, Craik said about 35 per cent of Saturday’s crowd will have actually bought their seats.

Boxing crowds generally have a lower percentage of paying customers, Craik said, mainly because of demand.

Meanwhile, boxing promoters realize they’ll struggle to pack arenas in southern Ontario with a card the calibre of Saturday’s show.

Casino Rama officials said they would resume staging boxing events in 2012 if a promoter offered matchups with enough importance and action to make the card appealing.

And boxing promoter Adam Harris, who attended Thursday’s news conference, agrees the legalization of MMA means boxing promoters need to offer stronger cards or step aside.

“The pecking order is going to change for the time being,” said Harris, head of Hennessy Sports Canada. “We’ve gone as far as we could go with the grassroots level (boxing shows). Now we need to step it up.”