It seems like every major boxing match that comes down the pike has the same burden as the one before it, to save boxing.

Is boxing really in that bad a shape? Lately the sport has been pitted against MMA for fighting sport supremacy, and many people feel like MMA is the better of the two vastly different sports. Part of the reason boxing seems to be on the decline has got to do with how terribly disorganized the sport has become.

Xtreme Boxing Challenge seeks to change all that by adding a whole new system into the boxing mix. Instead of a bunch of promoters setting up fights seemingly at random, a tournament style has been introduced. Fighting ‘round-robin’ style, the contenders (who must have at least 10 pro fights under their belts) will fight in short bouts of five 3 minute rounds. The winner advances and fights again that very same night.

The events will take place once a month, with every four event taking place outside the US. What’s really cool about the tournament format is that audiences get the kind of action their used to seeing in MMA events which are typically tournament style. Fans will hopefully feel better than having simply watched three or four random fights across the various weight classes. Instead of mixed classes, each event will feature one weight class, with the heavy weights up first and the next weight class down waiting in the proverbial ‘on deck’ circle.

Is this better for boxing? On paper this looks like a great idea, the only problem is finding big names to draw in the fans. What will help things is the affordable price of the live web stream which is $19.95. That low price will give fight fans incentive to check out the show even if they don’t recognize any of the contestants.

As far as the boxers themselves are concerned they have plenty of incentive to get involved in this new take on boxing, something to the tune of 2 million dollars. Fight promoters had better take notice, because boxers may decide that they’d rather not pay their promoter when they can enter a tournament and take home all of their winnings.

Despite an arguably better format, traditional boxing is likely to still reign supreme for the foreseeable future. If I was a betting man I would speculate that Xtreme Boxing will try to take on MMA events like Ultimate Fighting Championship and Pride Fighting.

The first Xtreme Boxing Challenge event airs August 29, at the Wells Fargo Center in Des Moines, Iowa.

 

For more info visit: www.xbclive.com