Boxing has an identity problem when YouTube stars upstage more skilled boxers

When YouTube personalities devoid of boxing skills command attention with pay-per-view fights, the ominous message is clear. Boxing has an identity problem.

Although boxing rebounded from the extended shutdown of 2020 with important fights and emerging champions, the sport lacked a consistent presence throughout the year.

And winning over new generations of followers can’t be achieved when brothers and novice boxers Jake and Logan Paul, known for their social media platforms instead of ring abilities, land headline-billing matches. Sadly, the purchases of their events outsell important bouts featuring elite-skilled fighters.

The circus-like atmosphere created by the Paul brothers in 2021 casts a huge cloud over the sport. If their lucrative gigs continue, deserving top-level fighters will continue to languish for attention.

The Pauls spotlight-hogging power play notwithstanding, boxing has a short list of popular attractions that successfully crossed the pay-per-view threshold.

Saul “Canelo” Alvarez is boxing’s most popular fighter and in 2021 the native of Mexico fulfilled his goal of becoming undisputed super-middleweight champion.

Alvarez’s successful year began in South Florida, where he retained his two sanctioning body belts with a third-round TKO of Avni Yildirim Feb. 27 at Hard Rock Stadium. In May, Alvarez scored an eighth-round knockout over Billy Joe Saunders to win a third title. Alvarez conquered his fourth and final belt with an 11th-round knockout over Caleb Plant on Nov. 6, joining super-lightweight titleholder Josh Taylor as the sport’s only undisputed champions.

Many boxing experts consider Alvarez the best pound-for-pound fighter. But welterweight champion Terence Crawford made a case for the lofty spot in his lone ring appearance of the year. Crawford remained unbeaten with a 10th-round TKO over Shawn Porter Nov. 20. The stoppage was Crawford’s fifth straight since becoming welterweight titleholder. Crawford also had title reigns at lightweight and super-lightweight before his move to 147 pounds.

The heavyweight class has always been considered the engine that moves the sport. In reigning champion Tyson Fury, the division currently features a talented and charismatic personality whose appeal transcends beyond boxing’s hard core base.

A native of England, Fury retained his sanctioning body belt with an 11th-round knockout over former champion Deontay Wilder Oct. 9. The third match between the rivals became one of the most thrilling heavyweight fights of the past 20 years. Fury floored Wilder in the third round only to absorb two knockdowns the following round. The ebb and flow action continued until Fury dropped Wilder again in the 10th and then finished him with a third knockdown in the 11th.

Plans for a title unification bout between Fury and fellow English native Anthony Joshua were scuttled by Oleksandr Usyk. The former cruiserweight champion dethroned Joshua with a unanimous decision victory on Sept. 25.

The year also featured coming of age performers.

A world title nowadays doesn’t guarantee instant recognition. Part-time Miami resident Yordenis Ugas holds one of the welterweight belts but his profile grew after the native of Cuba won a convincing decision over Manny Pacquiao Aug. 21.

Ugas was a late replacement for Errol Spence Jr., who withdrew as Pacquiao’s original opponent because of an eye injury. The heightened attention that comes with facing a ring legend and pay-per-view attraction like Pacquiao didn’t faze Ugas. Instead, Ugas dictated terms for most of the bout and his performance prompted the eight-division champion to retire shortly after the bout.

Another fighter who capitalized on his opportunity, but not before enduring patience testing, was George Kambosos. The Australia native became the mandatory challenger to lightweight champion Teofimo Lopez, who looked to continue expanding his star power following a victory over Vasyl Lomachenko in October 2020.

The Lopez-Kambosos fight was marred by multiple postponements and venue changes. When they finally fought on Nov. 27, Kambosos, who trains at the Sweatbox Gym in Davie, ended Lopez’s reign with a split decision victory.

Boxing continues to be plagued by elite fighters not facing each other in their prime. Conflicting promotional interests often delay matches that fans demand.

No better example is the still-imaginary bout between unbeaten welterweight titleholders Crawford and Spence.

However, Fury and Wilder bucked the disturbing trend. Super-flyweights Juan Francisco Estrada and Roman “Chocolatito” Gonzalez also defied boxing politics with their bout on March 13. They traded combinations at a furious pace before Estrada retained his title with a split decision victory March 13.

Lomachenko, a double Olympic gold medalist and three-division professional champion, overcame the defeat against Lopez with a convincing decision win over former champion Richard Commey in his return bout Dec. 11.

The local boxing scene was busy with shows. Venues in Miami Dade and Broward were used for 25 cards.

The Alvarez-Yildirim bout headlined the first show at a South Florida football stadium since Aaron Pryor and Alexis Arguello fought their memorable junior-welterweight title match at the Orange Bowl in 1982.

Hard Rock Stadium also was the setting for the eight-round exhibition between retired five-division division world champion Floyd Mayweather Jr. and Logan Paul June 5.

A casualty of the exhibition was the Lopez-Kambosos fight. Originally scheduled for June 4 at loanDepot Park, promoters moved the date to avoid a conflict with Mayweather and Paul on the same weekend and market. Rescheduled for June 19, the fight was moved again and out of South Florida after Lopez tested positive for COVID-19.