A dynasty hit and a Box Office multibillionaire

Written by Ruth Raper

BOX is a machine that does not stop moving, each day brings a new title and, with that title, there may be a new champion or the fall of the existing one.

The stars that shine brightest today will be much forgotten tomorrow. Others will remain in the public eye as commentators, or by appearing in public from time to time. Some will go on to become coaches or managers, but most will fade away, remembered only by boxing legends.

If we look at our current crop of superstars, fighters who can sell out arenas, capture the public's attention, and climb the infamous pound-for-pound list (these things don't always go hand in hand), it's clear that many of them are in the twilight years of their careers.

Saul 'Canelo' Alvarez he is the only active boxer to have five of the top-grossing fights in history (against Floyd Mayweather), reportedly generating $150m in PPV buys and $20m at the gate. Canelo is now 34 years old and although he has not said anything about his retirement, there is no doubt that he has a few fights left before he hangs up the gloves.

Not all stars are able to put in big numbers at the Box Office, especially since the retirement of Floyd 'Money' Mayweather; few seem to be able to compete in the way that they would draw unprecedented numbers, fight after fight.

You can always count on a heavyweight to get the attention of the mainstream fans. I find my friends who don't usually pay attention to boxing know the names of the top heavyweights but have never heard of many of the fighters in the top 10 pounds. In recent years, we have been fortunate enough to have a great population and a great conflict within the heavyweight division.

Anthony Joshua has captivated us since winning gold at the 2012 Olympics with his Adonis-like good looks and devastating right hand. Tyson Fury has captivated us with his lovable yet complex personality that leaves us wondering what to expect next.

Oleksandr Usyk's journey from Olympic gold medalist, undisputed cruiserweight champion, to undisputed heavyweight champion (all the while his country is at war) has given us all a chance to witness history. With all these men in their late 30s, it seems we have to watch the horizon to see who will be on our TV screens and timelines next.

RIYADH, SAUDI ARABIA – MAY 15: Oleksandr Usyk trains during the Ring Of Fire – Open Workouts session ahead of the IBF, IBO, WBA, WBC and WBO Undisputed World Heavyweight fight between Tyson Fury and Oleksandr Usyk at -BLVD City – Music World on May 15, 2024 in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. (Photo by Richard Pelham/Getty Images)

The health of our sport depends on having athletes who can become household names, go through the sport in the program and take boxing to young people. While we all have our favorite 'prospects', it is impossible to predict who will achieve the level of stardom required to set the world on fire, as Robinson, Ali, Leonard, and Tyson did.

It is rarely a single attribute that allows a fighter to advance above his peers; they usually succeed in many areas (with a little luck involved). Let's see what can help a young boxer to rise to the top.

Ancestry. When we talk about a boxer with a good pedigree, we mean that he had a great career. Boxers with a good career have a better chance of having a successful career.

Of course, there are always exceptions to this rule. Billy Conn, best known for his fights with Joe Louis, was the world light-heavyweight champion from 1939 to 1941 and had empty fights.

The legendary Julio Cesar Chavez, who many would consider one of the greatest fighters of all time, reportedly only had 14 fights. It's true that having a few rookie fights was more common before the 1980s, as fighters believed they could learn their trade and were eager to start making money as soon as possible.

A recent example of a successful boxer with little novice experience is Fabio Wardley. Wardley had a string of rookie fights (although he had four white-collar fights), and has become a British, Commonwealth and WBO European champion.

RIYADH, SAUDI ARABIA – OCTOBER 28: David Adeleye dodges a punch from Fabio Wardley in the British, Commonwealth and WBO European Heavyweight title fight between Fabio Wardley and David Adeleye at Boulevard Hall on October 28, 2023 in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. (Photo by Justin Setterfield/Getty Images)

While the above achievements are extremely impressive, the rule of thumb remains that a good entry-level job will stand you in good stead when you enter the professional ranks. As a novice boxer goes from a young competitor with a few firsts in club competitions, to serious competitions such as boxing cups, national championships or international competitions, they learn important skills inside and outside the ring.

With some novices having their first bout as young as 10 years old, it's easy to see that a boxer starting his career in his late twenties or early 20s will struggle to catch up to the technical skills his teammates will already possess. done.

A few of our current stars who had impressive careers are Vasily Lomachenko, Claressa Shields and Devin Haney. Lomachenko is a two-time Olympic gold medalist with a rookie record of 396-1. Shields is also a two-time Olympic gold medalist with a 77-1 junior record, and Haney is a 2015 Golden Gloves Champion with a 138-8 record.

Claressa Shields and Maricela Cornejo

It's no surprise that promoters are always on the lookout for National Champions and whoever is on Team GB. You'll often see Olympians sign lucrative advertising deals after returning home from the games.

While piercing the pedigree is an important aspect of building a fighting machine, tomorrow Ruth discusses other important aspects and cross-cultural factors that help a boxer succeed in many people…