Whenever we look at boxing, a jarring question always pops up. What is the future of the sweet science? Is it thriving, or will free fall continue in the coming years, eventually before other combat sports, such as MMA, take over? It always has been up for debate, but this year, we saw some signs that boxing is ready to ride away the storm and fight for its future.

Let’s have a look at some notable developments that pump confidence among the hardcore fans about the sports, which once decided the pinnacle of sportsmanship prowess.

Steaming giants like Netflix and Prime enter boxing

When Showtime Boxing finally drew curtains on its operations last year, boxing fans were looking at a hole that seemed only to grow larger. A nostalgia-evoking broadcaster and a huge player in the market left the scene, and many asked what’s next. But they soon saw Prime jumping in and replacing Showtime Boxing. The Amazon venture had its first event when Sebastian Fundora took on Tim Tszyu and gave fans a fight to remember for and ushering into a new era. However, we would have preferred if we got more PBC-Prime cards.

The entry of Netflix only widened the base, as it looked to expand its sports footprint after adding Jake Paul vs. Mike Tyson and shattering many live viewership records. You can expect these streaming giants to come up with more such events, offer more exciting cards, and give fans a taste of a service that was initially limited to a few platforms.

Striking against piracy in boxing

Well, it depends how you look at it. When you look at it from the fans’ perspective—thinly spread PPV cards, high prices, and bigger stars’ reluctance to take on each other—you can understand what was wrong. But the Saudis came and tried to fix it. Yet somehow the illegal streaming became an irritant. Either you implement severe restrictions or you make it accessible to everyone.

HE Turki Alalshikh did both. The Saudi Royal learned his lesson from the first Oleksandr Usyk vs. Tyson Fury encounter and Terrence Crawford vs. Israil Madrimov events and slashed the PPV prices of coming events, pushing for people to buy PPVs and widen the boxing fan base. In addition, he doubled down on illegal streaming. The ripple effect was felt on Netflix, which set up a new anti-piracy department targeting illegal online streams. But it remains to be seen how effective this will be in the long run.

Big fights are finally happening, all thanks to the Saudi pull

When HE Turki Alalshikh disclosed his desire to fix boxing, he meant it. He acted as a bridge between different divisions, promoting cross-promotion cards such as Frank Warren and Eddie Hearn‘s Matchroom vs. Queensberry 5×5 event. What’s more? The tie-up with DAZN, a common broadcaster, eased his way. The result?

We saw Artur Beterbiev vs. Dmitry Bivol for the undisputed light heavyweight crown. We saw Usyk vs. Fury for the undisputed heavyweight throne. All possible because of the Saudi adviser pumping money and forcing all the promoters to come to the negotiation table. If you are still not convinced, then you should wait for the Beterbiev vs. Bivol 2 event on February 22.

Mike Tyson vs. Jake Paul: bringing a new wave of audience

When Paul, 27, and Tyson, 58, took center stage at the AT&T Arena in Arlington, countless eyes were on the pair. And we mean literally! Netflix reported 65 million households had watched the event live as the two boxers exchanged blows. A few days later, the American company updated the number to 105 million live viewers.

Now, that’s a number you rarely associate with boxing. While ‘Iron Mike’ has his loyal following, the allure of him taking on a younger fighter, who has disrupted the boxing landscape, skyrocketed. That’s not only it. ‘The Problem Child’ has always showcased his ability to sell the arenas, and he is bringing in something that many modern fighters lack: casual fans. The MVP is also working on a similar principle, and you can expect him and the MVP to do wonders next year too with new fans.

Amanda Serrano vs. Katie Taylor: a revolution for women’s boxing

Before Paul vs. Tyson took place, the fans cheered and lauded Amanda Serrano and Katie Taylor. The revenge match for the undisputed super lightweight glory captured the fans’ imagination, and they responded by flocking in huge numbers. Almost 74 million watched the two top women boxers fight till the end when the action was relentless. It’s no wonder that the fight became the most-watched fight in women’s boxing history.

The fight also gave new hope to the women boxing fans, as now they can expect the women boxers to headline bigger events and get paid hefty too. Maybe it’s the wave we needed, and it happened at the right time. Women’s boxing has the potential to become boxing’s savior, and it remains to be seen which new heights will be scaled next year.

What do you make of these new trends in boxing that we all witnessed in 2024? Let us know in the comments below.