A ‘Talk Sport’ boxing schedule for 2025 offers a sobering outlook. It lists all the major fights lined up for the remainder of the year. Beginning with tonight’s Queensberry-DAZN card in Altrincham, there are a total of nine scheduled events. What stands out is that only two of them will take place in the United States. One is the highly anticipated Canelo Alvarez vs. Terence Crawford showdown, and the other is the Jake Paul–Gervonta Davis exhibition. The Alvarez-Crawford bout may be the only truly professional contest on U.S. soil worth serious scrutiny.

Though seemingly harmless, these details highlight a broader narrative that continues to stir debate. For decades, fans regarded the United States as the capital of world boxing. From fighters to promoters to trainers, countless figures around the world have called America home. Yet recent trends suggest a shift away from that legacy. With Shakur Stevenson having already completed his share of two fights this year, Riyadh Season is now set to showcase two of America’s biggest boxing stars, David Benavidez and Devin Haney, on a stacked card scheduled for November 22. To respected boxing writer and insider Dan Rafael, and a few others, while the $700 million behemoth ($773 million projected income from 2021) continues to thrive, the future of American boxing looks nonetheless uncertain.

Home is where legacies are built

The harbinger of this supposed impending doom is the upcoming Jake Paul-Gervonta Davis match. It’s an exhibition. Still, the spectacle of a 200-pound cruiserweight facing a 135-pound lightweight, while more meaningful duels, such as a Lamont Roach Jr. rematch, fall by the wayside, has left a sour taste for many, including Rafael. Somehow, he summed it up: “When I talk about RIP American boxing, the American boxing scene is in disarray,” when an iFL TV reporter pointed at his recent tweet. The text on Rafael’s post simply read, “American #boxing RIP.”

“There are a lot of good American fighters, but if you take a look at what’s happening, like take David Benavidez or take Devin Haney and Brian Norman and Shakur, they’re fighting their fights on the Riyadh Season cards,” Rafael explained. Basically, according to the veteran journalist, it’s a drain on American boxing because big-name events aren’t happening in American arenas. Fans in the U.S. lose the chance to attend or support these fights. More significantly, revenue and energy shift outside the U.S. boxing market.

To make his case, Rafael offered a pointed example. “If Davis would be willing to fight Shakur Stevenson, that fight could fill up any kind of stadium or arena in this country and do a good amount of viewers and sell a lot of tickets and generate a tremendous amount of revenue.” Instead, he noted, “They’ve opted to do something different.”

As a result, American boxing is steadily losing its ‘ecosystem.’ Fighters chase opportunities abroad rather than building the sport at home.

United States: The ring’s true home

Rafael acknowledged that there are still major events, such as the upcoming Terence Crawford vs. Canelo Alvarez clash. But in his view, that’s just ‘one fight.’ Overall, he argued, the pipeline of competitive, high-level American bouts is ‘in the toilet.’ To be clear, Rafael isn’t the only observer raising concerns.

For many, it is the Jake Paul-Gervonta Davis matchup that has reignited long-dormant frustrations. “Boxing is officially the WWE,” wrote Ryan Garcia. Speaking on ‘Submission Radio,’ well-known sports analyst Luke Thomas remarked, “I think again, it’s not like I’m offended by the bout. I know I’m not offended by the bout, but it just feels like—Jesus, this is the best you can do in American boxing? That is bad.”

Still, what Dan Rafael and others express remains, to some extent, subjective. While high-profile spectacles dominate headlines, less-publicized cards featuring champions from the lower weight divisions continue to take place on U.S. soil. From another perspective, fighters such as Shakur Stevenson, Devin Haney, and David Benavidez may be competing abroad. But in doing so they are still building their reputations. And by extension, bringing recognition to American boxing.

So, what’s your take on Dan Rafael’s thoughts about the state of American boxing?