2024 has seen boxing host some of the most salivating possible match-up’s in the sport, with undisputed heavyweight and light-heavyweight champions finally being crowned. Yet, American presidential candidate Donald Trump has admitted that he still feels as though the sport seems ‘unimportant’.
Earlier this year, Oleksandr Usyk put together the performance of a lifetime to hand Tyson Fury a first career defeat and become the first undisputed heavyweight champion since Lennox Lewis in 1999.
Meanwhile, Artur Beterbiev and Dmitry Bivol engaged in tactical warfare as they displayed near-perfect foundations, footwork and minds in a contest for the undisputed light-heavyweight crown – with Beterbiev getting the controversial nod on the scorecards.
However, despite the success that the Saudi’s have brought to boxing this year, Trump told Joe Rogan that the sport seems ‘unimportant’ in comparison to the UFC at present, during a recent episode of the Joe Rogan Experience.
“It seems to be so unimportant now by comparison to UFC, don’t you think?”
In response, UFC-obsessed boxing-fan Rogan defended the work of the Saudi’s and added that boxing is likely to improve further once UFC president Dana White becomes more involved – a notion that the 45thpresident of the United States agreed with.
[Rogan] – “Dana is working with the kingdom of Saudi Arabia – they’re going to start promoting boxing now and with Dana at the helm I think boxing could return.”
[Rogan] – “Because the thing is, they want to make fights perhaps promoters don’t want to make because they want to protect their fighter; controversial fights where it’s dangerous. You don’t know, this guy could lose.
[Rogan] – “So, the Saudis are smart. They just offer a tremendous amount of money and they’re putting together fights no one else could put together. They’re doing that in boxing.
[Trump] – “If Dana is involved, he will probably make it good.”
After acknowledging the added dangers beforehand, Trump went on to reminisce of the times where fights were 15-rounds.
“I am not the fighter, but those 15-round fights were unbelievable. In terms of entertainment, those were the greatest fights ever. That was brutal.”
The 78-year-old Republican later detailed his respect for boxing legend James ‘Lights Out’ Toney – impressed by the success that the Michigan-born superstar accomplished across multiple weight divisions.
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