Fans and beginners alike from around the world tuned in to watch boxing legends Floyd Mayweather Junior and Manny Pacquiao go head to head this weekend, but experts say the much-hyped fight is unlikely to boost boxing's popularity in the global sports arena.
"As a sports fan, it's a shame to think this could well be the last of the great fights that ever exist. Boxing as a sport globally is in decline," said Paul Krake, founder of View from the Peak: Macro Strategies.
The sport's violence, a lack of generation-defining heavyweight champions and a poor business model are commonly cited as reasons for the sport's waning popularity in the past decade despite its money-making potential.