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Another thread got me thinking about this question. Seems kind of a stinky situation. You want at least one sport where the entrance price is how much blood and guts you have, not how much money.
Because they were old, and rent was cheaper back then. They also tended to be in shitty neighborhoods which also contributed to having lower costs.
I see nobody has mentioned probably the most important aspect: real estate.
boxing requires a minimal amount of floor space. A single ring, some bags along a wall. Maybe some mirrors for shadow boxing (requiring zero floor space). That’s all you need to build champion boxers.
mMA gyms need a lot of floor space. You need a lot of room to grapple. You might need a ring. Either mats on the wall or a half cage at minimum. That’s a lot of square feet. Square feet = $$$ That’s why more mma gyms are in city outskirts or suburbs compared to boxing gyms.
- Boxing gym memberships are inexpensive because not everyone gets access to a coach.
- Boxing coaches will train very promising fighters for relatively nothing for a possible return on investment later.
- Once a boxer is established he is expected to pay his boxing coach.
- The best boxing coaches earn what 10 of the best MMA coaches earn combined.
- Boxing is not cheap.
- Boxing gyms are in the neighborhoods where talent is typically found and interest is high. It has nothing to do with rent, which is typically market rate.
- There is no "back then" in boxing. Boxing is still a booming business for the best and brightest.
- Boxing gyms that train real upcoming talent have more than one ring. Take a large amount of square footage, so that multiple boxers and trainers can train simultaneously.
- Why does it feel like most MMA fans have no knowledge of sports whatsoever?