Fight game still loaded with talent, say promoters

By James Blears

JEJU, South Korea (Reuters) - The heavyweight division has lost much of its appeal but boxing is still loaded with "superstars" and entertaining fighters, officials at the World Boxing Council's convention said on Wednesday.

In a recent Reuters interview, former middleweight world champion Jake LaMotta lamented the lack of outstanding talent in the fight game compared to the glut of big name fighters when he won his title 60 years ago.

Boxing has also come under pressure due to the rise of Mixed Martial Arts, one of the world's fastest growing sports, which has emerged as a rival for pay per view revenues.

However, fight promoters and officials at the convention on the South Korean resort island of Jeju insisted boxing still provided exciting fights and said the sport had a bright future.

"Jake was a great fighter and he's entitled to his opinion," Art Pelullo, president of Banner Promotions, told Reuters.

"I believe the sport has changed over the last 50 years and we do have superstars today -- Manny Pacquiao, Oscar De La Hoya, Ricky Hatton when he beat Kostya Tszyu.

"Maybe there are different type of stars than there were 50 or 60 years ago, because the sport has evolved and the world has evolved."

SUPER FIGHT

Pelullo also said boxing was set to reap huge revenues from upcoming fights featuring Filipino southpaw Pacquiao and undefeated American Floyd Mayweather Jr.

"When Manny Pacquiao fights Miguel Cotto, they're expecting it'll be the largest audience to watch a fight in the last two or three years. And whoever wins and fights Floyd Mayweather, it'll be the biggest pay per view fight in the history of the sport."

American promoter Gary Shaw acknowledged that the high-profile heavyweight category lacked depth and appeal but said the sport delivered compelling bouts thanks to fighters like Mayweather and Pacquiao.

"When Jake LaMotta was fighting, he wasn't on television and he was fighting four, five, six or eight times a year," Shaw said.

"Today the economics is different, the boxing game is different. I believe Manny Pacquiao and Floyd Mayweather are certainly superstars, and there are certainly others coming up who have the potential to be superstars.

"Right now the heavyweight division is dead, but there are still great fights out there and great fighters."

(Editing by Peter Rutherford)