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Daily Madden: Why Boxing Has Lost Its Punch

SAN FRANCISCO (KCBS) - Longtime Bay Area sports writer Dave Newhouse joined John Madden and the KCBS morning crew to discuss the state of boxing and Newhouse's new e-book "Before Boxing Lost Its Punch."

Boxing fans seem to be a dying breed as the number of boxers and fights diminish.

"It's hard to be a boxing fan today," Madden said. "We don't get (boxers) out of the Olympics, we don't get them out of the military anymore...and I don't know that boxing right now is even considered (by young kids)."

The lack of exposure is a factor.

"Now television controls boxing," Newhouse said, "They pick and choose when they want to present their fighters, and it's just beaten down the sport."

Madden agreed. "We don't have a lot of fights... The only fights they could sell are championship fights. So in order to make more championship fights, they make more championships. So just about every fight you do watch now has some belt." (8:45)

Listen to the John Madden segment live weekday mornings at 8:15 on KCBS All News 740 AM/106.9 FM.

(Copyright 2011 by CBS San Francisco. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.)

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