Johnny Nelson says the British public are fed up with the current state of boxing and turning away from the sport. His comments come in the wake of Scott Harrison's farcical defence of his WBO featherweight title last Friday.
"We've had nothing but frustration recently and it's killing the game," said the WBO cruiserweight champion.
"We cannot keep fooling the general public. They pay a lot of money and now they feel they are being ripped off and attendances are down as a result."
Harrison stopped Samuel Kebede after just 57 seconds of the first round in Glasgow, while WBO super middleweight king Joe Calzaghe laboured to a dour win over Egypt's Kabary Salem a week earlier.
 |  Promoters and managers are businessmen and don't want to risk their golden goose |
"I've lost count of the number of people who have got in touch telling me fights like these are turning them off boxing," said the 37-year-old Nelson.
"But promoters and managers are businessmen and don't want to risk their golden goose."
Nelson, who himself has been searching for a unification bout, said Harrison, Calzaghe and Ricky Hatton must stand up and be counted next year.
"Unless we get a new superstar who lights up the sport and gives the public exactly what they want, in five to 10 years time people will look on boxing like WWF wrestling."
Nelson's next defence should be against Italy's Vincenzo Cantatore in December.
MMIX
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