Boxing

I'm just curious if there are any boxing fans out there (Eyesore?). My favorite match ever was Marco Antonio Barrera teaching Prince Naseem Hamed how to box.

I like to watch it! My best memories are the 80's. We were the only people in my family with HBO so all the Uncles and cousins would come over for Holmes, Tyson, Leonard, Hagler, etc....

Tyson fights pre-Douglas were so anti-climatic. Two hours of pre-fight, all Pizza, popcorn or whatever already gone and then 90 seconds of actual heavy weight action! Those were the days!

I still watch occasionally and I like hearing what Max Kellerman has to say and I hate Larry Merchant with a passion!

SAHB Healer wrote:

I'm just curious if there are any boxing fans out there (Eyesore?). My favorite match ever was Marco Antonio Barrera teaching Prince Naseem Hamed how to box.

Huge boxing fan! I was actually contemplating becoming a professional boxer at one point, up until I broke my wrist in the Air Force, and that settled the matter. Haha. My father was a boxer, good friends with Marvin Hagler, so I've been around boxing since I was just a baby.

I hate what's happened to the sport these days, though. All these corrupt decisions, shady promoters, and boxers only wanting to make money and not make good fights. It kind of sickens me.

Yeah. I miss the good old days when Frankie Carbo and Blinky Palermo kept everything in good order.
Seriously though...I have a fascination with Duran; not necessarily for his talent as much as that he seems like a character out of greek tragedy. Just that one really bad day he had...

scottmitchell74 wrote:

I like to watch it! My best memories are the 80's. We were the only people in my family with HBO so all the Uncles and cousins would come over for Holmes, Tyson, Leonard, Hagler, etc....

Tyson fights pre-Douglas were so anti-climatic. Two hours of pre-fight, all Pizza, popcorn or whatever already gone and then 90 seconds of actual heavy weight action! Those were the days!

I still watch occasionally and I like hearing what Max Kellerman has to say and I hate Larry Merchant with a passion!

I even remember when all but the most mega of fights were on free TV! I think what's happened to some sports (especially boxing) is similar to what's happened to music. It's almost a niche product that fans have to seek out. Sometimes I miss the days when Ali & Led Zeppelin were ubiquitous. And there's got to be something lost when the family doesn't gather round with popcorn anymore. I doubt anybody in my family even knows who Floyd Mayweather is, let alone Klitschko.

never really been interested in boxing really. or wrestling for that matter

Quote :

And there's got to be something lost when the
family doesn't gather round with popcorn anymore. I doubt anybody in my
family even knows who Floyd Mayweather is, let alone Klitschko.

So true! They say boxing is dying...especially Heavy Weight boxing...maybe, but I think you're right. It's just not put out there in a way that people can get pumped about it. I was ENDLESSLY fascinated by the fact the all 4 belts were recently held by boxers from current or former Soviet nations! That could have been played up so much differently. Of course, no Cold War hurts that angle!

Conversely, I hate that there are 4 belts. There should just be ONE belt per weight class. Anyhow, we could go on and on about how boxing could be better....maybe it should stay where it's at.

I think there's gotten to be so many belts that boxing fans usually have a pretty good idea who the "people's champ" is, and tend to ignore the belts.That's how I feel anyway.

There's too many belts, too many promoters, too many state to state rules, too many worthless thugs, and too many pussies.

Sorry for the language, but it's true. People criticize Jermain Taylor, and claim he was finally exposed when he lost to Pavlik. Taylor is a 25-year old fighter that beat Hopkins twice, beat Winky Wright once (and he wanted no part of a rematch), and has beaten other former champs. His fights with Winky and Hopkins were close, but they're elite fighters, and he fought them. When Pavlik stepped up, Taylor fought him, too. He lost, but he gave it as good as he got, and he showed heart and a great chin. They simply don't make them like Taylor anymore.

Look at Gayweather. Who does he fight? No one with any real chance of beating him. Gayweather is fast and extremely skilled, but he hates getting hit, so when he's fighting someone with a pulse he runs all night, throws these pitter-patter shots, and wins a boring UD. But he's rich! Pffft. I hope Hatton rips his head off.

Guys like Mayweather prosper because so many judges have what I call the "Harold Lederman" mentality; they get sucked into flashy boxers with skills appropriate to amatuer boxing; rather than guys who show effective aggressivness. An example from way back when would be Chavez-M. Taylor I. I've watched that fight with the sound off many times, and I had Chavez ahead before the controversial knockout. He had Taylor all busted up, and it wasn't from butts. But the announcers and judges were sucked into the flash rather than the substance. Meldrick did show guts, but he was losing IMO. Lesson one for a fight judge should be never let anyone "steal a round".

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Gayweather

I think that's part of the appeal of UFC....there's real violence and aggression. I love the "science" of boxing, but I agree running in circles trying to win on points and not get clobbered just isn't fun for me as an observer. I want to see the risk and reward of getting in there and mixing it up. Body blows, baby, body blows. I can't remember who was boxing but one of the most memorable punches I've seen (did I just contradict myself?) was a KO to the body. Dude just got hit so hard in the ribs that he went down never to rise. That's the stuff I like!

I'm a big boxing fan, and a purist at that. Can't stand the cage fighting. I'm a big John Duddy fan and middle weight fan over all. Me and my boys watch Wednesday and Friday night fights whenever it's on!

Favorite fight has to be when Foreman ko'd Moore to regain the title at 40 something years old. I was screaming and yelling in our little appartment! Me and my dad love 'ol George.