Boxing For the Under Privileged Masses, MMA for Socio-Economic Elite Minority

[Cereal]

Excellent post and very well written.

[Danny Gunz]

the problem with your arguement though is that mma could eventually replace boxing in the inner cities and minorities

[Kelly Robinson]

I know Boxing vs. MMA is a tired topic, but there's one angle of it that few people have yet to point out that I think is a cogent argument.

MMA will never match boxing for many reasons, but one of biggest is due to the fact that MMA can never tap that underprivileged demographic (which is sadly the majority in some senses - because let's be honest there's more underprivileged people than there are socio-economic "elites"). The reason being is that there are NO STORIES in MMA, there are no rags to riches heroes, no Kasim the Dream Ouma's, no Bernard Hopkins. If you look at every major MMA "superstar" they are all well to do caucasians with college degrees and good homely upbringings. Randy Couture was a wrestler during his studies at Oklahoma State, Chuck the "iceman" Liddell was a division 1 wrestler while attending Cal. Polytech University. Even the black fighters, let's take current super-star Rashad Evans as an example - he attended Michigan State University and wrestled for them.
Now I'm not saying that an educated fighter is a bad thing, and I for one believe the Klitschkos with their PHD's and all are a good thing for boxing. But when you have a sport that consists of nothing but well to do, good upbringing, socio-economically superior fighters, it will never tug at the heart strings of the strong urban demographic that follows true sports like boxing.
There is no grit nor street ferocity in an MMA match. When you pit two bachelor/master degree having "gentlemen" against each other it pales in comparison to the unbridled STREET FEROCITY and "nothing to lose" attitude of a socio-economically gimped boxer who came from the hood and probably never even garduated highschool. Take Zab Judah for example, for all his theatrics and immaturity at least they are REAL and GENUINE because he is from the gritty hood, whereas in MMA to achieve that same level of suspense they needed to hire a professional wrestler from the WWE (Brock Lesnar) who was the first MMA star to 'incense fans' with his faux-obnoxious stage personality.
In fact Dana White has actually hurt the long term chances of MMA by cashing in on short term profits by hiring the likes of Brock Lesnar and Bobby Lashley straight from the WWE. While the short term profits soar when Lesnar fights, White is actually debasing the credibility of his fighters - the same which he spent years trying to build up as 'legitimate warriors.' But when you have a WWE star take over your best division in under 3 fights, then you know your actual 'fighters' never had much credibility to begin with.
So in conclusion, MMA "fighters" will never have much credibility for toughness, grit, or 'street cred' amongst the vast demographic of underprivileged and non socio-economically "elite" fans. When the going gets tough, no one will expect a middle to upper class bachelor degree'd MMA "star" to ever become a true warrior like Arturo Gatti and leave his heart in the ring because he knows that boxing is all that he has and if he loses he will go back to poverty and squalor. In MMA, when a fighter loses he knows he can just go back to a 50-60k a year desk job with his upper class upbringing and college degree. So MMA fighters will always lack the basic carnal ferocity and no retreat, all out mentality of a true boxer.

I agree. I honestly dislike MMA. I can't stand it. But making 50 - 60k a year for a desk job after spending all that time and money in college? I haven't been to college yet and I hope I make more than that. My dad never grauated from high school and he exactly makes 50k a year.

[TheNegation]

Jesus christ. That is absolutely ABSURD. Quite possibly the dumbest thing i've read in a long time. Miguel Torres just got knocked out by Brian Bowles and many, including professional MMA'ers said Torres was a GREAT striker. And yet this guy just got starched by Brian freaking Bowles. Bottom line is MMA'ers have never, NEVER seen what an elite striker could do to them.

Torres has horrible striking defense and he charges in recklessly when he has a guy hurt and Bowles packs a big punch. I wasn't surprised at all. I was actually expecting it.

There is nothing revolutionary about MMA striking, its TERRIBLE. An elite boxer would absolutely SMASH an MMA'er on their feet. It wouldnt even be competitive. You really think those ****ty kicks we see in MMA would actually frustrate a boxer? They would just laugh and proceed to knock the guys head off.

MMA adapted boxers will never be as technically proficient as a pro boxer because they have to worry about more than just being hit.

Secondly, how you can just casually say that boxers, who practice the most incomplete stand-up art in the history of stand-up art's can simply shrug off leg , liver, and head kicks, knees and elbows shows that you are either dumb or a blind hater.

****ty kicks? I remember distinctly that Remy Bonjasky barely landed a solid kick to Ray Mercer's head and he quit.

Okay, that makes no sense.

How so? With the implication of kicks and knees and grappling you still think a a pro boxer would still be just as effective in MMA as in a Prize Fighting Ring? That is ridiculous.

BJ Penn is the perfect example of using his boxing skills and applying effectively in MMA.

I don't have time to waste responding to another one of these. But I'm sure it's filled with stupid **** and maybe some stuff that is enlightening.

For now we'll have to just agree to disagree