How did you get into boxing?

Im 27 so for me it was watching Tyson beat the living crap out of everyone in the late 80's and early 90's and also watching Chavez brutalize fighters. My father always watched those fights and my uncle boxed a little when he was younger so thats what got me into boxing. Later on it was De La Hoya, everytime he fought the whole family got together and either had a carne asada or ordered some pizzas and just watched him fight. Good memories!

Thanks for resurrecting this one McGoorty, maybe I should repost it in the Boxing History section?

For me, growing up in a "fight town" (Brockton, MA.) led me to be very interested in boxing. I would always read the magazines (KO, Ring, etc..) whenever I could get them. I was just fascinated with all things boxing. The first fight I remember just having to see was the first fight between Leonard and Hearns. A man down the street had the fight showing in his house (and me being only 11) I could not go with my Dad to see it. Growing up, the Middleweight Champion was from my town (Hagler), a former undefeated Heavyweight Champion (Marciano) was from my town, so I just grew up with it all around me. 30 years later, I'm as into boxing as ever. How about you, how did you get into boxing? As a tin-lid, it was mostly ALI, there really was no one else, you had to like him, or the Aboriginal kids'd beat yer lights out, but seriously, I loved him as a kid, he was larger than life to anyone my age,....... I suppose Rocky Balboa too, and the fact that every second "WESTERN film had some guy, playin' John L. Sullivan, walkin' in'ter a bar an bellowing "I'll lick any damn SUN- BEECH in-a-this-a-here SAY-LOON", that always had an effect on me that did,.......... Then Fenech came along,......... he started talkin' about Henry Armstrong and others, and his sucess got me really interested,...... AND then I saw Erroll Flynn as "Gentleman Jim", one of the greatest boxing movies,... love that movie !!!!!! and of course the Darcy legend looms large over all Aussies memories, once I saw him on film, and the BASILIO Vs De MARCO II fight,....... well who wouldn't love Boxing after all those memories ?????,..... anybody with barbarian blood, that's who.

Got into it because of my father. He loved watching heavyweight actions during the 90's on telly when we were still little kids. Ali and Holmes fights and their contemporaries were being shown on a regular basis. Pacquiao's 2007 fight with Barrera (2nd fight) got me back into it. I've been an active fan since.

ABC Wide World of Sports in the 80's

2 words MUHAMMAD ALI

i was seven when i got into boxing my uncle had lots of tapes of old fights

Watching Tyson wiping the floor with his opponents. His fights got me into boxing.

When Riddick Bowe fought Evander Holyfield in their last bout in 1995. I knew nothing about either of them. I used to think that Boxing gloves has the same impact as pillows.

Great thread. Growing up my grandfather always would watch the ESPN classic fights on the tv and I ended up watching alot of them with him. I was always playing sports then one summer I met the owner of the gym near me he is a great dude used to be pro boxer and kick boxer and has all these belts in martial arts. He talked me into joining and trying out boxing since I was already a fan of it and I was training pretty regularly up until about a year and a half ago. People really miss out on the amateur boxing circuit. I always loved going to the gyms around philly and catching some of the fights. You meet some great people and see great fights.

Watching Oscar in the olympics.

Why no pactards in this thread? I see plenty of people who actually box/have boxed though. Because they only love Pac...not the sport of boxing itself....

My family used to have bbqs and get togethers when I was a kid and the men in the family would watch Tyson fights in the garage. From then on I was hooked. Favorite fighters: started with Tyson, to Sweet Pea to RJJ, to James Toney, to Oscar to B hop to Floyd and now Manny

where's the pen so I can co-sign....

For me, growing up in a "fight town" (Brockton, MA.) led me to be very interested in boxing. I would always read the magazines (KO, Ring, etc..) whenever I could get them. I was just fascinated with all things boxing. The first fight I remember just having to see was the first fight between Leonard and Hearns. A man down the street had the fight showing in his house (and me being only 11) I could not go with my Dad to see it. Growing up, the Middleweight Champion was from my town (Hagler), a former undefeated Heavyweight Champion (Marciano) was from my town, so I just grew up with it all around me. 30 years later, I'm as into boxing as ever. How about you, how did you get into boxing? All my uncles and my dad were boxing "fans"...but diddn't really follow any specific fighters.... My earliest memories of REALLY getting into the the sport were watching Michael Carbajal, JCC Sr., Azuma Nelson and of course Mike Tyson....I loved that Tyson was always expected (and did) to KO his opponents....and I loved how the "little guys" showed that they could fight too.... But my favorite fighter growing up...Terry Norris :boxing:

ha, I mention them in my book...twin brothers, always the same suit, same hat, same shoes, and the same toothpick coming out of the same of their mouths... Absolutely Ice. I saw Lavell not too long ago actually.

I know Lavell and Terrell, I've been to plenty of their local fights. ha, I mention them in my book...twin brothers, always the same suit, same hat, same shoes, and the same toothpick coming out of the same of their mouths...

The power of the Rocky movies is undeniable. Sly totally deserves his place in the IBHOF for what he did for the sport! :boxing:

my father was a boxing fan, we used to watch all the weekend fights on free TV...one of the first I recall was Ray Leonard-Andy Price in 1979...saw Rocky in 1976...watched Ali-Spinks in 1978...my father saw the interest was deep and brought me to a gym in 1982...been there ever since...without those free weekend fights a lot of guys never would have gotten into the game I suspect...

Since i was a kid growing up in Philippines in the 80's. I remember staying late just to see Rolando Navarrette fight. Moved to the US at when i was 12. All the boxing info i get was from newspapers and local tv when they use to show it. I remember the Carbajal-Gonzales fight at KCAL 9 here in Los Angeles. Lost out of touch with boxing when i was in the Marines. But i still remember reading Morris East in Pinoy sport magazines that they send to us, including Pacquiao when he won his first title. Have Direct TV and internet helps a lot in following boxing.