Is Boxing the Most Athletic Sport?

Boxing at the highest level is the toughest sport because it's pretty much guaranteed that you will get some for of brain trauma and CTE. There are other dangerous sports but in most of those sports if you don't just plain out die or have a horrible accident you're going to end up just fine. In boxing there is no way you're going to end up perfectly alright as far as your brain health is concerned. You might say that NFL is a bit similar in those regards but I think brain trauma in boxing is more serious. Also, going 12 full rounds at the elite level of boxing is something that very few people can do because it takes a very specific type of cardio and a lot of boxing conditioning is related to mental strength, experience and skill. As for all those purely cardio sports like cycling or running around, you need to realize that those guys are skinny and don't carry much weight. I find someone like Klitschko with his size being able to move around the ring for 12 rounds much more impressive. Put the extra 100 pounds on those skinny marathon guys and let's see how their cardio looks like. Why do boxers only compete 1-2 times a year? Because it's the toughest sport. The more people can compete in the sport the less tough it is to the body. That's a fact. especially now that the foods are in the conditions they are in (Gmos) and everything is polluted, the human body simply cant perform at that level too many times a year under these conditions.

Ive been an athlete all my life, played college football at a high level, practice team for a year in NFL. sparring four 3 minute rounds was the hardest thing id ever done so id say yes. Wrestlers as well.

Boxing at the highest level is the toughest sport because it's pretty much guaranteed that you will get some for of brain trauma and CTE. There are other dangerous sports but in most of those sports if you don't just plain out die or have a horrible accident you're going to end up just fine. In boxing there is no way you're going to end up perfectly alright as far as your brain health is concerned. You might say that NFL is a bit similar in those regards but I think brain trauma in boxing is more serious. Also, going 12 full rounds at the elite level of boxing is something that very few people can do because it takes a very specific type of cardio and a lot of boxing conditioning is related to mental strength, experience and skill. As for all those purely cardio sports like cycling or running around, you need to realize that those guys are skinny and don't carry much weight. I find someone like Klitschko with his size being able to move around the ring for 12 rounds much more impressive. Put the extra 100 pounds on those skinny marathon guys and let's see how their cardio looks like. Why do boxers only compete 1-2 times a year? Because it's the toughest sport. The more people can compete in the sport the less tough it is to the body. That's a fact.

Basketball & American Football are the most athletic sports IMHO!

Well, there is this to compare with: :) http://sports.espn.go.com/espn/page2/sportSkills Interesting. Instinctively I would have said Gymnastics (which is up there in the top 10) or swimming (which is well down the list overall but scores real high on endurance)

Of all of the sports I have participated in, boxing and soccer were the most rigorous and physically challenging. Boxing was at the top though. While in the military, we had annual PT tests, and the highest scoring members were typically soccer players, boxers and basketball players. When playing a team sport, you have other team members to help pick up the slack if you are having a bad day. There are time-outs, and there are ass loads of commercials breaks. There is offense and defense in football so you get to sit on the bench for half the game. Cyclists are in great condition, but it doesn't provide all around athleticism. When Lance Armstrong ran a marathon he said it was more grueling for him than the Tour De France.

Yes it is, Football, NBA, NFL, and many other athletes cant box for 12 rounds, thats a fact! Different things. Put a boxer to wrestle and he will gas soon in high intensive match. They are different and require different kind of endurance. Boxing is a tough sport but so are many others. And they differ from each other. Some of them arent easily compared and there are sports that neither representative would do well in the other's sport One thing for combat sports, you gotta be tough, not just by physical shape but in terms of taking punishment. Not many people can willingly take that

http://www.espn.com/espn/page2/sportSkills

ENDURANCE: The ability to continue to perform a skill or action for long periods of time. Example: Lance Armstrong STRENGTH: The ability to produce force. Example: NFL linebackers. POWER: The ability to produce strength in the shortest possible time. Example: Barry Bonds. SPEED: The ability to move quickly. Example: Marion Jones, Maurice Green. AGILITY: The ability to change direction quickly. Example: Derek Jeter, Mia Hamm. FLEXIBILITY: The ability to stretch the joints across a large range of motion. Example: Gymnasts, divers. NERVE: The ability to overcome fear. Example: High-board divers, race-car drivers, ski jumpers. DURABILITY: The ability to withstand physical punishment over a long period of time. Example: NBA/NHL players. HAND-EYE COORDINATION: The ability to react quickly to sensory perception. Example: A hitter reacting to a breaking pitch; a drag racer timing acceleration to the green light. ANALYTIC APTITUDE: The ability to evaluate and react appropriately to strategic situations. Example: Joe Montana reading a defense; basketball point guard on a fast break. Boxing ranks the highest in most of those 'athletic' attributes than any other sport. In other words, boxers are usually the best all round athletes.

There you go. I have said multiple times i don't know which requires more athleticism. I wouldn't put it beyond the realm of possibility that basketball requires more, no. So you truly believe Floyd Mayweather is in his prime despite Mayweather himself stating in interviews dating back to 2007, that his body is deteriorating and he's "noticed" things about himself slowing down....? I agree with the other guys you listed. So here's the scroll of prime mid-thirties fighters we've compiled: Martinez, *Wlad, *Mayweather, *Adamek, Froch, Cunningham, Kotelnyk. That's a long list of athletic competitors compared to professional basketball.

Boxing is the most demanding physical and mental sport. You don't rely on a team member and the action is all on you. I practiced many sports and nothing is as demanding as boxing. All that training for one night of fighting that might take a toll of your future health. A sport that you get hit so much on a twelve round fight I doubt there is anything more demanding from your body

LOL ever hear of ultra marathons that shyt is 100x more grueling then any cycling I must admit I hadn't. I just checked wikipedia and they say the common distances are 50 miles or 100 miles....that is some SERIOUS running! Still, I think my chances of finishing 100 miles are much higher then riding 2200 miles up and down mountains. If I'm honest I would pass on both. Tour de France is no joke though.

ARE U PEOPLE STILL ARGUING THIS ??? A STUDY HAS ALREADY BEEN DONE ! http://sports.espn.go.com/espn/page2/sportSkills boxing and ice hockey

most gruelling and demanding sport has to be cycling the tour de france i would think. That is some serious sh1t!!! No doubt getting punched and kicked and wrestled is no walk in the park, but I think more folks would complete 12 rounds of fighting then they would just battering off the tour de france. LOL ever hear of ultra marathons that shyt is 100x more grueling then any cycling

most gruelling and demanding sport has to be cycling the tour de france i would think. That is some serious sh1t!!! No doubt getting punched and kicked and wrestled is no walk in the park, but I think more folks would complete 12 rounds of fighting then they would just battering off the tour de france.

Some boxers are very rough and nonathletic. LOL most NBA 3 point specialist like Kyle Korver and Jason Kapono and most NBA centers like Jeff Foster and Roy Hibbert and are complete stiffs

It's one of the toughest sports, but I can't really say it's the most athletic sport. I haven't done every sport. According to an ESPN article, it tops the list of Hardest Sports

boxing requires the most stamina and speed. It could very well be the hardest sport as well. But i'm not sure if it's the most athletic. I think Basketball takes the cake for that. Some boxers are very rough and nonathletic.

Today I came across a sports debate with my friend that never seems to get solved: Which is the most athletic sport? So I googled this question, and came across this article that tries to break it down based on categories: http://www.muscleprodigy.com/the-top-10-most-athletic-sports-arcl-1913.html For the most part it's accurate, but let me weigh in on this. Ask me this 5 years ago when I was uneducated and my opinion would simply be hands down "boxing". However, I was ignorant of many sports and everyone will always be biased, not giving an objective opinion. Now that I have played multiple sports, some you've probably never heard of, there is no real answer to this debate, regardless of what you think. Everyone will always be biased to the sport they play or grow up watching. Basketball argument goes like this: "they jump the highest, they're explosive, etc.", football argument goes "they runt he fastest, can tackle", boxing goes "there are 12- 3 minute rounds". The thing is they are both right, and I can find people in each sport who are extremely athletic, and can probably play multiple sports at a professional level and I can also find players in each sport who are extremely nonathletic (e.g. Tom Brady had the slowest ever shuttle time in the history of the combine). Sometimes we are so stubborn we want to believe that the sports we play or played growing up are the most challenging, but the truth is every sport is challenging and if you want to take it to the next level and go pro then you're going to be the best of the best. You probably have the work ethic and dedication to go pro in every sport. Every sport is hard, every sport has a fair share of athletes as well as a group of non athletes, and every sport is hard in it's own way. What are your thoughts? Boxing hands down is the most demanding sport. In every sport you are into, you have to train hard to be successfull but none of them will get puched in the face, chin, body, liver, kidney, broken jaw, broken ribs, broken nose, etc. These things required superior mental and physical toughness to endure the severe pain and punishment.

I think it's one of the most athletically challenging sports; it certainly engages both the upper and lower body, as well as the mind. Take into account however, there is no jumping involved in it like you see in basketball and football. The matches have a time limit, unlike tennis matches which can go for hours. So I do think it is a sport that requires great athleticism and agility, but most sports do as well, in one form or another.