Comments Thread For: It Is Not The Critic Who Counts

[trippleupper]

I wonder if it has anything to do with sports betting.

Did the would-be slapper of Gainer lay down some cash on the fight going the distance?

Guess that's all about blame

[1Eriugenus]

As is quite often true, I think Prince Kool is **** on the money here.

I have colleagues at work who went to see Tyson Fury V Dilian Whyte. They have a very keen interest in football, but their knowledge of boxing is very patchy. They would've heard of SRR, SRL, Ali, Frazier, Robert Duran, Floyd & Pac &, TBH, that is it apart from, of course, Mike Tyson. They definitely wouldn't have heard of Salvador Sanchez, Meldrick Taylor, Aaron Pryor, Wilfredo Benitez, Edwin Rosario to give just a few examples of men that boxing fans think are household names.They would never dream of going to watch a British title fight, still less an area fight, what would be the point of that? They want to jump up & down & whoop when punches land (or when they think they and). They definitely don't need some smart aleck trying to educate them that 'that MoFo needs to be spinning out of clinches or he be eating that MoFo's right hand'.

IME, the guys who turn up at a small hall, or even York Hall, to watch a British title fight know what it takes. Many of them have boxed, but even those that haven't boxed have an idea how much it takes & what it means. It is the football supporters that turn up to be big events who will shout 'quitter' & 'coward' & genuniely not know any better. They genuinely don't even realise there was a line, near mind crossing it.

Anyway, sorry, because I seem to have taken a long time to say what Prince Kool already said!

[StephenM]

Just to remind the author that "fan" is the shortened form of "fanatic".

[Theshotyoudontsee]

The fans are right. Sorry. It is fine to respect any man who gets in the ring, while also admitting that there are hype jobs, overrated guys, guys who are weight bullies and weight drained. It is fine for a fan to be astonished by a bad performance.

Without the fans the fighters don't have a paycheck.

[sabian615]

I agree with the sentiment in this article, but I would be remiss if I didn’t say that I agree with the commenter as well that talks about how the fan is the most disrespected I’m boxing over virtually any other sport. The non stop fleecing of our money for crap product has been going on regularly since the late 80’s, but especially in the 90’s and beyond, we get treated like crap, and are just expected to keep funding it. Maybe people crap on fighters (still not cool) because promoters, sanctioning bodies, referees, judges, and broadcasters face ZERO consequences for their actions.

[shakedaddy]

It all boils down to the fact that the majority of people who post comments online are absolute losers who get off on hating bc it makes them feel better about their sad lives. Quality people and quality boxing fans have admiration, empathy, and respect for the great warriors of our sport.

[PRINCEKOOL]

IMHO as boxing fans, we often fail to help the wider public perception of the sport by; turning on a fighter as soon as he loses, taking the shine off hard-earned victories by the winners, being quite so high on some prospects/alphabet champions (until aforementioned loss) & denigrating others etc etc.

All these things turn the super-casuals off because we make them think the talent-pool in boxing is very shallow, when in truth it's just as deep as MMA but the promotion is (ahem) extremely different.

Without stating the excruciatingly obvious, the sport makes itself look bad enough (admittedly a source of legit frustration amongst fans) without all the fan-led negative hype. I know it all (mostly) comes from hopeful & well-meaning places but still.

No, it is the casual sport fans and glory hunters that turn on fighters.

In my opinion the large majority of boxing fans who study the sports, do not behave this way.

I don't think boxing fans need to alter, they are honest, they say what they want, they are real.

It is casual sports fans that jump on and off band wagons, and glory hunters. But I will say this?

I think for whatever reason, there seems to be more glory hunters in all of sports these days 'Going back in history fans of individuals would support that fighter or athlete and win or lose they would be there for them, throughout the whole journey. I believe in mass those type of fans may be less these days'.

I supported David Haye, David Price until the end of their careers. And I caught the latter stages of Mike Tyson's career, and supporting him until there was no more.

These casual sports fans you are talking about? They will come and go, and they do not respect athletes and sports like people from past era's 'Don't not seek their approval or validation, stop letting causal sports fans or the lemmings of society run your life' etc.

[57Blues]

Maybe just maybe if "Boxing" cleaned up its act and treated fans the way other sports do there would not be as much disguist with the fight game. If the sport of boxing was so concerned with itself and its money sanctioning bodies, or lack of any rules or respect for the paying customers who get handed PPV events that are not worth the time or money. I could go on you know, then be called a hater or something ****** like that for pointing out the truth. Fighters getting caught after the fact for PEDS and nothing much being done about, unless giving guys like Big Baby Miller so many chances and breaks ........ So naturally a lot of fans have a less then pleasant view of boxing and fighters too. Bc these days the fighters themselves take full advantage of the way boxing anseres to no one but boxing itself. Show some of the reasons why fight fans react the way they do or you are no dif then the people the fight fans you are calling out.......And a lot of what people say that you quoted are true, what is this shut up and be happy with what you get from boxing talk any how. Screw you buddy................. Ha Ha Ha

[M111]

Excellent article and agree wholeheartedly. I wonder which tool will regardless pipe up and say ‘Ryan is a hype job’ or similar first. There’s no arguing with ******.

[JeBron Lamez]

IMHO as boxing fans, we often fail to help the wider public perception of the sport by; turning on a fighter as soon as he loses, taking the shine off hard-earned victories by the winners, being quite so high on some prospects/alphabet champions (until aforementioned loss) & denigrating others etc etc.

All these things turn the super-casuals off because we make them think the talent-pool in boxing is very shallow, when in truth it's just as deep as MMA but the promotion is (ahem) extremely different.

Without stating the excruciatingly obvious, the sport makes itself look bad enough (admittedly a source of legit frustration amongst fans) without all the fan-led negative hype. I know it all (mostly) comes from hopeful & well-meaning places but still.