Middle to Upper Class Upbringing Boxers?

[Super_Lightweight]

hmm

Roy Jones

Nah. He wasn't in life or death poverty, but his situation wasn't really good.

They didn't struggle through life and certainly didn't have to box.

Couldn't be more wrong. Roy's dad forced him to box at a young age and made him train almost as long as he was awake when he was a kid.

[Truth]

Why would a rich kid take up a sport where he gets beaten about the head when daddy can afford golf clubs and a country club membership, or membership in an exclusive tennis club, or enough money for all kinds of baseball gear, private coaches, etc.?

Exactly right neils, but hey you never if a rich kid really loves the sport and wants it bad enough anything can happen.

[SacTown1]

I think Dana Rosenblatt came from a pretty good upbringing. Maybe it was that snotiness that made me enjoy seeing him get KTFO

Yeah I normally always rooted against Vinny Paz but i was cheering loud & proud when he crushed Rosenblatt, it was the 1st time I'd ever predicted a KO upset and had it come to fruition, needless to say I made a few bux that night Snotty fighters like him always crumble under the pressure of a big fight night, look at any Vincenzo Nardiello fight, he was the same way

[Rockin']

I was basicaly raised by a single mother, who worked as a waitress, and lived in a government subsidized housing. We had very little. The townhouses that we lived in were in a middle class type of area but I didnt know any different, it was where my room was and I loved it. I remember going to school with the old cliches, the holes in the shoes, the pants that were to short and the old hand me down shirts. Kids at young ages can be brutal about stuff like that.

Anyway, in these subsidized town houses were all kinds of kids. But the one thing that we all had in common was that we were basicaly poor. In this area there were lots of fights, always fights between the different kids and especially with the wealthy gated community of kids that lived directly behind us, behind a tall fence ofcourse. Anyway, that were I learned to scrap. As a little boy I thought that I was supposed to fight, not to prove anything but just that it was the thing that young boys do.

I remember one day in kindergarten, one day on recess, all of us were out playing in the snow and suddenly somebody yells "its girls against boys!!!" The girls start screaming and the little boys chase after them. I remember a little girl asking me to be on the girls side, to help protect them and I was all for it. So we get running around and theres little Rusty in hot pursuit of the same girl that asked me to help them. So I run over and nail him, pushing him hard, face first in the snow. Suddenly, I am grabbed by the hood of my jacket as Mrs. Secerest stopped me in my tracks. She was very upset at what I had done and demanded that I apologize to Rusty. Rusty was still laying face first in the snow, when he rose the tears were flowing and his face was all red from the cold. I remember looking at him and thinking what a little girl he was, crying and all. We were playing and I guess I always was a rough houser. Mrs Secrest again ordered me to apolgize.... "Ya, sorry Rusty."

The neighborghood became my little stopming grounds. I was rough and I liked to fight. Non of the older kids really fought with me because they all liked me for some reason. There was one time that I got into it with a kid that was like 11 or 12 and I was 7. He was picking on my friend and he came crying to me for help and many of the kids did. I remember that his name was Ronny and he was a goofy looking **** if ever I saw one. But man did he kick my ass. I went home with a swollen and blackened eye and was confronted about what had happened. I told her and she said to me again, "If you wanna fight, thats your business.... just never come home crying to me."

She raised a tough little guy. I never did come home crying although there were enough times that it could have happened like that. One thing that she complemented me on about my boxing career was that I was never bitter or near tears about losing a fight or getting a good beating. "You always just said that you would have to work harder or get more experience, but you never made excuses."

Fighters are not born, they are raised. When you are raised with nothing and fighting is a common event in your neighborhood it would seem that you would become acclamated to the sport of boxing.

The gym that I trained at as an amatuer was in a well to do middle class city. My mother had remarried and we moved in with this man and his family. I did not like the scene at the house at all so the gym became my sanctuary. A place to be by myself, a place to vent my frustrations and anger but most of all it was a place to learn the sport that I had always dreamed of competing in.

In this gym I saw many a rich boy walk in talking all the **** in the world. A good smack in the nose and then a dose of the training and they were never seen or heard from again. Our gym door should have been replaced by a revolving door, they come in and then they are gone. I loved it when somebody from my school would come in the gym. I'd hear of them talking **** about what they could do to me and the next thing they would know we are gloved up and waiting for the bell. I made them regret every word that the may or may not have spoken, it didnt matter me. I was a fighter, whether trained or not I was a fighter. And a challenge was always welcome.

The rich kids always had something better or easier to do. One rich kid did stick around for a few actual bouts and we went to the same school. We became frequent sparring partners. He outweighed me by a good 50 lbs but that never stopped me from handing him his ass in the ring. At school, he would sneak up behind me, grab me in a head lock and say that he was going to kick my ass like he did last night. I was never one to fight in school, the trouble was never worth it. He knew what happens when we throw fists. The one time that I smacked him and told him to show me waht he could do to me surprised the hell out of him. His friends all gathered around us and I again said, yeah show me mother****er, I was pissed and fed up with his crap. He looks at me and says, no were in school and I told him that if he did it again he was going to be hurtin'. He laughed and turned away walking with his friends, but the look in his eyes told me he knew what was coming if he did it again, the eyes never lie.

I have no idea what I am actually trying to say here, but basicaly the rich boys have what they think are better things to do. And I always thought what else could I ever possibly want to do besides fight, box. And I did.............Rockin'

[Super_Lightweight]

hmm

That was a good story, Rock. Unfortunately for me, I didn't really tough up til 9th grade. At that point people started settlin' down and leavin' me alone. All just because people knew I boxed or pehaps they had matured?

Never really fought as a kid except for the sake of my brother who was a lot meaner than me and seemed to get in fights a bit and I would end up helping him or holding him back...lol.

[Rockin']

Ya know, you speaking of your brother reminded me of my first sparring partner, my older sister. Mom would leave and she would start up on me immediately. She was alot bigger and kicked my ass too many times. Years later after I started boxing I asked her to start up with me again, but she would have no part of it anymore. I had grown abit since back in the day. She is proud to announce that she is the one who toughened me up and prepared me for my boxing adventure, when ever the subject of boxing comes up. Funny thing is, there is probably some truth to her stating that she did that. I definately learned to take a beating with out it affecting me..........Rockin'

[davico]

Yes it is true that the maj of world class fighters come form poorer backgrounds, and see that boxing is an escape from the hardships faced by them in their younger years, and yes it is true that upper class young men have more opportunities when they get to a certain age so don't see as much gain from professional boxing as those from lower class backgrounds. But, in saying this, you will find that there is a large % of amatuer boxers who come from u/m to u/class backgrounds because they enjoy the sport and alot of them are very good boxers. Just because someone is from the streets or a lower class background does not mean, imo, that they will make a better fighter. There are hundreds of thugs streethoods that do not have the skills, desire, discipline or charachter to make it even as an amatuer. Yes the incentives are higher for lower class fighters, but then again, money does not make you better or worse than anyone else. It is how your character, how you treat others and the level of respect you get from whoever you meet that makes you a CLASS above the rest!

[+= El Jefe=+]

de la hoya didnt come a poor famly

dude he was dirth poor.