Is Boxing the Most Athletic Sport?

[deejd]

Most of them aren't I'm not sure about Vitali though.Wladimir is in his prime still. I think when a fighter is in their mid thirties they can either be past their prime or in their prime, it depends on the fighter.

True indeed... I tend to lean toward past just because most fighters take a lot of punishment, not just in the fight but the training as well. But like you said, there's always exceptions.

[Barry Halls]

The question I asked, Someone, was to name more?

Name more, meaning, fighters who are in their mid-thirties and are in their prime. He named Martinez and Wladimir as fitting the criteria, initially.

Name more fighters in the sport of boxing who are in their prime and also in their mid-thirties................

Floyd is mid thirties, but i doubt you would accept him being in his prime.
Adamek is midthirties. Steve Cunningham, kotelnik.. are these prime? I don't know.

Carl Froch for sure is in his prime, and could be mentioned.

I don't see the value trying to name prime fighters in their mid thirties. You said you saw bball players playing at a high level in their late thirties and thats what i responded to, which i also clarified i was.

[Everywhere]

Personally I would say boxing is one of the least athletic sports. Not because it doesn't require immense physical abilities, stamina, training, etc...but because pretty much anything 147 and below the people would utterly fail at every other major sport. There might be a couple guys a generation under 5'10" who can play in the NBA, but most guys that height couldn't. Boxing is a very niche sport where the talent is just as rare as it is for other professional sports.

Could Mayweather be a professional baseball player? Hell no, but no professional baseball player could be Mayweather. Could Pacquiao play in the NBA? Not a chance in hell. Could an NBA player box like Pacquiao? Not even close.

It is all about talent, but when you see guys who are at welterweight and anything below there the athletic ability wouldn't translate into other professional sports. The smallest position in the NFL still weighs about 60 pounds more than a Welterweight.

Boxing just happens to be the only sport that makes special weight distinctions for people of such small stature.

[Rockin']

boxing takes a hell of alot of guts, balls and pain to participate. But you can be athletically void and still fight, you just have to work harder. Alot of fighters that I ran into are so akward and clumbsy when it comes to other sports. But put them in a ring to fight and it all comes together for them..........Rockin'

[deejd]

Floyd is mid thirties, but i doubt you would accept him being in his prime.
Adamek is midthirties. Steve Cunningham, kotelnik.. are these prime? I don't know.

Carl Froch for sure is in his prime, and could be mentioned.

I don't see the value trying to name prime fighters in their mid thirties. You said you saw bball players playing at a high level in their late thirties and thats what i responded to, which i also clarified i was.

The reason I mentioned basketball players playing at the highest level into their late thirties is because it doesn't take super athleticism to do so. It's rare to see boxers in their mid to late thirties still competing at the championship level.

As I've stated in my first post in this thread, yes... not every basketball player is Bryant Reeves and yes, not every boxer is Butterbean... but I simply think that boxing relies more on athleticism than basketball does and most sports for that matter.

[Phil Ivey]

Most athletic sport no not at all.
Most physically demanding sport however, yes boxing is.

this.....

cycling is up there.

[Someone88]

True indeed... I tend to lean toward past just because most fighters take a lot of punishment, not just in the fight but the training as well. But like you said, there's always exceptions.

I get you we see it with different fighters.

Floyd is mid thirties, but i doubt you would accept him being in his prime.
Adamek is midthirties. Steve Cunningham, kotelnik.. are these prime? I don't know.

Carl Froch for sure is in his prime, and could be mentioned.

I don't see the value trying to name prime fighters in their mid thirties. You said you saw bball players playing at a high level in their late thirties and thats what i responded to, which i also clarified i was.

Yep Pacquiao is in his thirties but he isn't in his mid-thirties yet though. He is in his prime still.

Personally I would say boxing is one of the least athletic sports. Not because it doesn't require immense physical abilities, stamina, training, etc...but because pretty much anything 147 and below the people would utterly fail at every other major sport. There might be a couple guys a generation under 5'10" who can play in the NBA, but most guys that height couldn't. Boxing is a very niche sport where the talent is just as rare as it is for other professional sports.







Could Mayweather be a professional baseball player? Hell no, but no professional baseball player could be Mayweather. Could Pacquiao play in the NBA? Not a chance in hell. Could an NBA player box like Pacquiao? Not even close.

It is all about talent, but when you see guys who are at welterweight and anything below there the athletic ability wouldn't translate into other professional sports. The smallest position in the NFL still weighs about 60 pounds more than a Welterweight.

Boxing just happens to be the only sport that makes special weight distinctions for people of such small stature.

American Football and Basketball aren't the only sports, Soccer has a lot of players in the size range you talk about and it's the biggest sport in the world. Mayweather and Pacquiao are amazing athletes.

[Barry Halls]

The reason I mentioned basketball players playing at the highest level into their late thirties is because it doesn't take super athleticism to do so. It's rare to see boxers in their mid to late thirties still competing at the championship level.

As I've stated in my first post in this thread, yes... not every basketball player is Bryant Reeves and yes, not every boxer is Butterbean... but I simply think that boxing relies more on athleticism than basketball does and most sports for that matter.

That argument hinges on boxing being a 1-on-1 sport.

If basketball was 1-on-1 a slightly faded man in his late thirties would get destroyed by the lebrons of the world. I don't think it speaks for the athleticism involved, or you would always have to favor a solosport against a teamsport.

[Everywhere]

I get you we see it with different fighters.



Yep Pacquiao is in his thirties but he isn't in his mid-thirties yet though. He is in his prime still.



American Football and Basketball aren't the only sports, Soccer has a lot of players in the size range you talk about and it's the biggest sport in the world. Mayweather and Pacquiao are amazing athletes.

You occasionally have a guy Lionel Messi's height...but the vast majority of the players on the pitch globally are much taller than he is.

[Rockin']

this.....

cycling is up there.

How athletic do you have to be to pedal and point a bike in the right direction? You must be in good shape but thats it......Rockin'