Which is more difficult? Being an elite pro boxer or an elite NFL quarterback?

[OnePunch]

definitely being an elite fighter is more challenging, both physically and mentally.

in boxing, a fighter may have to go all out for 36 minutes, within a 48 minute period. A QB has to "play" for 60 minutes, spread over 3 hours, of which half the time the defense is on the field.

if a fighter needs to sit down for 90 seconds, he loses by TKO. If a QB needs a rest, they call a timeout and bring in the backup for a series.

[MasterPlan]

Not to mention QBs can be carried by linemen, backs, receivers, and tight ends.

Boxers have to carry 100% of themselves every second of every fight

Exactly. Who was more elite, Troy Aikman or his countless Hall of Fame teammates?

[Marchegiano]

1.) Games are for children.

2.) There's always elite players but not always elite fighters.



Where's the NFL's version of the K2 era? Boring, no one gave a ****, dropped off the mainstream psyche. I'm not trying to hate on K2, great champions, I like Vitali of the brothers but still Wlad is great, but, during that era those sentiments were strong. When has the media ever said this era of QBs isn't worth watching? I'm not being rhetorical, I don't watch games, I really don't know so I'm trying to be open minded and leave an avenue to prove the NFL elites are actually elite and not just the guys in the position. Our media has dogged our champions for years and years and decades. Has the media ever said any super bowl or champion round of play offs is not worth watching?

[KillaMane26]

Boxer.

There are 32 starting QBs in the NFL. How many are elite?

Now think of all the weight classes in boxing. Think of how many are elite in a given weight class ... there is your answer.

This is my first thoughts. Even though football has more competition...

[emceetns]

Boxer - and it's not even close.

If a boxer gets KTFO his career can literally change w/ thousands, tens of thousands, hundreds of thousands, or even millions of lost income.

Football QBs have "bad games" all the time but their pay is unchanged.

For every boxer we like there are guys like Mike Jones - who were right at the cusp of making it BIG, but never happened. Damn shame.

QBs at least get laid whenever they want all through college - and starting in a few years - college QBs will get PAID.

Amateur fighters DONT get paid.

Oh and by the way...boxing is FAR more deadly.

The casuals in this thread have me CTFU

It's important to differentiate between "being" and "becoming" when we talk about which is more difficult. If we are talking about which is tougher from day to day then I would assume that being an elite boxer is more difficult for many of the reasons you stated.

If we are talking about "becoming", then I have to say elite quarterback because so many more people want to play football than box. Beyond that I think it depends on the individual. For example, there are only 254 minimum-weight (105 lb) fighters rated in boxrec. That number jumps to 729 for flyweights, 1,512 for featherweights and 2,138 for welterweights. It falls to 1,102 for light heavyweights and jumps back up to 1,308 for heavyweights. There are more weight classes of course but I figured I would just cover a broad spectrum as far as size. If we take 1% of each of those numbers, you get an approximate total of 70. That's already more than double the number of starting quarterbacks in the NFL and I only used 1/3 of the weight classes. Lastly, I also used that example to show that you can be an elite boxer at any size while elite NFL quarterbacks are usually at least six feet tall and over 200 lbs.

[Eff Pandas]

Elite at anything is pretty damn hard. But I think I would go with NFL QB on this one. There’s a lot more competition to make it that high in pro football. Boxing isn’t nearly as popular as it used to be in the United States. Back in the fifties, you really had to cut through a lot of opposition to make it to the very pinnacle. Football is tremendously popular now. A lot more people to get past.

Good point on the sheer numbers involved. Lotsa people play football. Much less try boxing. That matters with the degree of difficulty.

Also its worth noting we got a current live example in Dominic Breazeale who was a HS & College QB but failed to make it to the NFL, but he worked himself to two HW title shots on the biggest stage of boxing. And sh^t it wouldn't surprise me if he gets a 3rd shot one day or even finds himself winning a vacant belt or shocking someone.

[j.razor]

Boxer & it aint even close ESPECIALLY with how they changed the rules & the bullshet calls they do now a days. Shet, they don't even always play the best players on the field all the time, nfl is busy blackballing anyone they want....

[Nash out]

I went with boxing as I can't stand NFL and don't understand how anyone can watch more than one minute of it.

[PRINCEKOOL]

Elite professional boxer.

Being elite in any individual sports is more difficult in comparison to team sports.

[Rusty Tromboni]

These days, I think it has swung back to being an elite Boxer.

I am more impressed by Fury picking himself up off the canvas to give Wilder a shellacking than anything I can remember being done on the gridiron for years.

Lomachenko might be the most skilled athlete alive. Messi being the only real rival. But Messi doesn't get hurt. Big Ben does, but Ben is a tank.


Football has become very soft. You're basically not allowed to touch the QB.

I remember when they tried comparing Mahomes' stats to Aikman's. Everyone was horrified by the comparison. Aikman, for his part, took the high road. He simply stated the obvious: there is no comparison. Forget Mahomes ever having those stats in Aikman's era, Mahomes might not have even made it to the Pro's. It's like somebody who owns pet Iguanas calling himself The Crocodile Hunter.

But yeah, most of the atheltic talent has been siphoned off into team sports over the decades:
they're linked to higher education;
you don't get hurt as much;
you'll probably make more money for less effort.