How good are "bad" boxers?

[Vlad_]

NSB Logic: You're either champ or a bum. The moment you lose your belts, you become a bum.

[LoadedWraps]

Look at it this way - there's something like between 1500 and 2500 registered professional boxers in most divisions. That means the top 20 - 25 or so represent the top 1% of their profession in possibly the most demanding sport there is. In most professions being in the top 1% would mean you were, by any standard, an expert, possibly even elite. These are the guys which some of the boxing 'fans' on here refer to as 'bums' or 'tomato cans'. Go figure.

Look at it another way; anyone in the top 30 in any division would kick the ass of even a fit dude with a modicum of training and even if they were considerably bigger. This is a lovely little clip of a former national level Italian fighter aged about 60 taking on a young dude who obviously fancies himself a bit but has little real training.



Now if an old dude who probably never cracked the global top 30 (he never even won the Italian title, despite chalenging twice I think) in his prime can do that to a regular dude half his age, what do you reckon a prime top 30 fighter could do to you or me?

Great post.

This is also why it kills me when I hear stuff like

"X fighter is Y age, he should lose because fighter Z is younger".

"Fighter X is 40+, fighter X is shot / over the hill and should not be favored against anyone".

That stuff leaves the mouth of a guy who's never stepped in a ring, or on a court, or field 99.9% of the time.


Not only are there levels to this sport, as seen in that video, but levels trump age differences.

[elfag]

all the top pros you see on TV, most of their sparring partners are not in the top 30 of the division but they are able to give them enough work for a full camp to prepare them at the elite level.

So top 30 is exceptionally good if youre talking about all the fighters in the world.

[Nash out]

Guys like Gabe Rosado and Sam Eggington would probably beat the piss out of most people here

There will be very few here who could last 1 round. I'd say most would be wiped out in under 30 seconds.