why do people support exciting fighters?

[madsweeney]

The reason is many of the so called exciting fighters are not exciting when it counts most.

Take Manny Pacquio. Most label him exciting. In his biggest, highest profile, most watched fight of his career, he was terribly boring. He threw very few punches and didn't try to win.

Take Sergei kovalev, another guy called exciting. In his biggest fight he was so flustered by skill that he did more holding and clinching them he ever did. He also got tired which allowed the other guy to win rounds and steal a fight he had a huge lead in.

Exciting fighters seem to be exciting only when they are in with guys they are much better then. Frankly, most real boxing fans don't find one sided beatings of easy opponents exciting. In fact, the TS only calls fights like these exciting when the guy that wins is on HBO.

Any sport needs its participants to be highly skilled for the sport to be better. What kind of fan wants to see a sport where none of the players have any skills?

Let's hope guys like Errol Spence keep working on their skill so they don't become the kind of exciting fighter that whines and makes excuses when they lose to a better fighter who took the time to develop his skills.

Both of those examples are poor choices. Both matches you're talking about are against opponents known for stinking up the place with their pace. You're right, the sport needs participants, problem is we have a growing population of boxers being successful in non-participation through stalling techniques. Put Spence in against a Crawford or Laura and they'll stink up the place too.

[Kuyukut]

You are not an aficionado. You're a Spelling Bee Champion dork who jerks off to Pacquiao.

i warned you, jewcuck!

now you're on my ignore list!

[Derranged]

i warned you, jewcuck!

now you're on my ignore list!

[Dean_Razorback]

That first one

the guy couldn't swim for shit

[The Big Dunn]

Both of those examples are poor choices. Both matches you're talking about are against opponents known for stinking up the place with their pace. You're right, the sport needs participants, problem is we have a growing population of boxers being successful in non-participation through stalling techniques. Put Spence in against a Crawford or Laura and they'll stink up the place too.

respectfully, they are the guys at the top of the pyramid. "Exciting" guys can't get to the top without fighting the highly skilled guys that know how to neutralize the best weapons of the exciting guys. Additionally, skills like cutting off the ring become even more important.

I don't know that we have a lot of fighters being successful doing that. Other than Floyd, who was a devastating boxer puncher with a high KO ratio prior to moving up to 147, we don't have a lot of guys successful this way.

You have to be able to deal with all kinds of adversity. "exciting" guys tend to not be able to do that because while they can punch and fight, they can't box that well. when they get to the top, they often have a very hard time.

Ever notice how a lot of exciting guys change how they fight when in with highly skilled guys?

[madsweeney]

respectfully, they are the guys at the top of the pyramid. "Exciting" guys can't get to the top without fighting the highly skilled guys that know how to neutralize the best weapons of the exciting guys. Additionally, skills like cutting off the ring become even more important.

I don't know that we have a lot of fighters being successful doing that. Other than Floyd, who was a devastating boxer puncher with a high KO ratio prior to moving up to 147, we don't have a lot of guys successful this way.

You have to be able to deal with all kinds of adversity. "exciting" guys tend to not be able to do that because while they can punch and fight, they can't box that well. when they get to the top, they often have a very hard time.

Ever notice how a lot of exciting guys change how they fight when in with highly skilled guys?

There aren't "alot" of these boring fighters but plenty in the top teirs right now, more than I recall in the past 20 years. Floyd is an anomaly for success, I was referring more to winning, not popularity/earnings.

Your last point would have more validity if these "boring" fighters also fought each other. In all honesty, whats the last fight you recall with two defense first, slick boxers going at it, and how entertaining was it?

All my point is that extremes in either way (face first offense, or overly defensive/avoiding action) are not really "exciting" fighters, what makes this sport entertaining to me are finding those rare fighters that blend the two well, guys like Duran, Winky, Toney, Pretty Boy Floyd, Pac, etc.

[The Big Dunn]

There aren't "alot" of these boring fighters but plenty in the top teirs right now, more than I recall in the past 20 years. Floyd is an anomaly for success, I was referring more to winning, not popularity/earnings.

Your last point would have more validity if these "boring" fighters also fought each other. In all honesty, whats the last fight you recall with two defense first, slick boxers going at it, and how entertaining was it?

All my point is that extremes in either way (face first offense, or overly defensive/avoiding action) are not really "exciting" fighters, what makes this sport entertaining to me are finding those rare fighters that blend the two well, guys like Duran, Winky, Toney, Pretty Boy Floyd, Pac, etc.

I can't recall, maybe Floyd/JMM. Entertainment, like beauty, is in the ey of the beholder.

I don't think "defense first" is an accurate description of what is going on. Many of the Cuban fighters that use this style do so because they spend their formative and adult years as amateurs where scoring matters more than a KO.

Floyd, for example, adjusted his style once he got to a weight class that required that shift because the men he was fighting usually outweighed him and if he fought the way he did previously the chances of winning are reduced. Lomachenko will likely go through this experience, especially if he rematches Salido given what we saw in the 1st fight.

I agree with your last paragraph.

[iamboxing]

what is there to like. it makes no sense. surely the whole reason of watching boxing is to learn the sweet science, so why would you support fighters who dont provide this? Or is there another reason why people passionately defend fighters that are exciting? For those who are massive fans of safety last, postive fighters, please tell us why that is....

pls no trolling, i'll put you on ignore!

personally, i like watching fights where i can just chill, get a drink, have a poo or talk on the phone

[rickJen]

Your last point would have more validity if these "boring" fighters also fought each other. In all honesty, whats the last fight you recall with two defense first, slick boxers going at it, and how entertaining was it?

At one point Lara became mandatory to Floyd's 154 title. The Cuban called him out and the first thing that came out of Floyd fans' mouth was he's too boring, he don't bring no money to the table. Floyd needs money fights. As if they get 10 bucks from the proceeds.

[The Big Dunn]

At one point Lara became mandatory to Floyd's 154 title. The Cuban called him out and the first thing that came out of Floyd fans' mouth was he's too boring, he don't bring no money to the table. Floyd needs money fights. As if they get 10 bucks from the proceeds.

You are greatly distorting things and taking what maybe one poster said and applying it to all floyd fans.

Floyd fought above 147 3 times-ODH (154), Cotto (154) and Canelo (152)-each time going up for a big money fight and then coming back to 147. He never was going to defend any of those titles against any of the ranked contenders.