What made you a boxing fan? Why do you love the sport?

[LoadedWraps]

Everyone is here for different reasons, some are new fans some are old timers, But we can all look back on a defining moment where we said to ourselves, "I really like this boxing stuff, I can get into this". When was that for you?

For me, it was when I realized how elegant, and intricate boxing really is. The art of being within range of your opponent and making him miss, and or countering effectively. When I realized the chess aspect of the game. The hard work a fighter and his team puts in, and the climax of the payoff, I just can't get enough of it. Oscar was my early favorite fighter, and still is to this day. I didn't realize how fundamentally sound he was at first, he made me appreciate a good jab. Then eventually I found myself at a gym, delved into the amateurs and the rest is history. I guess I have/had some potential, but I could never see myself doing it professionally, let me be the spectator for the big stuff. I still hit the gym at least 4 times a week when possible, and love watching fight tapes, old and new.
But the more I learned, the more I loved, and as much as I know now, I know nothing compared to some old timers out there. And I always am looking to learn more about this amazing sport. I really don't understand how some people don't like boxing. I guess if you never bothered to watch a fight and take the time to understand the science, but for those who just speak down on it, like some MMA fans I know of personally, I just don't understand how you cannot love boxing!

[SaintGeorge]

Hatton - Tsyzu, remember staying upto watch it with my old man and loved the atmosphere and emotion. My family are all boxers, I always liked it upto that point but after that I was well into it, I was about 11 at the time. That next week I joined a gym and never looked back, love it.

[{Pito}]

my first memory ever, was 4 years old and sat with my grandfather on the couch. He turns on the tv and first thing i see is Roy jones in the 88 olympics throwing a left hook that almost sent the african guy threw the ropes. I got off the couch and sat in front of the tv and saw the rest of the fights. Ever since then i would watch boxing with my grandfather.

[Primera]

watching a boxer land a sick combination on someone's face is just too awesome.

[..WaRSpencE..]

My dad talking to me about the Salvador Sanchez, Ruben Olivares, Carlos Zarate, etc

He would tell me about how he watched their fights live and the passion he spoke about it in, made me want to learn more, not only about those greats but the ones at the present moment..

When I watched De La Hoya, I was amazed at his blend of Power and Speed and how he just mangled most of his opponents and had all the women loving him, it was inspirational, but when I truly became addicted was when I was watched Miguel Cotto throw down with the Colombian slugger Ricardo Torres, the way they traded punches and knockdowns did it for me, to keep up with his career and continue watching the sport religiously, I went back and watched all types of fighters, and love to keep watching new boxers develop.

I always watched it casually because my dad was always a huge fan, but it took a while to acquire the taste for the sport and become a hardcore fan..

[MARKBNLV]

I remember watching fights when i was 5,but i became a hardcore fan around 11 watching tuesday night fights,and bad when it was good.

[Assteroid Field]

Taken from a similar thread from a week ago or so:


Cotto vs Clottey

...I know, of all the exciting Cotto fights it was the ****ty one that motivated me to look back at his other fights. It didn't seem like much to me at the time, but hearing the commentators bring up the cut time and time again made appreciate how he managed to overcome that level of adversity.

I had seen Shane vs Margo earlier that year, and the whole wrap scandal just made me sympathize more with Cotto.

Then Gatti died that same year if I'm not mistaken, which prompted HBO to air the Gatti-Ward trilogy, which just really sealed the deal for me.

09 changed my life to say the least

[therealpugilist]

watching Ray Leonard on espn classics and "Sugar Rays hit parade" if anyone remembers that and Roy Jones as a kid

I always liked it because its one on one, no excuses no one to blame but yourself, and if you trainer sucks you can always find another

[RSBonos]

I liked the When We Were Kings doc and had some curiosity about seeing Tyson & Foreman etc fight but I never followed through with it since my parents would never consider PPV at that time and my dad didn't follow it and I don't recall any live boxing on Canadian TV (I didn't follow it so I missed whatever they did show).

A few years later I downloaded a poor quality version of Ali-Frazier III (with korean commentary!) on kazza to see what all the Ali hype was about...I was blown away. A year later by the time I saw Trinidad-Mayorga in a bar I became a lifer. If it wasn't for P2P and the internet I would have never spent god knows how much money following this sport from all aspects.

[SERVILEV]

Grew up watching it w my Pawpaw! Love the art, the passion, the form. By far my fav sport