What is it that you love about boxing?

[HaglerSteelChin]

Weird. because my mom is from PR and I also rooted for BHOP to beat Trinidad. I just thought people worshiped TIto like he was a god and i always thought he was overrated. I don't think Trinidad is even a top 5 PR fighter i think Dejesus, Benitez, Carlos Ortiz, Gomez, Torres, and even Camacho are better. People will laugh about Camacho. But Camacho won titles in 7 different weight classes even if some were paper belts. He beat guys like Vinnie Paz, Haugen, Rosario, Ramierz, Mancini, Solis, Limon etc. He lost to tito in his 4th weight class as he started as Super Feather. Camacho in like 87 fights never has been KOD. I won't count wins over Duran and Leonard since both were past their primes when he beat them.

[DeepSleep]

My whole family on my Dad's side Boxed so I began learning to box once I had enough balance to throw a punch and not fall over. This led me to love the sport. I'm a huge sports fan in general but nothing gets me more exiting than a good skill-full boxing match(I love brawls as much as the next guy but I get much more exited about watching a "violent chess match" such as Toney - McCallum to a test of will power like a Lyle - Foreman). Also as of recently its fun watching some of the guys I boxed against in tournaments in the amateurs over the last few years now fighting professionally on Local TV, ESPN and even a few on Showtime.

[1SILVA]

Weird. because my mom is from PR and I also rooted for BHOP to beat Trinidad. I just thought people worshiped TIto like he was a god and i always thought he was overrated. I don't think Trinidad is even a top 5 PR fighter i think Dejesus, Benitez, Carlos Ortiz, Gomez, Torres, and even Camacho are better. People will laugh about Camacho. But Camacho won titles in 7 different weight classes even if some were paper belts. He beat guys like Vinnie Paz, Haugen, Rosario, Ramierz, Mancini, Solis, Limon etc. He lost to tito in his 4th weight class as he started as Super Feather. Camacho in like 87 fights never has been KOD. I won't count wins over Duran and Leonard since both were past their primes when he beat them.

Up until his fight with rosario, camacho was a sure HOF'er. After that fight, he became a runner. His performances after that against top flight fighters were mediocre. I still believe his fight with mancini was one of the worst fights in boxing history

[Suckmedry]

No excuses in boxing. It separates the tough and brave from the weak. The boys from the men.

[bojangles1987]

The skill, the strategy, the guts required, and to me nothing in sports compares to a great boxing fight. I can't really explain it, it just beats everything.

[Bundana]

[QUOTE=1SILVA;7234461]

A patriotic thing i.e. you have a fighter who brings credit to your country?
A racial thing. You believe fighters bring credit to your race?
Is it a particular boxer?
You just enjoy two men beating the daylights out of each other?
You believe it is the purest form of sport?
You enjoy the history of boxing?
The unexpected?
Or any reason or reasons you care to name?

I’m just curious as I read many posts on here by many posters and think that a lot of people have a lot of different reasons for following boxing.[/QUOTE

My father introduced me to the sport when I was 8 years old back in 1976. The first fight I saw was on network tv between Duran and Edwin viruet. I was hooked immediately. We had a small B&W tv that we would watch all the fights on. I'm a huge sports fan, but boxing has always been my first and true love. Ali and Duran were my first idols, followed by hearns and Arguello. Then when Toney ko'd Nunn, I became a huge fan of his. Although I am Puerto rican, I rooted for bernard to beat trinidad, as he became another favorite of mine. In this decade past, i marvelled at the technical brilliance of PBF. The main reason I love boxing is that as an individual sport, the fighter has no one but to blame but himself if he gets his ass handed to him. Despite crooked referees, judges and promoters, I will Always love boxing. It is the only sport that I unconditionally love.

My story is very similar: back in 1961 (at the age of 9) i watched my first fight on TV with my father. A couple of years later he took me to my first pro show - but it wasn't really until a few months later, when he brought home a very special book, that I really caught the bug. The book was "A Pictorial History Of Boxing" by Nat Fleischer and Sam Andre - and, boy, was I hooked! At the time, I naturally knew nothing about boxing history or the men being portrayed in the book - but I was completely spellbound by all those pictures of old fighters with funny stances, as well as drawings from even older times of fights that had obviously been incredibly brutal.

From there on my interest just snowballed, until boxing had become a major part of my life by my late teens. What is it, that attracts me to this sport like no other? Well, apart from the one-on-one and the drama, I guess it's the unpredictability! You know, there's this big fight coming up, and you are so sure, there can be only one winner... and then it turns out, that the underdog had exactly what it took, to negate anything the favourite brought to the table. Like in the first Tyson-Holyfield fight. Already then, Holyfield was thought to be over the hill, and I remember how the late editor of "Boxing News", Harry Mullan, in his preview wrote: "I cannot imagine any kind of scenario, where Holyfield wins this fight". Neither could I - but, as we all know now, Holyfield's heart, will-power and unflinching belief in himself, were assets that Tyson had no answer to.

Another moment I'll never forget, was when Joe Calzaghe beat Jeff Lacy. It sounds stupid now, but at the time I didn't give Joe much of a chance... in fact, I was certain the american would walk right through him! And when, just seconds away from the opening bell, he stood there, casually talking to his cornermen, like he didn't have a worry in the world, I remember thinking: is this guy completely oblivious to the fact, that in a few minutes time he will be brutally knocked out? And yet, 12 rounds later there he was, hardly a mark on his face, after one of the most amazing performances I've ever seen. I was so pumped up after that, that I couldn't sleep that night (or what little there was left of it!).

I'm a huge sports fan in general, but can think of no other sport, that can provide me with such drama and excitement, and it's safe to say, that boxing has always been - and will always be - my one true love (only thing that could possibly change that is Naomi Campbell - but after 20 years of dreaming, I'm slowly beginning to realize, that it'll probably never happen!).

[GJC]

Some great posts here thankyou. Wonderful turns of phrase, violent chess match I will steal and sneak into my own posts in the future
I was amused that it seems a concensus that everyone's father seems to indoctranate their son into boxing at between 7 and 9 I know mine did and I did too lol.
I suppose I should have a go at replying to my own question.

My first fight was Baksi v Freddie Mills at Harringay Arena when I was 7. It was a wonderful stadium not too far from home and I was privaliged to see some great great fighters there for the too few years it was open.
The Baksi Mills fight was a slaughter, Baksi a big HW for the time totally destroyed Mills at best a smallish LHW. But I was fascinated by the power of Baksi and the courage of Mills. It was obvious from very early that Mills had no chance but he bustled out at the start of every round into an inevitable beating. Even though he was getting the granny beaten out of him there was a dignity to Mills the fact that he can't win but will not give up and would sooner die than quit. Be carid out on his shield so to speak.
From then I was pretty much hooked
In the 60 years I have followed boxing I have only ever seen a handful of cowards. These men risk their lives and health to earn for their families and for our entertainment so I cringe when they are called cowards.
I enjoy the mutual respect fighters have for each other, they may hate each other and have had feuds that lasted years but after they have retired many only speak well of each other.
I love the history of the sport, I struggle to remember the order of Kings and Queens, Prime ministers and presidents but I can rattle off HW champions in double quick time

In tennis another one against one sport you will see a slow decline, a dominant player will start to drop a set against a player he would have blitzed the year before.
In boxing a career can be finished in minutes a dominant champion can be laying bleeding and unconcious his career finished.
I love the variety of styles, defensive masters, brawlers, one punch KO artists.
Some great writers have written about this sport more than any other I think.
The boxers themselves, many uneducated have said wise things that philosophers would like to call their own. I love the wit of an Ali, Pep or even Cobb.

I think if you bought a caveman into present day and showed him a game of American Football, Soccor or baseball he would scratch his head. Show him a boxing match and he would instantly understand and pick a fighter to support it is the purest sport.

I think it has given races heroes to follow in hard times and countries a symbol to give them pride in their country.
Every day in these forums a fossilised old white english man like me can have a chat with a young black lad in America. We'll argue or agree but we will communicate when maybe normally we wouldn't give each other the time of day being from different nations, races and generations. Another strength of boxing is the sheer multi racial and multi countries that take part. To my American friends The world series isn't really a world series but boxing is worldwide.

Boxing is a guilty pleasure I am not blind to the damage that it does to the health of fighters. I have seen a lovely lad such as Johnny Owen be carried out of a ring dying and Michael Watson having his quality of life destroyed. It still makes me sad to see Ali these days and remember the young man he was.
I have watched promoters and managers get rich off the backs of naive fighters while the fighters make little and fight on far too long to earn a pension. I have seen racism manifest itself behind a fighter who wishes no part of it I have seen corruption and sculduggary galore in boxing.

Like democracy there is an awful lot against boxing but for me it is one of the best things we have.

[1SILVA]

Some great posts here thankyou. Wonderful turns of phrase, violent chess match I will steal and sneak into my own posts in the future
I was amused that it seems a concensus that everyone's father seems to indoctranate their son into boxing at between 7 and 9 I know mine did and I did too lol.
I suppose I should have a go at replying to my own question.

My first fight was Baksi v Freddie Mills at Harringay Arena when I was 7. It was a wonderful stadium not too far from home and I was privaliged to see some great great fighters there for the too few years it was open.
The Baksi Mills fight was a slaughter, Baksi a big HW for the time totally destroyed Mills at best a smallish LHW. But I was fascinated by the power of Baksi and the courage of Mills. It was obvious from very early that Mills had no chance but he bustled out at the start of every round into an inevitable beating. Even though he was getting the granny beaten out of him there was a dignity to Mills the fact that he can't win but will not give up and would sooner die than quit. Be carid out on his shield so to speak.
From then I was pretty much hooked
In the 60 years I have followed boxing I have only ever seen a handful of cowards. These men risk their lives and health to earn for their families and for our entertainment so I cringe when they are called cowards.
I enjoy the mutual respect fighters have for each other, they may hate each other and have had feuds that lasted years but after they have retired many only speak well of each other.
I love the history of the sport, I struggle to remember the order of Kings and Queens, Prime ministers and presidents but I can rattle off HW champions in double quick time

In tennis another one against one sport you will see a slow decline, a dominant player will start to drop a set against a player he would have blitzed the year before.
In boxing a career can be finished in minutes a dominant champion can be laying bleeding and unconcious his career finished.
I love the variety of styles, defensive masters, brawlers, one punch KO artists.
Some great writers have written about this sport more than any other I think.
The boxers themselves, many uneducated have said wise things that philosophers would like to call their own. I love the wit of an Ali, Pep or even Cobb.

I think if you bought a caveman into present day and showed him a game of American Football, Soccor or baseball he would scratch his head. Show him a boxing match and he would instantly understand and pick a fighter to support it is the purest sport.

I think it has given races heroes to follow in hard times and countries a symbol to give them pride in their country.
Every day in these forums a fossilised old white english man like me can have a chat with a young black lad in America. We'll argue or agree but we will communicate when maybe normally we wouldn't give each other the time of day being from different nations, races and generations. Another strength of boxing is the sheer multi racial and multi countries that take part. To my American friends The world series isn't really a world series but boxing is worldwide.

Boxing is a guilty pleasure I am not blind to the damage that it does to the health of fighters. I have seen a lovely lad such as Johnny Owen be carried out of a ring dying and Michael Watson having his quality of life destroyed. It still makes me sad to see Ali these days and remember the young man he was.
I have watched promoters and managers get rich off the backs of naive fighters while the fighters make little and fight on far too long to earn a pension. I have seen racism manifest itself behind a fighter who wishes no part of it I have seen corruption and sculduggary galore in boxing.

Like democracy there is an awful lot against boxing but for me it is one of the best things we have.

Excellent post as always, my friend. I would like to add that boxing has always been the sport of the downtrodden. You can tell a country in economic trouble by how many fighters are currently in the sport from that country. In the early 1900's, you had many American Irish, Italians and Jews fighting, followed by African Americans. Since the 1960's, there have been many many Mexicans in the sport. Today, you have a plethora or Russian, Phillipiino and Asian fighters in general fighting. Americans no longer dominate the sport. Boxing has always been a way of fighting your way out of poverty.

[damned1974]

I believe boxing is the most pure form of physical competition-no teams to bail you out for yours or their short-comings.You don't need to be short,tall,lean,built,of any certain nationality,religion etc.It's for everybody.
It's a sport of skill vs strength and brains vs brawn with its own course of natural dramas,highs and lows,and "anything can happen".
Not one sport I have found contains similar dynamics.

[Amazinger]

A patriotic thing i.e. you have a fighter who brings credit to your country?
A racial thing. You believe fighters bring credit to your race?
Is it a particular boxer?
You just enjoy two men beating the daylights out of each other?
You believe it is the purest form of sport?
You enjoy the history of boxing?
The unexpected?
Or any reason or reasons you care to name?

I’m just curious as I read many posts on here by many posters and think that a lot of people have a lot of different reasons for following boxing.

Just started very early on boxing.around 11 or 12 years old.When our dad bought us glove and teached and trained us.
I guess it's the memory of him and being together watching boxing back then.