Does it have to be live?

[Matt W]

I used to love staying up all night to watch them live, especially when there was a decent undercard. The best I remember was Tyson-Holyfield 1 with a big bill in th UK starting at 9 (Bingham-Wright I think?).

As I've aged and had to go to work of a week I can't do the all-nighters anymore (especially now the undercards are the sh!ts) but I have still preferred watching the fights live so just set the alarm for 4 am.

However, I decided after last week that I'd be watching the 9am re-run from now on. Getting up at 4 means I don't get the butterflies & anticipation I used to get from staying up all night (defeating the purpose of watching it live for me), I'm half asleep whilst the fight is on but cant get back to sleep when it's finished.

Auld git...

[lurkyshaka]

Bizzarely, it doesn't work if I'm not watching the 'live recording'. This is because I've convinced myself I can tell from the presenters face what has happened.

I'd be interested to hear what the rest of you think

I think you're correct about that.....SKY are notorious for 'result ruining'...."and after the break we've got a real barnburner coming up" cue fight footage which shows a fighter getting floored etc!

Do the fools not realise this ruins fights for viewers?

[lurkyshaka]

Live all the way for me - temptation to find out the result/forward the Sky Plus between round etc gets too much otherwise and it just loses the whole 'event' feel. Love the butterflies/nervous tension in the lead-up to a live fight and no recorded fight I've watched has generated that same level of intensity.

I thought I was the only one who got those feelings before a fight. Sometimes (especially if one of my fav fighters are on) I get mental nerves. I often wonder how the hell fighters family and friends cope.

And for me LIVE is the way to do it, even not knowing the result and watching it at a later time there is still something missing, quite strange really. I also get this when watching football.

Agreed and i think all true boxing fans experience hellish nerves before major fights. I used to compete myself and find the nerves i get before watching a favourite fighter in a bout are very comparable to what i felt when i was fighting myself. I don't like being around people when watching a big fight, and cannot stand watching fights at pubs or even round at a mates house. I like to watch my boxing in peace or with those who actually have a clue. I may have a beer but i like to keep a clear head too......nothing worse than being surrounded by drunken nobhead talking bollocks....even if they are mates!

Yeah live is the way to go.....sure feel like crap next day but the excitement of watching these fights live is great. I spent some time in Canada and watched Lewis/Rahman 2, Lewis/Tyson, Hopkins/Trinidad at a normal primetime(9'ish) and i felt cheated of the hours of nervous anticipation we only get with 4AM kick offs....lol

Just a shame the standard of undercards has gotten increasingly sh*tty. A few years ago we'd have 3-4 top quality fights on these major bills. Now we're lucky to get one decent undercard bout.

[stujones]

Better live, but not essential - I get US fights that I know the result and are over a week old. I still tune into watch the action - even if I know its a stinker or cannot understand the language of the commentary (Sad I know).

[J]

defo live but hey being in the similar time zone the fights finish at around 1 am...just in time to go clubbing....

[Fatsam]

I have missed many late fights and come on boxrec looking really quiuck for the rbr thread trying to block every other thread out heh.