ESPN: Boxing is the most difficult sport.

[TarkanX]

It's an article from 2004... some of you have probably seen it:

http://sports.espn.go.com/espn/page2/sportSkills

The way they score each category seems good (for the most part), but one thing they don't take into account is the "weight" of each category... although this list is pretty decent, though.

[Goodnight, Irene]

Football (Presumably American Grid Iron?) listed equal with boxing for durability? Madness

They also listed basketball as an example for a sport in which the ability to withstand sustained punishment is important.

[vagabundo55]

It's an article from 2004... some of you have probably seen it:

http://sports.espn.go.com/espn/page2/sportSkills

The way they score each category seems good (for the most part), but one thing they don't take into account is the "weight" of each category... although this list is pretty decent, though.

I had read that but it's refreshing and a good read none the less. It doesn't take a genius to figure out a sport in which it is not uncommon to get punched in the face is tougher than one in which getting punched in the face is a news story. Also agree with Goodnight, Irene's comment on American football.

[Tantum]

Stacy, I think they meant NFL/NHL, not NBA/NHL...

Atleast I hope so.

Interesting link.

[Diamond WEAPON]

Football (Presumably American Grid Iron?) listed equal with boxing for durability? Madness

They also listed basketball as an example for a sport in which the ability to withstand sustained punishment is important.

I stumbled across this thread by accident, but nonetheless, I'll add my two cents. (I also think this should be moved to Other sports etc.)

Boxers normally box for several more years than a player lasts playing American Football, and basketball is an extremely rough sport inside the paint. I would say football is much harder on your body than boxing, which takes the edge in brain damage, but not by much. The NFL has some of the most violent person on person collisions that could ever possibly happen, just some food for thought.

It does, but they get more breaks than Boxers, who get non-stop torrents of punches thrust upon them. Highlight reel hits are in comparison more rare for any single player, but almost every boxer will take a serious blow more often than not. Just look at a pretty defensively sound fighter like Juan Manuel Marquez, the shots he took from Pacquiao, Barrera, and Juan Diaz aren't something to ignore, and they all kept hitting him when they rocked him.There wasn't an absolute halting of the action to see if Marquez was ok.

[Goodnight, Irene]

Football (Presumably American Grid Iron?) listed equal with boxing for durability? Madness

They also listed basketball as an example for a sport in which the ability to withstand sustained punishment is important.

I stumbled across this thread by accident, but nonetheless, I'll add my two cents. (I also think this should be moved to Other sports etc.)

Boxers normally box for several more years than a player lasts playing American Football, and basketball is an extremely rough sport inside the paint. I would say football is much harder on your body than boxing, which takes the edge in brain damage, but not by much. The NFL has some of the most violent person on person collisions that could ever possibly happen, just some food for thought.

It does, but they get more breaks than Boxers, who get non-stop torrents of punches thrust upon them. Highlight reel hits are in comparison more rare for any single player, but almost every boxer will take a serious blow more often than not. Just look at a pretty defensively sound fighter like Juan Manuel Marquez, the shots he took from Pacquiao, Barrera, and Juan Diaz aren't something to ignore, and they all kept hitting him when they rocked him.There wasn't an absolute halting of the action to see if Marquez was ok.

Saved me the reply, which is more or less how I would've worded it.

I know that Basketball is a high-demand sport physically, but calling it, "extremely rough" is a hell of a stretch, relative to other endeavours. Basketball is a contact sport --- right there, it yields the floor to all collision (Rugby League, Rugby Union, Grid Iron, etc.) & combat sports (Boxing, Muay Thai, MMA, etc.)

[Diamond WEAPON]

Basketball is a tough endurance sport, all of the running and jumping involved along with boxing out is hard on the cardio. Much faster pace than Football. It largely depends on who's playing though, some teams and players play more finessed and some more physical, some at a faster more breaking pace and some more methodical. Going heads up against Dwayne Wade and going heads up gainst Shaq are two entirely different propositions. One will run cicles around you and the other might just break you or squash you if you so much as touch him.

[jaclem2]

... a boxer in top condition is the best conditioned athlete in the world of sports. and it is harder to be a really good boxer than to master any other sport. now when we see these overweight heavyweights panting and pushing and hanging on by the fourth round it's hard to make that case to those who don't follow boxing.....which is why i mentioned conditioning and mastery of the science of boxing. i know of no other sport which has an equivalent of a sugar ray robinson or a willie pep..or an ezzard charles....or a joe louis..are a....add your own examples.

[gilgamesh]

Pretty much All sports at the Pro level requires excellent physical conditioning as well as years of practice honing your skills. But Boxing is for sure the toughest. I've only had a couple of Amateur boxing matches, and when the pace was heated during those. I was tired at the end. When I watch like Morales and Barrera for example going 12 rounds at the pace that they did...it seems Superhuman to me to think that any human is capable of that.

[jaclem2]

gilgamesh....