Who says you need to be working class to box?

gobbles · Post by **gobbles** » 22 Nov 2010, 07:53

From the website of the Hartwall Arena

Helsinki Boxing Night
World Boxing Council Association upper middle class World Championship

Wake up call · Post by **Wake up call** » 22 Nov 2010, 07:57

Yes Tarquin Spencer-James v Sir William Harding-Winsor III.

dekker88 · Post by **dekker88** » 22 Nov 2010, 07:59

dekker88 · Post by **dekker88** » 22 Nov 2010, 08:02

have their ever been any serious world title holders from the upper echelons of society?

ironically Ali is probably the most high profile middle class wc...

gobbles · Post by **gobbles** » 22 Nov 2010, 08:04

dekker88 wrote:have their ever been any serious world title holders from the upper echelons of society?

ironically Ali is probably the most high profile middle class wc...

Leonard was pretty middle class

banjo · Post by **banjo** » 22 Nov 2010, 08:06

Wasn't Barrera from a successfull family?

dekker88 · Post by **dekker88** » 22 Nov 2010, 08:14

King Geedorah wrote:
gobbles wrote:
dekker88 wrote:have their ever been any serious world title holders from the upper echelons of society?

ironically Ali is probably the most high profile middle class wc...
Leonard was pretty middle class
Floyd also. Depends on your definition. James Toney's mum had an MA and her own business, or part of one.

Gene Tunney is often labelled as middle class but don't think he was born into the higher classes, he was just very affected.

Jim Corbett was a 'gentleman', or so I hear.

Floyd!!?!?

Floyd Mayweather!?!?!?

MightyWarrior · Post by **MightyWarrior** » 22 Nov 2010, 08:15

banjo wrote:Wasn't Barrera from a successfull family?

Yes, he is from a very well to do Mexican family, which is why he had the option of becoming a lawyer if he'd wanted too.
And also another reason why there was so much bad blood with Morales, who was dirt poor from Tijuana.
He always saw Barrera as something of a "junior" - which is what they call well off "daddy's boys" in Mexico.

ctid66 · Post by **ctid66** » 22 Nov 2010, 08:22

:surprised:

dekker88 · Post by **dekker88** » 22 Nov 2010, 08:28

King Geedorah wrote:
dekker88 wrote:
King Geedorah wrote: Floyd also. Depends on your definition. James Toney's mum had an MA and her own business, or part of one.

Gene Tunney is often labelled as middle class but don't think he was born into the higher classes, he was just very affected.

Jim Corbett was a 'gentleman', or so I hear.
Floyd!!?!?

Floyd Mayweather!?!?!?

Yeah, didn't he live in a fairly decent area and adopted this thug persona down the line? Not saying he was rich but was similar to Tupac in many ways, different upbringing than your average 'thug' life type.

Depends on your definition of 'middle class'. Mine is: Gay + Can Read (- By Sushi) = Middle class.

a family of dysfunctional drug addicts....which is i spose very similar to 'pac...

JamesH · Post by **JamesH** » 22 Nov 2010, 08:35

Derek Chisora's family are very wealthy.

dekker88 · Post by **dekker88** » 22 Nov 2010, 08:51

MachoMan09 wrote:Vitali and Wladimir's father was a Soviet Air Force Colonel, which was a job with some status in the 'classless' USSR. They both did post-grad study and dress like this...

If that's not middle class, what is?

Herbie Hide went to boarding school, didn't he? Although I think it was with Rhino, so it can't have been that classy.

Nouveau riche.

TerribleTerry · Post by **TerribleTerry** » 22 Nov 2010, 08:53

Matt Macklin, James Hare

jamesmcdonnell · Post by **jamesmcdonnell** » 22 Nov 2010, 08:59

dekker88 wrote:have their ever been any serious world title holders from the upper echelons of society?

ironically Ali is probably the most high profile middle class wc...

Gene Tunney was pretty damned serious.

stujones · Post by **stujones** » 22 Nov 2010, 09:20

Terry,

Was it because of the Mayweather's successes in the ring that gave Floyd a more priveledged background. Or is it further down their line. If not, they've probably given him that "working class" mentality.

I'm quite fascinated by the Psychology of Floyd - particularly when it comes to his handling of money.

palooka · Post by **palooka** » 22 Nov 2010, 09:45

I don't think Ray Leonard came from a middle class home; I'm sure I read that his parents struggled and that he turned professional from a need to pay medical bills.

Doncaster Middleweight Micky Murry came from a prosperous background and he now is extremely wealthy being a big business man and land owner.

Scrap · Post by **Scrap** » 22 Nov 2010, 10:13

Middleweight Mark Rowe Family were well off.

Deserter · Post by **Deserter** » 22 Nov 2010, 10:47

I think James Hare was from a middle-class background wasn't he?

slapbangwhallop · Post by **slapbangwhallop** » 22 Nov 2010, 10:48

jamesmcdonnell wrote:
dekker88 wrote:have their ever been any serious world title holders from the upper echelons of society?

ironically Ali is probably the most high profile middle class wc...
Gene Tunney was pretty damned serious.

Tunney's ould pair were post-Famine emigrants from the West of Ireland, not exactly a socio-economic grouping which are synonymous being middle class. More like 'Lace-Curtain Irish' if anything.

Deserter · Post by **Deserter** » 22 Nov 2010, 15:02

TerribleTerry wrote:Matt Macklin, James Hare

Sorry Terry, only just realised you'd already mentioned Hare

flatnoseflynn · Post by **flatnoseflynn** » 22 Nov 2010, 15:15

Naseem Hamed !.........?

Deno1986 · Post by **Deno1986** » 22 Nov 2010, 15:25

Eubank is surely from an upper class family is he?

SweetLikeSugar · Post by **SweetLikeSugar** » 22 Nov 2010, 15:42

Eubank was not from a wealthy family at all. He actually spent some of his childhood living in a New York ghetto.

The reason he dresses, speaks and acts in the manner he does is to perpetuate the image that he is of a higher class IMO.

SweetLikeSugar · Post by **SweetLikeSugar** » 22 Nov 2010, 15:46

Word.

IRLangmaid25 · Post by **IRLangmaid25** » 22 Nov 2010, 17:05

You also have Calvin Brock the Boxing Banker with an MA in Finance as well who use to manage his own portfolio of investments if my memory serves me correctly.

Who says you need to be working class to box?

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