Promoters need to be careful

[palooka]

Is there something wrong with boxers shaking hands and wishing their opponent the best of luck?
Or is that not tough enough for some people?

You can see examples of the 'big man ' attitude all over the place in boxing. In particular you see it in some amateur gyms when you see novices blasting away at each other with no idea about the skills necessary to defend themselves. Good gyms are where novices learn how to move round the gym and block/parry punches before they are allowed to actually throw punches. By teaching this way novices are learning a sport, with skills which are appreciated by people who know the game. They don't usually turn into loud mouth oafs, with so little brains that they don't even realise how stupid they sound.

Again, I say, promoters who encourage the aggressive behaviour may well end up totally regretting their involvement in a tragic situation. I hope I'm never proved right , because somebody would need to get hurt for that to happen , and in a SPORT, we don't want that.

You sound like a Daily Telegraph cricket corespondent in the 1920's bemoaning the ungentlemanly conduct of modern professional players. Best highlighted in an unseemly incident where the Yorkshire short leg fielder neglected to doff his cap to the Middlesex captain Lord Mountbatten, when he passed him on the way to the wicket.

Though this fellow knows enough about boxing in the modern era to write a well received biography - it's not just a digital rant by a fogey and though that doesn't mean he's right about everything his opinion didn't ought to be slated and to be honest I prefer a calm build up to a fight and then an absolute war with no slagging off before or after - I think a lot of boxers use more energy in the build up than they do in the fight.

[Khaosai-Galaxy]

Is there something wrong with boxers shaking hands and wishing their opponent the best of luck?
Or is that not tough enough for some people?

You can see examples of the 'big man ' attitude all over the place in boxing. In particular you see it in some amateur gyms when you see novices blasting away at each other with no idea about the skills necessary to defend themselves. Good gyms are where novices learn how to move round the gym and block/parry punches before they are allowed to actually throw punches. By teaching this way novices are learning a sport, with skills which are appreciated by people who know the game. They don't usually turn into loud mouth oafs, with so little brains that they don't even realise how stupid they sound.

Again, I say, promoters who encourage the aggressive behaviour may well end up totally regretting their involvement in a tragic situation. I hope I'm never proved right , because somebody would need to get hurt for that to happen , and in a SPORT, we don't want that.

You sound like a Daily Telegraph cricket corespondent in the 1920's bemoaning the ungentlemanly conduct of modern professional players. Best highlighted in an unseemly incident where the Yorkshire short leg fielder neglected to doff his cap to the Middlesex captain Lord Mountbatten, when he passed him on the way to the wicket.

Though this fellow knows enough about boxing in the modern era to write a well received biography - it's not just a digital rant by a fogey.

OK, but I don't get his reasoning.

Boxing needs to be careful about promoting fights that generate strong personal reactions from fighters (like they have been doing for over a century) because if they don't, something terrible will happen like the deaths and serious injuries that happened in boxing before?

[dalcumly]

You're entitled to your view and if you like the way SOME boxers behave towards their opponents and you feel it's appropriate and it does something for you - then that's fair enough.

I think when a boxer behaves so badly it reflects on all of us and allows the general public to form an opinion which does not show us in a good light. I personally take great pleasure when the morons get a good belting for their trouble.

Most of Ali's antics were different because at the time they were so unusual and most importantly -funny. However he too could go over the top and his behaviour particularly in relation to Ernie Terrell and a true gentleman, Floyd Patterson, were disgraceful. However, the 'hero worship' of Ali since then usually gloss over those events.

Give me Andre Ward, Carl Froch, Henry Wharton, Henry Cooper etc etc over Hamed , Mayorga , Broner , Chisora , Haye anyday of the week.Only my opinion -from a Daily Telegraph cricketing point of view, of course. Does that imply that I'm some sort of 'wee cowrin' timourous beastie ' !! ( with apolgies to Robert Burns( not to be confused with Ricky)

[Khaosai-Galaxy]

Is there something wrong with boxers shaking hands and wishing their opponent the best of luck?
Or is that not tough enough for some people?

You can see examples of the 'big man ' attitude all over the place in boxing. In particular you see it in some amateur gyms when you see novices blasting away at each other with no idea about the skills necessary to defend themselves. Good gyms are where novices learn how to move round the gym and block/parry punches before they are allowed to actually throw punches. By teaching this way novices are learning a sport, with skills which are appreciated by people who know the game. They don't usually turn into loud mouth oafs, with so little brains that they don't even realise how stupid they sound.

Again, I say, promoters who encourage the aggressive behaviour may well end up totally regretting their involvement in a tragic situation. I hope I'm never proved right , because somebody would need to get hurt for that to happen , and in a SPORT, we don't want that.

You sound like a Daily Telegraph cricket corespondent in the 1920's bemoaning the ungentlemanly conduct of modern professional players. Best highlighted in an unseemly incident where the Yorkshire short leg fielder neglected to doff his cap to the Middlesex captain Lord Mountbatten, when he passed him on the way to the wicket.

Though this fellow knows enough about boxing in the modern era to write a well received biography - it's not just a digital rant by a fogey and though that doesn't mean he's right about everything his opinion didn't ought to be slated and to be honest I prefer a calm build up to a fight and then an absolute war with no slagging off before or after - I think a lot of boxers use more energy in the build up than they do in the fight.

You may like a nice quiet build up, but the vast majority of earth do not.

The biggest fight of all time was Rumble in the Jungle, right?

The general public don't just look at the fight bell to bell, they need to follow the story of a fight, get invested in it over a period of time with excitement building to a "grudge match" at the end.

This has been the way since the 1800s and the idea that boxing has somehow only recently become this was is absurd.

[Khaosai-Galaxy]

You're entitled to your view and if you like the way SOME boxers behave towards their opponents and you feel it's appropriate and it does something for you - then that's fair enough.

I think when a boxer behaves so badly it reflects on all of us and allows the general public to form an opinion which does not show us in a good light. I personally take great pleasure when the morons get a good belting for their trouble.

Great, that's what you are supposed to feel when the cocky loud mouth bad guy finally gets his due. You are no different to anyone else.

Most of Ali's antics were different because at the time they were so unusual and most importantly -funny. However he too could go over the top and his behaviour particularly in relation to Ernie Terrell and a true gentleman, Floyd Patterson, were disgraceful. However, the 'hero worship' of Ali since then usually gloss over those events

If anyone is entitled to a little hero worship it is Ali... He was the biggest sports star of the 20th century and somebody that grabbed the worlds attention unlike any sportsman before or since.
Also, he could fight a fair bit, I'm told.

Give me Andre Ward, Carl Froch, Henry Wharton, Henry Cooper etc etc over Hamed , Mayorga , Broner , Chisora , Haye anyday of the week.Only my opinion -from a Daily Telegraph cricketing point of view, of course. Does that imply that I'm some sort of 'wee cowrin' timourous beastie ' !! ( with apolgies to Robert Burns( not to be confused with Ricky)

You can keep your collection of (mostly) mediocre talents and aftershave salesmen and I'll happily take my bunch of rabble rousers and go and play in a different, much bigger arena!

[expe]

You're entitled to your view and if you like the way SOME boxers behave towards their opponents and you feel it's appropriate and it does something for you - then that's fair enough.

I think when a boxer behaves so badly it reflects on all of us and allows the general public to form an opinion which does not show us in a good light. I personally take great pleasure when the morons get a good belting for their trouble.

Most of Ali's antics were different because at the time they were so unusual and most importantly -funny. However he too could go over the top and his behaviour particularly in relation to Ernie Terrell and a true gentleman, Floyd Patterson, were disgraceful. However, the 'hero worship' of Ali since then usually gloss over those events.

Give me Andre Ward, Carl Froch, Henry Wharton, Henry Cooper etc etc over Hamed , Mayorga , Broner , Chisora , Haye anyday of the week.Only my opinion -from a Daily Telegraph cricketing point of view, of course. Does that imply that I'm some sort of 'wee cowrin' timourous beastie ' !! ( with apolgies to Robert Burns( not to be confused with Ricky)

Froch hardly belongs in there with them, he talks shite before every fight and is usually just arrogant.

[Khaosai-Galaxy]

You're entitled to your view and if you like the way SOME boxers behave towards their opponents and you feel it's appropriate and it does something for you - then that's fair enough.

I think when a boxer behaves so badly it reflects on all of us and allows the general public to form an opinion which does not show us in a good light. I personally take great pleasure when the morons get a good belting for their trouble.

Most of Ali's antics were different because at the time they were so unusual and most importantly -funny. However he too could go over the top and his behaviour particularly in relation to Ernie Terrell and a true gentleman, Floyd Patterson, were disgraceful. However, the 'hero worship' of Ali since then usually gloss over those events.

Give me Andre Ward, Carl Froch, Henry Wharton, Henry Cooper etc etc over Hamed , Mayorga , Broner , Chisora , Haye anyday of the week.Only my opinion -from a Daily Telegraph cricketing point of view, of course. Does that imply that I'm some sort of 'wee cowrin' timourous beastie ' !! ( with apolgies to Robert Burns( not to be confused with Ricky)

Froch hardly belongs in there with them, he talks shite before every fight and is usually just arrogant.

Frotch is neither fish nor fowl, not charismatic or dynamic enough to cause outrage and sell tickets by his talk but also not the kind of guy who you can say "does all his talking in the ring"
He just mumbles along like a boring cousin at a wedding who turns up in a Porsche and talks about his double glazing business all night.

[dalcumly]

Oh well. That's that then. The four or five who have commented on this site obviously feel they are a fair representation of the world wide boxing public and are satisfied that good guys don't attract fans in sufficient numbers.
Do we think our top boxers should be role models? Do we think Hamed and Chisora et al are good examples?
I sometimes think that people judge a persons ' heart ' by the size of their mouth.

But to return to the original point. Do promoters , the media and managers want to be involved in encouraging pre fight confrontations when one of the boxers get badly injured? ' It was only done to encourage ticket sales' just won't cut it at an independent enquiry overseen by people unconnected with boxing.

[The Insider]

But to return to the original point. Do promoters , the media and managers want to be involved in encouraging pre fight confrontations when one of the boxers get badly injured? ' It was only done to encourage ticket sales' just won't cut it at an independent enquiry overseen by people unconnected with boxing.

If a boxer gets badly injured it's because he's been boxing another fellow with the intent of winning, and by winning I mean hitting his opponent around the head and torso with the knuckle part of the glove. Boxing is dangerous, boxers are told this remarkable fact when they are interviewed by their respective area councils and have a choice to consider wether they wish to continue in this sport having now being armed with this new and important revelation. Just because you personally don't like trash talk or hyping fights please don't try and scare monger people and promoters into thinking that they some how will be legally culpable if they "encourage confrontations" as it's nonsense to suggest by setting up conferences, faceoffs and television appearances will somehow make them responsible for any injuries a boxer may sustain through the Sport. If it was that bad it would be banned all together.

[Khaosai-Galaxy]

Oh well. That's that then. The four or five who have commented on this site obviously feel they are a fair representation of the world wide boxing public and are satisfied that good guys don't attract fans in sufficient numbers.
Do we think our top boxers should be role models? Do we think Hamed and Chisora et al are good examples?
I sometimes think that people judge a persons ' heart ' by the size of their mouth.

But to return to the original point. Do promoters , the media and managers want to be involved in encouraging pre fight confrontations when one of the boxers get badly injured? ' It was only done to encourage ticket sales' just won't cut it at an independent enquiry overseen by people unconnected with boxing.

Good guys draw just great. Hatton, Alvarez, De la Hoya, Pacquiao etc

[Khaosai-Galaxy]

But to return to the original point. Do promoters , the media and managers want to be involved in encouraging pre fight confrontations when one of the boxers get badly injured? ' It was only done to encourage ticket sales' just won't cut it at an independent enquiry overseen by people unconnected with boxing.

If a boxer gets badly injured it's because he's been boxing another fellow with the intent of winning, and by winning I mean hitting his opponent around the head and torso with the knuckle part of the glove. Boxing is dangerous, boxers are told this remarkable fact when they are interviewed by their respective area councils and have a choice to consider wether they wish to continue in this sport having now being armed with this new and important revelation. Just because you personally don't like trash talk or hyping fights please don't try and scare monger people and promoters into thinking that they some how will be legally culpable if they "encourage confrontations" as it's nonsense to suggest by setting up conferences, faceoffs and television appearances will somehow make them responsible for any injuries a boxer may sustain through the Sport. If it was that bad it would be banned all together.

Good stuff.

Unless the boxers start using knives on each other, pre fight, what's the most dangerous thing that happens.
A 2 second pull apart brawl for the cameras or 60 minutes of hitting each other in the face?

[superpunchout]

Personaly I prefer the more cordial approach in the build up to a fight. Trash-talking is okay in itself but when it gets too intense, unless the fight turns out to be a classic, there's always that sense of anti-climax.

As to the overall issue then no, I don't think a new code of conduct needs to be introduced. Boxing is by miles my fav sport but it is admittedly brutal, dangerous and extremely pressure-intensive on those who participate. Seeing how a fighter deals with all of that pressure before the contest and how they individually express themselves under those conditions is all part of the ritual IMO.