Boxing Monthly Aug / Sep review

[magwitch]

James "Sonny" McD.

Is that father jack Hackett?

That's me alright...!

EFF me, that does look like Father Jack doesn't it!

[magwitch]

Wah-ter!... Wah-ter!!... Drink!!

Is that Sonny Liston by any chance?

[magwitch]

Funnily enough I was taught to box by a priest at primary school.

You what, you were taught to box at primary school??

I think I may have been a bit hasty with my Liston guess above, I don't know who that is. Apart from Father Jack.

[Boxerbeetle]

Funnily enough I was taught to box by a priest at primary school.

James "Sonny" McD.

Is that father jack Hackett?

He could have been Pope, Ted.

[olij999]

The reason why there are more people of faith in boxing is because a higher proportion of people in boxing generally come from the lower classes of society, or less developed countries, two areas where religion is more prominent.

Why is this? Well, less developed countries tend to have more people of faith - perhaps having less or coming from a tougher background makes it easier to use religion for support, or perhaps the more educated middle and upper classes and people in more developed countries rely less on prayers for getting them stuff or helping them through life, and are educated enough to know that in all likelihood religion is utter tosh.

Religion is little more than a crutch to help the less fortunate through life. Or as Steven Hawking put it "religion is a fairytale for people afraid of the dark".

Don't knock it until you've tried it pal

Interesting comments. Hawking actually said that a belief in heaven or an afterlife was a fairytale, not religion itself, but that's a small point.
Bigger issue for me in the religion debate is the level of intolerance and disrespect for fellow human beings that seems to come from a proportion of people on both the faith-based and agnostic sides (and mean generally, not this thread in particular). I have faith, but I respect anyone who has a thought-out view, partly because they've taken the time to wrestle with the issues and partly because no-one can actually know whether any kind of divinity exists (and to me humans even trying to conceptualise it in words is as impossible as my old ZX Spectrum 48K trying to send a rocket to the moon - the "via negativa" apophatic approach) and so people are merely pitting one theory or belief against another. The views I struggle with are those where people are just accepting what they are told slavishly without even enquiring about it, or where people head down a "I am right so you must be wrong" kind of path. But that's just me.

From a boxing point of view, I believe that if faith (or indeed atheism) is important to a fighter, it can be worth hearing about in the kind of interviews that BM do, in just the same way that anything else that is important to the fighter gets covered. And on things like fighters' name changes (such as Dwight Braxton, Eddie Gregory and, obviously, Cassius Clay), I've wanted to hear how their lives changed. But I find it a bit wearing when fighters go on about their faith in post-fight interviews - at that point, we want to hear about the performance, not their belief systems.

[jamesmcdonnell]

The reason why there are more people of faith in boxing is because a higher proportion of people in boxing generally come from the lower classes of society, or less developed countries, two areas where religion is more prominent.

Why is this? Well, less developed countries tend to have more people of faith - perhaps having less or coming from a tougher background makes it easier to use religion for support, or perhaps the more educated middle and upper classes and people in more developed countries rely less on prayers for getting them stuff or helping them through life, and are educated enough to know that in all likelihood religion is utter tosh.

Religion is little more than a crutch to help the less fortunate through life. Or as Steven Hawking put it "religion is a fairytale for people afraid of the dark".

Don't knock it until you've tried it pal

Interesting comments. Hawking actually said that a belief in heaven or an afterlife was a fairytale, not religion itself, but that's a small point.
Bigger issue for me in the religion debate is the level of intolerance and disrespect for fellow human beings that seems to come from a proportion of people on both the faith-based and agnostic sides (and mean generally, not this thread in particular). I have faith, but I respect anyone who has a thought-out view, partly because they've taken the time to wrestle with the issues and partly because no-one can actually know whether any kind of divinity exists (and to me humans even trying to conceptualise it in words is as impossible as my old ZX Spectrum 48K trying to send a rocket to the moon - the "via negativa" apophatic approach) and so people are merely pitting one theory or belief against another. The views I struggle with are those where people are just accepting what they are told slavishly without even enquiring about it, or where people head down a "I am right so you must be wrong" kind of path. But that's just me.

From a boxing point of view, I believe that if faith (or indeed atheism) is important to a fighter, it can be worth hearing about in the kind of interviews that BM do, in just the same way that anything else that is important to the fighter gets covered. And on things like fighters' name changes (such as Dwight Braxton, Eddie Gregory and, obviously, Cassius Clay), I've wanted to hear how their lives changed. But I find it a bit wearing when fighters go on about their faith in post-fight interviews - at that point, we want to hear about the performance, not their belief systems.

Faith has it's place, but why can people not place their faith in something more useful than a hidden sky god who made the universe - it really is no more than a salve for people scared of death.

I place my faith in the real world, and in the beauty of just being here in the first place, I can feel blessed without actually being blessed, innit?

Atheism is a form of faith, and one mercifully without doctrine.

[jamesmcdonnell]

Funnily enough I was taught to box by a priest at primary school.

You what, you were taught to box at primary school??

I think I may have been a bit hasty with my Liston guess above, I don't know who that is. Apart from Father Jack.

Yes, we had a priest by the name of father Marcus - he had been on the Indian Olympic boxing team before he became a priest, and so he started a boxing club.

I'm 44, the world was very different back in my youth, people weren't piss scared of being sued for any minor injury. I got my nose clumped once, and a shiner, but in the main I was far too quick for anyone to hit me. I was a nippy little bugger back then.

[jamesmcdonnell]

Wah-ter!... Wah-ter!!... Drink!!

Is that Sonny Liston by any chance?

Looks like it to me.

[jamesmcdonnell]

Wah-ter!... Wah-ter!!... Drink!!

Is that Sonny Liston by any chance?

Looks like it to me.

As a side note, anyone here who hasn't read Night Train about Sonny Liston, I recommend it, it's a little obtuse in places, but there's some fascinating insights into his character - he was a complex man, shy, sullen, but also very humorous and kind to his friends.

I've come to the conclusion that both of his fights with Ali may well have been fixed by the mob. Liston apparently cried when he lost the first fight to Ali. Liston was owned by the Mafia, no doubt about it.

[jamesmcdonnell]

The reason why there are more people of faith in boxing is because a higher proportion of people in boxing generally come from the lower classes of society, or less developed countries, two areas where religion is more prominent.

Why is this? Well, less developed countries tend to have more people of faith - perhaps having less or coming from a tougher background makes it easier to use religion for support, or perhaps the more educated middle and upper classes and people in more developed countries rely less on prayers for getting them stuff or helping them through life, and are educated enough to know that in all likelihood religion is utter tosh.

Religion is little more than a crutch to help the less fortunate through life. Or as Steven Hawking put it "religion is a fairytale for people afraid of the dark".

Don't knock it until you've tried it pal

I'm not remotely religious myself, but I do sometimes envy those who have taken that leap of faith into the unknown.

The feeling passes when the weekend and pre-weekend rolls around, mind.

Me too pal - it's been proven that religious people are happier - I play in a Samba group, which is kind of like my church. Faith, living next to like minded people, having a hobby that you love or a strong vocation, are very powerful vectors for long and happy lives. They are common in all groups of exceptionally long lived populations.

[Gnome]

Can't recommend Boxing Monthly enough. There's something about having a proper magazine in your hand, as opposed to websites.

[jamesmcdonnell]

Shhh...I'm praying to the lord jesus - he sees us when we pee.

[magwitch]

Can't recommend Boxing Monthly enough. There's something about having a proper magazine in your hand, as opposed to websites.

I think the same about Fiesta . ......side note, the BM print on a matt finish, whereas the BN has a glossy finish to it in recent years

I love reading about the old-timers. Black and white photos draw me in. The BM has such a feature in every issue - and for balance, I've read loads of good stuff in the BN too.

[magwitch]

Wah-ter!... Wah-ter!!... Drink!!

Is that Sonny Liston by any chance?

Looks like it to me.

I couldn't work out why someone had written James "Sonny" McD next to his pic - duh ! Yes, I get it now. It must be him then.

[jamesmcdonnell]

Wah-ter!... Wah-ter!!... Drink!!

Is that Sonny Liston by any chance?

Looks like it to me.

I couldn't work out why someone had written James "Sonny" McD next to his pic - duh ! Yes, I get it now. It must be him then.

Do at least try and keep up, there's a good chap.

[jamesmcdonnell]

The reason why there are more people of faith in boxing is because a higher proportion of people in boxing generally come from the lower classes of society, or less developed countries, two areas where religion is more prominent.

Why is this? Well, less developed countries tend to have more people of faith - perhaps having less or coming from a tougher background makes it easier to use religion for support, or perhaps the more educated middle and upper classes and people in more developed countries rely less on prayers for getting them stuff or helping them through life, and are educated enough to know that in all likelihood religion is utter tosh.

Religion is little more than a crutch to help the less fortunate through life. Or as Steven Hawking put it "religion is a fairytale for people afraid of the dark".

Don't knock it until you've tried it pal

Interesting comments. Hawking actually said that a belief in heaven or an afterlife was a fairytale, not religion itself, but that's a small point.
Bigger issue for me in the religion debate is the level of intolerance and disrespect for fellow human beings that seems to come from a proportion of people on both the faith-based and agnostic sides (and mean generally, not this thread in particular). I have faith, but I respect anyone who has a thought-out view, partly because they've taken the time to wrestle with the issues and partly because no-one can actually know whether any kind of divinity exists (and to me humans even trying to conceptualise it in words is as impossible as my old ZX Spectrum 48K trying to send a rocket to the moon - the "via negativa" apophatic approach) and so people are merely pitting one theory or belief against another. The views I struggle with are those where people are just accepting what they are told slavishly without even enquiring about it, or where people head down a "I am right so you must be wrong" kind of path. But that's just me.

From a boxing point of view, I believe that if faith (or indeed atheism) is important to a fighter, it can be worth hearing about in the kind of interviews that BM do, in just the same way that anything else that is important to the fighter gets covered. And on things like fighters' name changes (such as Dwight Braxton, Eddie Gregory and, obviously, Cassius Clay), I've wanted to hear how their lives changed. But I find it a bit wearing when fighters go on about their faith in post-fight interviews - at that point, we want to hear about the performance, not their belief systems.

They sent a rocket to the moon with something LESS powerful than a ZX spectrum.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Apollo_Guidance_Computer

[magwitch]

Looks like it to me.

As a side note, anyone here who hasn't read Night Train about Sonny Liston, I recommend it, it's a little obtuse in places, but there's some fascinating insights into his character - he was a complex man, shy, sullen, but also very humorous and kind to his friends.

I've come to the conclusion that both of his fights with Ali may well have been fixed by the mob. Liston apparently cried when he lost the first fight to Ali. Liston was owned by the Mafia, no doubt about it.

Thanks for the recommendation, I will make a mental note to check it out sometime. Poor man :( I think you're probably right. That shot, whether it hit him or whether it didn't - it would need more to put a unit like Liston over, imho.

[olij999]

They sent a rocket to the moon with something LESS powerful than a ZX spectrum.

Well, they wouldn't have achieved anything with mine. The O and P keys did not work - result of too much playing Daley Thompson's Decathlon.

[jamesmcdonnell]

They sent a rocket to the moon with something LESS powerful than a ZX spectrum.

Well, they wouldn't have achieved anything with mine. The O and P keys did not work - result of too much playing Daley Thompson's Decathlon.

Hahahah.....I remember it all too well, destroyed a lot of joysticks too, that and Micro Olympics.

[gasman]

Good to hear so many positive comments re: BM - I have been meaning to get around to subscribing to BM again but been so busy with work that it went out of my head, going to subscribe again next month, hopefully, they are still offering some teeshirts or whatnot for new subscribers! I will even take another BM mug

[Bodyshot3]

September issue well up to scratch as well...good interview with Martin Murray on his rollercoaster career and what it was like share a ring with GGG and enjoyed the piece on Chris Pyatt as well who is training these days but also talked candidly about his career. Good feature on Nick Blackwell also.. who comes across as a guy who is determined as hell and not prepared to let a difficult start hinder him.

Not sure what the hell Bunce was actually on about again....bit rambling and disjointed. Feel his column is a bit hit and miss these days.

[veriton]

September issue well up to scratch as well...good interview with Martin Murray on his rollercoaster career and what it was like share a ring with GGG and enjoyed the piece on Chris Pyatt as well who is training these days but also talked candidly about his career. Good feature on Nick Blackwell also.. who comes across as a guy who is determined as hell and not prepared to let a difficult start hinder him.

Not sure what the hell Bunce was actually on about again....bit rambling and disjointed. Feel his column is a bit hit and miss these days.

eggington piece was really good too. thought bunce was great this month, especially the bit about people bulling fighters up who havent done anything....dressing mannequins with clothes that dont fit was how he put it. can think of quite a few articles that follow that path.

i really dont like the social media page, it feels fluffy and a waste of time. i know its an attempt to be "down with the kids" but its just so ham-fisted its cringeworthy. this month: a us press officer uses twitter (gasp!).

and while im moaning, why not use a picture of carl greaves on lillis' superb piece on him (great details in that). bit odd that he wasnt even pictured, worse that there is someone else pictured who isnt captioned.

good issue all round, was a bit wary when i saw the size of the conlan article but it read really well and deserved a runout in that style. main picture of him could have been clearer, looked like it had been blown up too far...but im niggling, the actual piece was a cracking article.

[Boxerbeetle]

September issue well up to scratch as well...good interview with Martin Murray on his rollercoaster career and what it was like share a ring with GGG and enjoyed the piece on Chris Pyatt as well who is training these days but also talked candidly about his career. Good feature on Nick Blackwell also.. who comes across as a guy who is determined as hell and not prepared to let a difficult start hinder him.

Not sure what the hell Bunce was actually on about again....bit rambling and disjointed. Feel his column is a bit hit and miss these days.

eggington piece was really good too. thought bunce was great this month, especially the bit about people bulling fighters up who havent done anything....dressing mannequins with clothes that dont fit was how he put it. can think of quite a few articles that follow that path.

i really dont like the social media page, it feels fluffy and a waste of time. i know its an attempt to be "down with the kids" but its just so ham-fisted its cringeworthy. this month: a us press officer uses twitter (gasp!).

and while im moaning, why not use a picture of carl greaves on lillis' superb piece on him (great details in that). bit odd that he wasnt even pictured, worse that there is someone else pictured who isnt captioned.

good issue all round, was a bit wary when i saw the size of the conlan article but it read really well and deserved a runout in that style. main picture of him could have been clearer, looked like it had been blown up too far...but im niggling, the actual piece was a cracking article.

The social media page was just a one-off I think, don't remember reading it before. I did think Bunce's piece was a bit of a ramble this month, he seemed to get his points confused a bit and it ended up a mess. Usually enjoy his column though so will give him a pass this month.

[veriton]

no mate, that social media page has replaced farhood's column which i used to enjoy. it's a poor swap in my opinion and doesnt really add anything as it is forced to focus on tittle tattle, which seems as odds with the knowledgable style of the rest of the mag.

[MightyWarrior]

Not sure what the hell Bunce was actually on about again....bit rambling and disjointed. Feel his column is a bit hit and miss these days.

Yeah let's be honest, old Bunce has clearly lost the plot, rambling away in the corner of the pub and no ones listening. He's ok at 3am in the morning on BN when everyone's a bit delirious & half asleep, but trouble is that appears to be when he pens his columns on the back of a beer mat.