whats the atmosphere like at fights

[Dixonian]

I go to as many live shows as I can, and the atmosphere can vary hugely. But the big stadium events are almost always total sh!t until just before the main event, people just wander around getting pissed up and only a handful are actually watching the boxing.

I’ve been to plenty of shows on my own, in some ways I prefer it as most of my mates don’t like boxing anyway, so I get to concentrate on the fights without making small talk or explaining who the boxers are.

I did make the mistake of taking the missus with me to the Williams-Corcoran fight, where it absolutely kicked off all night, total carnage

Yeah I've often been to small hall fights on my own. One of the best things is it's easy to locate the other boxing nuts and having a chat about the action.

[tony1234]

Fight crowds changed about 10 years ago.

I used to go to the Mickey Duff promotions and there was never any trouble. No alchohol was served and you would never see women there. All Arthur Daley types who knew their boxin.

Now its more like a nightclub with a boxing ring in the middle of the room and 20 year old males who are on steroids thinkin they're hard. But, believe it or not, the women are a lot more aggressive after a few alcopops !

Same I used to go to the midweek shows at the Albert Hall and Wembley Arena in the 80's and hardly ever saw a woman there, I imagine Mickey Duff would be spinning in his grave at what the shows are like now with the music booming out between rounds and the audience there

[mickey1975]

I had the pleasure of speaking to Mickey Duff for about 45 mins when I was just 15. Boxing was that guys life.

[bigjack]

I had the pleasure of speaking to Mickey Duff for about 45 mins when I was just 15. Boxing was that guys life.

I met Harry Gibbs in Vegas and went for a few beers with him,he had some great tales to tell.

[nitro5912]

Been to a few shows and all but a couple there has been some type of trouble - ffs they were fighting at ringside at DeLaHoya vs Floyd, tickets that cost tens of thousands of dollars.

Small hall shows all depends on who the fighters are, been to many Colin Kenna fights and if Henry Castle for example was on the undercard you knew there’d be dick heads with there chests puffed out trying to intimidate people (except when he fought in Pompey, wonder why they weren’t trying then!!) - guess people support the boxer not boxing if that makes sense.

Then the bigger shows you have people seeing their mate fight on the undercard, piss off to the bar to get pissed up and come back for the main event. Pissed up lads = more chance of trouble.

That said I’ve never really had bother. Only go either myself or with a couple of lads and we go and watch all the fights, don’t get involved in hanging around boozing etc as the trouble will be on the concourse as opposing fans tend to be sat away from each other like football. Only bother I had was because I couldn’t not say anything to a group of Khan supporters sat behind me in Pakistan cricket shirts telling Willie Limond to go back to his own country!!

Never been to a fight with a shite atmosphere and I think over the years it has gotten better, you can drink in the arena now, fights are on one after the other, used to have about 30-60 min wait between fights.

Always worth asking on here whose going as I’ve met up with a few posters over the years at fights. Poncey, The Law, Terry, Jim Cook, Eddie Shredder, Matt S, States and probably a few more. Would have met a good few more but we couldn’t physically get in the pub in Hamburg where everyone was. Gutted as I didn’t get to meet the legend that is Mickey.

Scummers have never turned up in Pompey in any capacity.

[Boxerbeetle]

Defo worth watching fights live. Especially small Hall as you will be surrounded by boxing fans.

I’ve been a bit unhappy with the trouble at recent Arena/Stadium shows.

AJ/Parker/ Had a kick off directly in front of me.
AJ/Takam- Kicked off.
Williams/Smith 1- Kicked off
Williams/Corcoran/ Kicked off.

Williams-Corcoran was the worst I’ve experienced live, it was fvcking bedlam all night, I was right in the middle of it. Distinctly remember seeing some young scally punch a female security in the ear from behind, total cheap shot

[mickey1975]

Defo worth watching fights live. Especially small Hall as you will be surrounded by boxing fans.

I’ve been a bit unhappy with the trouble at recent Arena/Stadium shows.

AJ/Parker/ Had a kick off directly in front of me.
AJ/Takam- Kicked off.
Williams/Smith 1- Kicked off
Williams/Corcoran/ Kicked off.

Williams-Corcoran was the worst I’ve experienced live, it was fvcking bedlam all night, I was right in the middle of it. Distinctly remember seeing some young scally punch a female security in the ear from behind, total cheap shot

As I said, MEN can be rough. Security haven’t got a clue. British Transport Police get involved when it gets out of hand.

[brian13]

Has anyone been to a Warrington fight in Leeds?

[mickey1975]

Has anyone been to a Warrington fight in Leeds?

Yes. But I’m from Yorkshire and know a lot of the real fight crowd. It would probably be a bit intimidating for a stranger but they’re not that bad, really. Coked and pissed out of their heads by fight time.

[skanksta]

I had the pleasure of speaking to Mickey Duff for about 45 mins when I was just 15. Boxing was that guys life.

I met Harry Gibbs in Vegas and went for a few beers with him,he had some great tales to tell.

I bumped in to Adam Smith in a Ladbroke Grove pub nearly 20 years ago. I drunkenly shouted boxing stories at him for a couple of hours and he didn't run away - excellent company.

[Dirk Kelly]

Been to a few shows and all but a couple there has been some type of trouble - ffs they were fighting at ringside at DeLaHoya vs Floyd, tickets that cost tens of thousands of dollars.

Small hall shows all depends on who the fighters are, been to many Colin Kenna fights and if Henry Castle for example was on the undercard you knew there’d be dick heads with there chests puffed out trying to intimidate people (except when he fought in Pompey, wonder why they weren’t trying then!!) - guess people support the boxer not boxing if that makes sense.

Then the bigger shows you have people seeing their mate fight on the undercard, piss off to the bar to get pissed up and come back for the main event. Pissed up lads = more chance of trouble.

That said I’ve never really had bother. Only go either myself or with a couple of lads and we go and watch all the fights, don’t get involved in hanging around boozing etc as the trouble will be on the concourse as opposing fans tend to be sat away from each other like football. Only bother I had was because I couldn’t not say anything to a group of Khan supporters sat behind me in Pakistan cricket shirts telling Willie Limond to go back to his own country!!

Never been to a fight with a shite atmosphere and I think over the years it has gotten better, you can drink in the arena now, fights are on one after the other, used to have about 30-60 min wait between fights.

Always worth asking on here whose going as I’ve met up with a few posters over the years at fights. Poncey, The Law, Terry, Jim Cook, Eddie Shredder, Matt S, States and probably a few more. Would have met a good few more but we couldn’t physically get in the pub in Hamburg where everyone was. Gutted as I didn’t get to meet the legend that is Mickey.

Scummers have never turned up in Pompey in any capacity.

Been to many a small hall and white collar show in the land that time forgot.

Occasionally go to Gun Wharf shopping.

Visit the uncle in law in Cosham.

Great nights out on Albert Rd.

This scummer has show up many a time.

Henry Castle was from Romsey btw.

[nitro5912]

Been to a few shows and all but a couple there has been some type of trouble - ffs they were fighting at ringside at DeLaHoya vs Floyd, tickets that cost tens of thousands of dollars.

Small hall shows all depends on who the fighters are, been to many Colin Kenna fights and if Henry Castle for example was on the undercard you knew there’d be dick heads with there chests puffed out trying to intimidate people (except when he fought in Pompey, wonder why they weren’t trying then!!) - guess people support the boxer not boxing if that makes sense.

Then the bigger shows you have people seeing their mate fight on the undercard, piss off to the bar to get pissed up and come back for the main event. Pissed up lads = more chance of trouble.

That said I’ve never really had bother. Only go either myself or with a couple of lads and we go and watch all the fights, don’t get involved in hanging around boozing etc as the trouble will be on the concourse as opposing fans tend to be sat away from each other like football. Only bother I had was because I couldn’t not say anything to a group of Khan supporters sat behind me in Pakistan cricket shirts telling Willie Limond to go back to his own country!!

Never been to a fight with a shite atmosphere and I think over the years it has gotten better, you can drink in the arena now, fights are on one after the other, used to have about 30-60 min wait between fights.

Always worth asking on here whose going as I’ve met up with a few posters over the years at fights. Poncey, The Law, Terry, Jim Cook, Eddie Shredder, Matt S, States and probably a few more. Would have met a good few more but we couldn’t physically get in the pub in Hamburg where everyone was. Gutted as I didn’t get to meet the legend that is Mickey.

Scummers have never turned up in Pompey in any capacity.

Been to many a small hall and white collar show in the land that time forgot.

Occasionally go to Gun Wharf shopping.

Visit the uncle in law in Cosham.

Great nights out on Albert Rd.

This scummer has show up many a time.

Henry Castle was from Romsey btw.

Aye but what about Pompey?

[Dirk Kelly]

Scummers have never turned up in Pompey in any capacity.

Been to many a small hall and white collar show in the land that time forgot.

Occasionally go to Gun Wharf shopping.

Visit the uncle in law in Cosham.

Great nights out on Albert Rd.

This scummer has show up many a time.

Henry Castle was from Romsey btw.

Aye but what about Pompey?

[Oiky]

It's good bit of sport at the fights

[PredatorHayds]

Defo worth watching fights live. Especially small Hall as you will be surrounded by boxing fans.

I’ve been a bit unhappy with the trouble at recent Arena/Stadium shows.

AJ/Parker/ Had a kick off directly in front of me.
AJ/Takam- Kicked off.
Williams/Smith 1- Kicked off
Williams/Corcoran/ Kicked off.

Williams-Corcoran was the worst I’ve experienced live, it was fvcking bedlam all night, I was right in the middle of it. Distinctly remember seeing some young scally punch a female security in the ear from behind, total cheap shot

Only main event I can remember where they have left the arena lights on.
Could tell that was coming all night.
I luckily wasn’t smack bang in the middle of it.

[jamamb]

great responses from everyone , thx

glad to hear ppl having no problems going on there own, tbh i think id rather just focus on boxing then make it a 'night out' with ppl who dont follow the sport

[jamesmcdonnell]

id like to go to live pro fights, to get a different look from just watching videos

back when i boxed as an amateur i was at the am cards, but have never gone to pros

is it an okay environment for someone who wants to avoid confrontation and might go alone? how does the atmosphere change with the type of card, like small hall and progressively up? i dont think id go to the big events like aj though

if this has been discussed feel free to direct me to past threads

Depends entirely on who is fighting, what their crowd is like, and the venue. I remember going to one at York Hall, forget who was fighting now, but it was too lads from different parts of London, and the place was like a powder keg, all the security looked nervous as fornicate, as there were a few hundred geezers all straining at the barriers wants to get at one another from opposite sides of the hall.

I went to see Hatton at the MEN and the crowd there were all drunken and leery, there was a mass brawl outside after the event, and there were tonnes of pissed cokeheads in the venue giving it the large one. Certainly not a pleasant atmosphere.

Unfortunately boxing attracts a lot of wannabe hard men, who feel as though they are hard simply because they watch the sport, most of them haven't a fornicating clue about what they are watching.

I remember when Roman Karmazin battered the hopelessly overmatched David Walker at Ally Pally, I was on the bus on the way home, and these two twats were saying Karmazin was lucky, and slating him, and had to point out to them that he was a world class fighter, they started getting threatening before I put them in their place. They weren't interested in the sport, just in seeing their guy win.

The atmosphere for me is generally best in the smaller venues, been to some great nights at Ponds forge in Sheffield, York Hall, Wembley Conference Centre,

Stadiums are too big for boxing, the actual event becomes secondary because it is so remote.

[jamesmcdonnell]

Has anyone been to a Warrington fight in Leeds?

Yes. But I’m from Yorkshire and know a lot of the real fight crowd. It would probably be a bit intimidating for a stranger but they’re not that bad, really. Coked and pissed out of their heads by fight time.

I have to say, boxing isn't a great night out in my book, went to lots of live shows when I was writing, but most of the events I would want to attend are way too expensive for my budget.

[jamesmcdonnell]

Defo worth watching fights live. Especially small Hall as you will be surrounded by boxing fans.

I’ve been a bit unhappy with the trouble at recent Arena/Stadium shows.

AJ/Parker/ Had a kick off directly in front of me.
AJ/Takam- Kicked off.
Williams/Smith 1- Kicked off
Williams/Corcoran/ Kicked off.

Williams-Corcoran was the worst I’ve experienced live, it was fvcking bedlam all night, I was right in the middle of it. Distinctly remember seeing some young scally punch a female security in the ear from behind, total cheap shot

As I said, MEN can be rough. Security haven’t got a clue. British Transport Police get involved when it gets out of hand.

It was like dodge city the one time I went there. Hardly a security bod in sight either.

[Stuarty]

I've been quite lucky and managed to keep away from any bother I've seen at boxing events. At the Frampton Parodi fight a few years back we got in to it with some local boys. There was a bit of a scuffle and I was gonna end up ejected but another security guy got involved and ended up moving the other group as it was them starting the nonsense.

A large group of us went to watch my mate at the Kelvin Hall a few years ago as well. My mate was on early so my mates, who aren't really boxing fans, wanted to leave and go to boozer. Got a phone call from my mate 5 mins after leaving to see if we were OK. He was in getting changed and it erupted where we were sitting. Think it was Kris Carslaws mates, who I know. Luckily we missed it by a few minutes.

Another time in Linwood watching my mate, we were walking out at the end of the night and this guy was mouthing off at the mighty midget Barry Hughes. Two of these guys just appeared from nowhere and battered the absolute fukk outta him!

[fightfan95]

The best atmosphere I've experienced at a live show is Brook v Spence in Sheffield.. tops the atmosphere at some AJ fights I've been too.

[Crazyboy]

I've been lucky also, been to MEN Manchester 3 times, seen minimal bother, been leeds twice when Josh was on...again nothing of note just enthusiasm. Bristol when fury (Tyson) fought...nothing, O2 few times including Haye v enzo and brook v GGG...again not much.

Genuinely have had a great night almost everytime time, you get the odd incident but it depends on what you class as 'proper' trouble.....

I've enjoyed most live events I have attended, if you can handle 'geezers' doing gear in the loo's and the odd scuffle, you'll be fine most of the time mate.

Don't let it put you off is what I mean.

[Finn]

The MEN is really good.

Haye v Ruiz was absolutely bouncing, best atmosphere at any live event I’ve been to.

I went to the original Fury v Chisora 2 which both fury and chisora ended up not fighting (also at the MEN), there were probs only 4 thousand people there if that but the moves the ring closer to tand closed half the arena with a curtain and it was actually still a good atmosphere.

[rab]

never been to any big fights so can't advise on that aspect. best atmosphere i experienced was at kevin anderson fights, the ice rink in kirkcaldy had wooden flooring and the entire place was bouncing when he was on. really enjoyed the kelvin hall as well.
one reason i like john simpson so much is he would come up into the seating after he fought to watch the rest of the fights. had a right good blether with him one night, great bloke and boxing through and through. i reckon he would make a great trainer, hope he goes down that route at some point if he hasn't already.

i apparently have one of those faces that attracts bellends, but never had any bother at shows, although i politely declined the invite to a mass punch up somewhere in glasgow after a fight with a bunch of motherwell lads, i think maybe a couple of the younger lads from the gym went though. classy bampots, kept the nonsense away from the venue

was once stuck on a minibus back home from a show in glasgow where there were punches flying most of the journey. had a few beers that night which is unusual for me so it wasn't so bad. when i am sober i get wound up easy and tend to make decisions where my ambition is way short of my ability, especially in that kind of company

even the amateurs can see a good atmosphere. the shows i went to in dundee (can't remember the venue, across the road from a pub that had a big bouncer with two rottweilers on chains outside ) were great, with good quality fights and a proper noisy crowd. even took my eldest daughter to one. her mother would have killed me if she had been there mind .

[Stuarty]

never been to any big fights so can't advise on that aspect. best atmosphere i experienced was at kevin anderson fights, the ice rink in kirkcaldy had wooden flooring and the entire place was bouncing when he was on. really enjoyed the kelvin hall as well.
one reason i like john simpson so much is he would come up into the seating after he fought to watch the rest of the fights. had a right good blether with him one night, great bloke and boxing through and through. i reckon he would make a great trainer, hope he goes down that route at some point if he hasn't already.

i apparently have one of those faces that attracts bellends, but never had any bother at shows, although i politely declined the invite to a mass punch up somewhere in glasgow after a fight with a bunch of motherwell lads, i think maybe a couple of the younger lads from the gym went though. classy bampots, kept the nonsense away from the venue

was once stuck on a minibus back home from a show in glasgow where there were punches flying most of the journey. had a few beers that night which is unusual for me so it wasn't so bad. when i am sober i get wound up easy and tend to make decisions where my ambition is way short of my ability, especially in that kind of company

even the amateurs can see a good atmosphere. the shows i went to in dundee (can't remember the venue, across the road from a pub that had a big bouncer with two rottweilers on chains outside ) were great, with good quality fights and a proper noisy crowd. even took my eldest daughter to one. her mother would have killed me if she had been there mind .

The Kelvin hall is good. I was ringside when Burns beat Martinez. There was no bar though so we watched Appleby and left for pub and went back in in time for Simpson v Smith. A fight I thought John was unlucky in tbh. I used to talk to John when I saw him in Greenock, as you say, really sound guy. Could've done more with his career if it wasn't for the booze and whores

I remember Kevin McIntyre absolutely schooling Anderson years ago. Anderson couldn't deal with his southpaw style and lost pretty wide!