reminds me of my niece and nephew. from as old as they could walk, I've talked to them about boxing and taught them how to box in different styles and they box with eachother and I make them 'belts' because they want their own title lol. I must say, my nephew reminds me of a Jefferies type of fighter, can take alot (though I always tell him to be more defensive) with great endurance and packs a punch and my niece is so fast that she reminds me of an Ali type of fighter, but when she throws combinations just like a Louis. lol But with them getting older, its getting harder and harder for my niece (whose older than him) to actually compete with him. But the way I see it, if anything at all, boxing gives someone great discipline and confidence in yourself.
They wear the 16oz gloves lol I dont let them wear head gear though because there is a false sense of security with headgear (cuts off side vision, wasnt made for cushioning blows etc), but I let them wear it in 'sparring'. They love it though and always go 'when I become a boxer' or 'when I become a champ'. I tell them always if they sincerly wanted to get into boxing they would have to train harder than anyone else, because then you would have an edge in endurance and stamina; so if a fights scheduled for four rounds, train as if its for 10 etc.
This one's pretty unusual as it should have put me off but the earliest boxing that I can remember is Joe Bugner's comeback on ITV in the early 80's. That and Rocky of course. But thanks to Big Joe I've been hooked ever since.
It was the Hagler-Hearns build up that got me hooked. My first boxing mag was The Ring's build up issue.
I had watched boxing before but it was only when I started to buy the mags and books that it all really became an obsession. I loved Holmes and Hagler the most until a guy at the local social club started showing projector film highlights and I watched The Ray Leonard fights.
More than anything though reading about Jack Johnson, Jim Jeffries, Sam Langford, Jack Dempsey and Harry Wills really hooked me in. Boxing is at it's best when it is a barometer or influence upon history, sociology and politics.
Marvin Hagler got me into boxing more than anybody, particularly the Hearns fight (still the best fight I've seen), followed up by the Mugabi fight.
These fights are probably Hagler past his best, but they were both awesome and got me into boxing
Roberto Duran, Muhammad Ali and Sugar Ray Leonard....They gave that deep interest in the sport.
the fights that made me watch boxing:
Duran-DeJesus trilogy
Ali-Frazier trilogy
and Sugar Ray Leonard when I saw his highlight films before the Benitez fight.
Gentlemen those stories are important historical boxing experiences, impressions and accounts, and indeed comply with all codes, bylaws and in fact honor the spirit of the forum.
Thanks Boxbuzz. didnt know that you could or not. :)
Ali. Then olympic boxing with leonard and the spinks brothers.
Then, Vito Antefuermo (sp?), of all people, v. Hagler, in the draw. I hadn't intended to watch it, it was just on tv in the background, but got interested as it went on. Network tv (free, non-cable) at the time, nowadays I'd have missed it and never have paid any more attention to boxing.
More a fight than fighters ,Ali v Cooper 1st fight ,as a little kid listening on the radio ,the atsmophere was incredible ,then years later i got very excited when Tony Sibson come along at middleweight,a cousin of mine had married a world champion boxer years before and sometimes I would hear my dad and uncles talk of his fights and it always sounded exciting .The Bruno fights nearly finished me with boxing though,as a regular punter at London fights in the eighties ,watching (and paying!) those fights was a very frustrating experiance. Bruno v Sharkey anyone?
In Argentina, the majority of the boxing fans loves Ali and thinks he was "the greatest"; personally, I thinks he couldn't beat Joe Louis or Rocky Marciano
He showed that a champion fighter needn't be an arrogant pompous ass. He was a real gentleman. It was my great privilege to spend a day with him back in November 1979. He was very quiet, even shy. He was my hero, a guy you just wanted to stand up & cheer for. I miss him.
yeah, people always talked about him and so thanks to ESPN i got to see him fight and now I LOVE boxing and box myself (the rocky movies helped alot too)
