BoxRec

dont know about anyone else but if it wasnt for the net i wouldnt know of anyone in my real life i could have an in depth boxing chat with, coming across a hardcore fan in everyday life is a real treat but it rarely happens, football/soccer fans dont know how lucky they are they can walk into any boozer in the world and strike up a football related conversation in minutes but mention boxing and the well soon runs dry, saying that a few months ago started talking boxing to one of the regulars in my local and it turned out he beat glenn mcrory in the amatuers ! so question is would you want boxing to be more mainstream ? F**k that boxing is our secret little world and i think we should keep it that way!

Mate, I don’t watch football in pubs because most fans are morons. Boxing fans tend to be a bit more savvy. Maybe that’s my prejudice. But the average boxing fan tends not to talk nonsense and are better informed.

Boxrec is great.

Hardly met a fan in person in all my life.

had a bloke recently trying to convince me that calzage was pfp of all time and that khan v micheal gomez was one of the classics !

The Dark Destroyer wrote:I agree mostly. Except that the few times I have gotten to talk boxing in pubs the majority knew eff all, except that Tyson is the best HW of all time.

You know what, mate? I have heard the same thing on numerous occasions... About how Mike Tyson is the greatest Heavyweight of all time, and how he would have KO'd Ali... etc...

At this point, I have gotten sick of countering that argument so now I just stay quiet and listen.
Believe me, taking up arms against that argument doesn't do you any favours.

Another thing I would add is, if we are talking about the Heavyweight division (which apart from the Mayweather & Pacquaio conversations) if the most popular around right now... I often mention a recent(ish) Heavyweight, such as John Ruiz or Chris Byrd and people confess to me that they have never heard of them.

Even the likes of the Klitchskos over here, they never became really well-known until Wlad had that fight with David Haye.

And most people don't know Audley Harrison is still boxing (if that is, in fact, what he does).

Basically, most people don't know that much about boxing...

Goodnight, Irene wrote:Hardly met a fan in person in all my life.

Mitch doesn't follow the noble art?

What do you and him talk about on the nights Desperate Housewives isn't televised ?

I'd rather be a lonely sports fan, than be one of those idiots who paint themselves blue and show their remarkable beer bellies in stadiums who put on fantasy leagues and actually call the home offices of sports teams asking for a coaching position when they look like the Pilsbury Dough Boy. When people talk boxing to me I just nod my head and pretend I am listening, because the general public don't know jack.

Giancarlo wrote:

Goodnight, Irene wrote:Hardly met a fan in person in all my life.

Mitch doesn't follow the noble art?

What do you and him talk about on the nights Desperate Housewives isn't televised ?

I'm lucky enough to have turned one of my close friends into a die-hard boxing nut like myself. So I can talk boxing with him, but nobody else really cares. I can show other friends badass Knockouts or something, but if it's just a classic boxing match where there's strategy playing out, nobody has any patience for it. The internet is mainly where I talk boxing.

My stepdad is the worst, he can rattle off names like Hagler, Hearns, Chavez etc but doesn't know anything.

I don't even like watching fights with him because he screams "uppercut!!!" the entire fight.

I'm sure he can't name 10 current fighters, probably not even five but when the promos for HBO fights come on he's like "Yeah, that's going to be a good one, he's a bad dude." Yet I can guarantee he can't name even one of the opponents one of those "bad dudes" faced.

People who know nothing who think they know a lot are the worst.

The last real person I could talk boxing with was my dear old dad. We used to go to the big fights in town when we had the price of a ticket.

Nowadays, I don't know anyone outside of the internet who appreciates the sport. You tell someone you're a boxing fan and they usually just grin, like you must be nuts. The young ones like UFC, but they probably couldn't name five MMA guys either, never mind boxers.

Cap

Everyone I know gave up on the sport long before I did. It's easy to find people that like baseball, basketball, football etc, but it's been a long time since I have known anyone that follows boxing.

To answer the question . . . . YES! I can't recall how many conversations I've had that reverted to awkward silence following the discussion coming to boxing,

Goodnight, Irene wrote:Hardly met a fan in person in all my life.

That sucks. I've met a few that know their stuff but mainly the things I've heard from guys who claim to be fans:

Fan: Mike Tyson is the greatest heavyweight of all time. Would've KO'd Ali.
Me: That's debatable but who did Tyson beat that is on Ali's level?
Fan: He beat Holyfield
Me: Really, I thought he lost to Holyfield twice. Shows them results. Even if he woudl've beaten Holyfield, that's not the level of Ali.
Fan: Tyson was old then. Who did Ali beat that was like Tyson?
Me: Powerwise, Foreman. Stylewise, Frazier and Patterson.
Fan: Tyson would've beated Foreman and Fazier. Who is Patterson?

Fan: Louis sucked because he lost to Marciano
Me: That's acidine

Fan: Why didn't Hatton and Calzaghe fight?
Me: ..........................


Floyd Mayweather is the greatest fighter of all time because he's undefeated. No one has went 43 and 0
Me: Erik Morales was 43-0 in his mid 20s
Fan: Who?
Me: The last guy that beat Pacquiao before Bradley.
Fan: How many losses Erik Morales have? Didn't he lose after that. Floyd will go to 50-0 and no one's ever done that.
Me: Chavez Sr was 80-0 before he lost.
Fan: But he lost and Chavez fought bums in Mexico. He lost to De La Hoya who Floyd "destroyed" He didn't retire undefeated.
Me: Marciano was 49-0
Fan: Marciano was the mob and white
Me: Joe Calzaghe retired at 46-0
Fan: Who? He's a bum because I never heard of him. Name a boxer better than Floyd ever?
Me: Robinson, Leonard, Armstrong.
Fan: Leonard lost and no one today cares about Robinson, he fought in the like the 40s. Who is Henry Armstrong. He can't beat Floyd because no one heard of him. Name someone more current.
Me: Because of styles, Thomas Hearns would've beaten Floyd.
Fan: Hearns couldn't take a punch. Leonard knocked Hearns out. Floyd is better because Leonard lost. Floyd would knock Hearns out. Aaron Pryor beat up Hearns. Only Floyd could beat Pryor.
Me (for fun) Marvin Hagler would beat them both.
Fan: Pryor would destroy Hagler.
Me: Leonard, Hearns, Hagler, Pryor, Robinson, and Armstrong have legends on their records. What legend do Floyd have on his? (expecting them to say DLH and to counter back with the past prime argument)
Fan: He beat Gatti.

I just walk away.

When it was on tv all the time and there were so many great fighters around in the 70s and 80s,it wasn't quite as bad as far as the typical citizen being at least somewhat....aware.

However what there were, was a great deal of anti -boxing people running around.

Anti boxing person to me: "sniveling, you're a boxer? yuck,thats the only sport in the world in which the idea is to knock someone unconscious".


Me in reply: yeah...what the fu.. is your point?

I really only have my buddy who really knows his stuff about boxing, we are different kinds of boxing fans too who favor didn't kinds of fighters, but he is equally devout as me which makes it fun. For the most part usual someone has only a passing interest in boxing if they have any at all. It's rare you run into someone that knows a lot about it. A teacher at high school was particularly familiar with the 1980's boxing scene but knew little to nothing about the current scene. I figure it'll usually be like that. Not me though, through all the upsets, all the controversies, all the tragedies, all the great fights, all the horrible fights, I'll be here for 'em all. I signed on for the whole trip

gilgamesh wrote:I really only have my buddy who really knows his stuff about boxing, we are different kinds of boxing fans too who favor didn't kinds of fighters, but he is equally devout as me which makes it fun. For the most part usual someone has only a passing interest in boxing if they have any at all. It's rare you run into someone that knows a lot about it. A teacher at high school was particularly familiar with the 1980's boxing scene but knew little to nothing about the current scene. I figure it'll usually be like that. Not me though, through all the upsets, all the controversies, all the tragedies, all the great fights, all the horrible fights, I'll be here for 'em all. I signed on for the whole trip

You make a great point.
You have to be able to just realize that this sport has some very very unique situations that occur.
You need to almost have a kind of sense of humor about all that goes on. Maybe its the onlyway to stay loyal for the duration.

It starts for the young fighter when he shows up for an amateur show fight in maybe his second or third bout of his beginning career thinking he's gonna be fighting someone with similar experience only to find out that lo and behold, his opponent has been changed.
He hears"ah,listen,your opponent got sick so we made a little change. You're gonna fight that guy over there. You can take him don't worry".
Ya look over and the guys wearing a USA boxing tank top.

Met a pal of my uncle's in the pub a few years ago, he wanted to know if I knew anything so he asked me at which weight Ali won his medal. I almost turned gay on the spot. That's the only time I've ever met anybody irl who knew the first thing about boxing. Mind you he is an ex amateur. Had a chat about Rinty Monaghan, wish I'd stayed sober because I can barely remember a word of it.

Good lord, this subject sums up my damn life, or most of it.

I started out being a boxing fan since my dad put me on the sofa next to him in 1974 to watch an Ali fight. I was 6 years old. Then, the UFC and MMA came along and I introduced him to that and he loved it. Now we watch both, but he is in Missouri and I am in Tennessee. Aside from him and a few other friends, no one I know has any interest in Boxing, or MMA. If they do, it is simply for the sake of the "event" -- meaning it's an excuse to drink.

I went to see UFC 145 at a Hooters -- worst experience of my life. No one knew shit about MMA, but were talking about it like they were experts. And if I tried to bring up boxing, it was just as bad. Boxing fans seem to short circuit when you bring up MMA and MMA fans short circuit when you bring up boxing. That has always baffled the hell out of me.

Being around all those drunk yahoos, who are shouting and laughing and spewing out incorrect information was like some unknown level of hell. Most of those people think Royce Gracie is still undefeated and is still a UFC champion. They also think Floyd Mayweather Jr. has a more impressive resume than Sugar Ray Robinson. Of course, if you try and educate or inform either group, it just gets maddening and painful. When some people found out I was writing for Bleacher Report, it got worse; eventually I would say "Yeah, you're probably right. The whole 'styles make fights' thing is a myth, it's really all about the betting line and who's popular at the time."

I see videos on youtube of people gathered together, watching fights at someones house and they all seem so f-*king happy, and they look like they are actually watching the fights and might honestly know something about it. Where are all these people?

yeah, I remember befor the days before everyone was on the inter-net ( 1990's)
how huge boxing really was.
there was USA channel boxing and ESPN had two boxing shows a week
were you could actually see some of the fighters proceed over the years to become a champion or at least get a title shot.
also there were only two pay cable channel HBO and Showtime.
there really big fights were pay-per-view of course.

If someone would have told me 20 years ago that boxing was going to be this way like it is now, I would have laughed at that person.

Now? I can't believe that boxing turned out this way. What do we need for boxing to come back again like the way it was? I don't know. Maybe to go back to basics: One champion, 15 rounds, better promoters, more tv exposure, etc. Maybe boxing needs true sportsmanship. I would rather watch an Olympic boxing match nowadays than professional boxing. That is how I feel about boxing right now. I don't even care about today's boxing scene. I don't care if I miss a fight. Maybe it's because the sport is not as pure like it was. Something is missing in boxing right now. I believe that 15 rounds should come back, especially, for the SUPER MEGA FIGHTS. How I want to pay $100 for PPV for a 12 round fight? That is ridiculous! Very ridiculous!

Crease wrote:

The Dark Destroyer wrote:I agree mostly. Except that the few times I have gotten to talk boxing in pubs the majority knew eff all, except that Tyson is the best HW of all time.

You know what, mate? I have heard the same thing on numerous occasions... About how Mike Tyson is the greatest Heavyweight of all time, and how he would have KO'd Ali... etc...

At this point, I have gotten sick of countering that argument so now I just stay quiet and listen.
Believe me, taking up arms against that argument doesn't do you any favours.

I don't think Tyson is the ATGreatest by any means.. I just think he'd take prime Ali and prime Holmes.. You need some height, size, strength and power to beat Tsyon, along with skill and some speed.. Some fighters have all that.. I don't think there's any problem with discussing styles, strengths and weaknesses of any fighter.. Some idiots are just hung up on eras and think the '70's was the holy grail era you can't criticize -- and some think Leonard, Hearns, and Hagler walked on water.. But the Tyson freaks are probably the worst.. The really old timers who died off a few years ago were the same way about Jack Dempsey. Tunney got very lucky apparently. Nobody liked him. Or if you liked Tunney you mostly kept your mouth shut about the long count.

elmersalsa wrote:If someone would have told me 20 years ago that boxing was going to be this way like it is now, I would have laughed at that person.

Now? I can't believe that boxing turned out this way. What do we need for boxing to come back again like the way it was? I don't know. Maybe to go back to basics: One champion, 15 rounds, better promoters, more tv exposure, etc. Maybe boxing needs true sportsmanship. I would rather watch an Olympic boxing match nowadays than professional boxing. That is how I feel about boxing right now. I don't even care about today's boxing scene. I don't care if I miss a fight. Maybe it's because the sport is not as pure like it was. Something is missing in boxing right now. I believe that 15 rounds should come back, especially, for the SUPER MEGA FIGHTS. How I want to pay $100 for PPV for a 12 round fight? That is ridiculous! Very ridiculous!

We don't need 15 rounds... What's missing in boxing is better match making... All these damned championships have been created so you can avoid the best... It's very weird that everybody believes Golovkin is the best Middleweight but he's been chasing the top dogs in the division for 7 years without any success... He's never landed a fight like Martinez, Cotto, Canelo, Saunders, Jacobs, or Eubank.. Jacobs is really his 1st big fight and it's freaking taking forever.. If you're the best Middleweight and everybody can box around you for years and years, something is really wrong with the sport.

Kalan wrote:

elmersalsa wrote:If someone would have told me 20 years ago that boxing was going to be this way like it is now, I would have laughed at that person.

Now? I can't believe that boxing turned out this way. What do we need for boxing to come back again like the way it was? I don't know. Maybe to go back to basics: One champion, 15 rounds, better promoters, more tv exposure, etc. Maybe boxing needs true sportsmanship. I would rather watch an Olympic boxing match nowadays than professional boxing. That is how I feel about boxing right now. I don't even care about today's boxing scene. I don't care if I miss a fight. Maybe it's because the sport is not as pure like it was. Something is missing in boxing right now. I believe that 15 rounds should come back, especially, for the SUPER MEGA FIGHTS. How I want to pay $100 for PPV for a 12 round fight? That is ridiculous! Very ridiculous!

We don't need 15 rounds... What's missing in boxing is better match making... All these damned championships have been created so you can avoid the best... It's very weird that everybody believes Golovkin is the best Middleweight but he's been chasing the top dogs in the division for 7 years without any success... He's never landed a fight like Martinez, Cotto, Canelo, Saunders, Jacobs, or Eubank.. Jacobs is really his 1st big fight and it's freaking taking forever.. If you're the best Middleweight and everybody can box around you for years and years, something is really wrong with the sport.

That's what I'm saying: "We need to get back to basics"