Boxers you grew to love

[Foggy]

I’ve had this a few times:-

Thaxton - hated him after he beat scrap iron Ryan but then had a few year off watching boxing and followed his late career and grew to like the man

Eubank - couldnt stand him when I was like 10 years old then read his book in my 20s and found a respect for the man, funny autobiography btw

[JamesPhilips]

I went the other way on Hatton. Used to be a big fan. But sick of his rubbish comedy attempts every time he opens his fat, cold sore afflicted mouth. And the fact he would get so fat between fights.

As a kid I didn't like Rocky Marciano as I thought he was dirty fighter. But now I realise his awesomeness.

[ironbeard]

Froch
Foreman
Duran
Hearns
Pacman
Josh Taylor

[martinmrts]

Sunny Edwards

[rubberneck]

Ryan Rhodes- really couldn’t stand him when he was “the spice boy”. Was rooting for Jason Matthews when they fought. But when he came back to win the British title again, the EBU and then fight Canelo, I was rooting for him.

Tyson Fury: was gutted when he beat Klitschko. But how he got fought his demons and personal problems to become the no.1 heavyweight, you can’t help but root for him.

[Gnome]

Chisora. I didn't like his antics, the spitting and that. But for some reason I've warmed to the daftie.

[dr_devious]

Nigel Benn - I thought he was a flat track big mouth bully at first.................
Chris Eubank
Tyson Fury
Marvin Hagler - didn't like him for beating Minter and Sibbo at first

[ALI]

I have to go with Froch. He was hyped up from the start of his pro career but i never bought into the hype. I did not see it and was sure he would not make it to world level. I believe it was the Westerman fight where he looked sh*t, getting tagged regularly. Then he fought Magee next and i told everyone he would lose on points. That was the beggining of the turning point for me, but i really became a fan once he fought Pascal. He was great that night, what a great fight it was. The rest of what he went on to do is written in history. He had a great career and i thoroughly enjoyed every bit of it from Pascal onward.

[ironbeard]

Froch
Foreman
Duran
Hearns
Pacman
Josh Taylor

Everyone is entitled to their opinion, but I have to ask..... what did you dislike about Hearns?

I was a big fan of Pipino Cuevas and Wilfred Benitez.

[Terminator666]

Choi

[bennie]

Froch
Foreman
Duran
Hearns
Pacman
Josh Taylor

Everyone is entitled to their opinion, but I have to ask..... what did you dislike about Hearns?

I was a big fan of Pipino Cuevas and Wilfred Benitez.

Cuevas loved the second round but it came back to haunt him against Hearns.

[ironbeard]

Everyone is entitled to their opinion, but I have to ask..... what did you dislike about Hearns?

I was a big fan of Pipino Cuevas and Wilfred Benitez.

Cuevas loved the second round but it came back to haunt him against Hearns.

Indeed.

[coghaugen11]

Did a U-Turn on R.Hatton. Used to like him a lot. He turned into the most deluded sportsman of our generation.

Grew to love Benn after the McClellan fight. And Eubank after the Calzaghe and Thompson I fights. I thought Watson, Graham, Douglas and Christie were better but in hindsight they simply weren’t as tough or good as the big two or they’d of ended up with 15+ world title wins getting through classic wars etc.

[oogiebe]

Growing up as a huge fan of Chacon and Olivares, I hated Arguello at first. Really love him now. Terrific fighter and one of my all time favs.

[coghaugen11]

The big five of 80s light-middles - Christie, Graham, Douglas, Eubank and Benn. Love it.

Then there’s big Mike Watson and Peckham’s James Cook.

[Boxerbeetle]

I never disliked him at all, but I was strongly pro-Barrera over Morales at the time of their epic rivalry. Ended up switching sides and appreciating Morales even more, was one of my favourite fighters ever by the time he retired.

[Cyclops]

Eubank (thought he was an unloveable mental twat; became a loveable mental twat)

Lennox (thought he was boring, not really British etc. Think he's a diamond now.)

Froch (thought he was boring, slow and hittable. Became one of most exciting fighters we've had in my time around boxing and I'll forgive him some of his more arrogant moments as he's always been a bit of a troll and his "we can all push and pull about a bit" might just be the best Gloves are Off moment ever.)

Sakio Bika (bit of an odd one as he wasn't that exciting and was a dirty bastard but just kind of came out of nowhere and put it on Calzaghe, stuck around forever and won a belt: also went the distance with and gave a hard time to Andre Ward and Adonis Stevenson at light- heavyweight: definition of a very hard man and the fact he looked like he was carved out of marble and had a, shall we say, a wife who defied conventional beauty standards won me over.)

Chisora (Evil twat at first. Turns into f*cking headacase level brave, loveable twat who consistently has one over on Eddie Hearn and the smug IFL team)

Fury (genuinely thought he was a big, uncoordinated obnoxious dickhead waiting to be KO'd. Even after his win against Wlad I tried to take to him and was furious when he f*cked me around since I had tickets for the rematch. Since then, he's really taken us on a rollercoaster and regardless of his Tom Schwarz's and other ridiculous moments, his Undertaker rise from the dead against Wilder, and Wilder's absolute destruction in the rematch will be iconic moments in boxing history. All of this and having spent two years out sniffing coke and drinking until he was nearly 30 stone. You never know where you are with him and that's interesting.)

Boxers that I liked that I since have changed my mind about? Kovalev, AJ, Steve Cunningham, Wilder, Haye, Bellew, and the obvious one (one of my original absolute favourites) Edwin Valero. What a lovely bloke he turned out to be.

[coghaugen11]

Hamed was another U-Turn from like to dislike.

[KiwiRider]

Chisora. I didn't like his antics, the spitting and that. But for some reason I've warmed to the daftie.

Me too.
And I'll tell you this for free: he frustrates the snot out of me sometimes.
You know, when his heart isn't into it or he didn't train hard enough. Those fights you know damn well he could have won.
Ahh Del Boy, its been a ride.

[CMDY]

Lennox (thought he was boring, not really British etc. Think he's a diamond now.)

Froch (thought he was boring, slow and hittable. Became one of most exciting fighters we've had in my time around boxing and I'll forgive him some of his more arrogant moments as he's always been a bit of a troll and his "we can all push and pull about a bit" might just be the best Gloves are Off moment ever.)

Boxers that I liked that I since have changed my mind about? Kovalev, AJ, Steve Cunningham, Wilder, Haye, Bellew, and the obvious one (one of my original absolute favourites) Edwin Valero. What a lovely bloke he turned out to be.

Same - Lewis, Froch.

Groves I would add to the list. Game against Froch, sold 2nd one at Wembley and kept plugging on until getting World Championship.

I like Alvarez also. A Bull.

Macranelli for being an all round nice guy and keeping going even though often getting sparked.

On the Boxers Liked that since changed mind about - Haye 100%. Kovalev a little, it also broke my heart when he wasn't given the win in the 1st Ward fight.

AJ - I'm still a fan -I never fell for the fake humble stuff but think there's an underlying business acumen that powers that - I think he can spark Fury potentially (I wont be betting on it and like both boxers) - really hope that fight happens before it's stale.

[coneye]

Don't know about grow to Love ,, but one i'm growing to dislike the more i see him interviewed is Connor Benn , his arrogance is growing at a much quicker rate than his talent ,, Can't wait to see him put in with someone coming up the ladder instead of already past it

[margaret thatcher]

con is obviously very receptive to all the arse kissing he's been getting progressively more of

i remember after 1 of his recent fights, the interview was him and ed, eddie looked him deeply in the eye and told him he was an amazing fighter or something like that, it was a bit cringey


though i do rate him tbf. does that make me crazy? posssssiblllyyyyy

[magnus]

Good call earlier with Ryan Rhodes - all that Spice Boy hype was irritating as hell, but all credit to the guy, he didn't give up after a few defeats and became a really shrewd operator by the time he took Gary Woolcombe to school.

In a similar vein, I found Lee Haskins annoying with his early "I'm well Naz me" style (all the rage in the early 00s) and it looked over for him when he retired against Ian Napa, but he bounced back and I was really made up when he won a world title. He wasn't always great to watch, but he beat some really decent fighters, and shockingly, appeared to learn and improve after losing.

[coghaugen11]

Conor Benn is turning into Prince Patel.

[KiwiRider]

Conor Benn is turning into Prince Patel.

I'm predicting he will exceed that