That old cliché that fans from a certain neck of the woods 'know their boxing'

[1969]

it was obvious from early on that Johnson was on survival mode so why did big Fury not step on the gas a bit, show more aggression & land more long rights off the jab,instead of playing safe prancing about flicking the jab,a win for Tyson but so boring,i was booing from the armchair

[BlackBrenny]

the kind of fans here in Belfast who go to see Tyson Fury are not exactly purists... most of the old time boxing fans I know here don't rate Fury at all, all of the fans who go to see Fury are young cokeheads, the Belfast purists have no interest in Fury as they think he's limited and that Price would beat him

there, you heard it from the horses mouth.

honestly I seriously wouldn't compare a Tyson Fury crowd to a typical Belfast fight crowd

[BlackBrenny]

Originally Posted by johnmaff36

The guy is actually quite correct in what hes saying.

The ones who go to watch Fury and Rogan are,in general, fuckwits who wouldnt know a left hook from a fishing hook. Most wouldnt have a clue about the fight game. The same people expect a big KO everytime and show their frustration quite early. Wait and see the trouble if and when Fury gets KO'd

Ive been going to the fights in belfast since i was a kid and i never seen the opposing fighter gettin booed. If a fighter came over and had a go, or was trying, he always got the respect of the crowd. You go youtube any McGuigan fights (for example) and you'll see booing was pretty much non existant. The honest reason why you dont see these good crowds at the fights now is because, quite simply, people know they're gettin took on. They know they're not gonna see a 'live' opponent or a genuine scrap. Look at the prices for the Fury fight. £130 ringside???????? .Whos fighting? Ali and Joe Louis???? What mug would pay that?

I suppose my point is this. The Belfast boxing crowd know a good fighter when they see one (like most places) but they can smell a chancer a mile away. Obviously theres still a few good decent boxing people who go to the fights now but they would be in the minority, surrounded by fuckin dickheads, whereas in the past they would have been in the majority. The good, knowledgeable fans are still here, they just dont go to watch drivel anymore


EDIT. cant believe im agreeing with a guy called arsebandit (no savile)

quite right.

honestly, some foreign fighters who used to fight in the kings hall were genuinely surprised and pleased at how many of the Belfast crowd actually knew who they were and applauded them

[L.J.KEYS.]

Originally Posted by knighty

Ive said it before and ill say it again , its the part-time boxing , full time football followers which are the worst fans at live fights. They believe that their knowledge off football carries over into their knowledge of boxing when they know sweet fuck all. I had one wanker full on argueing with me that pac and money were both trained by roach. He got arsey when i told him he was an idiot.

thank you this is spot on, people who "think" they know about football for some reason think that makes them knowledgeable about any sport to do with fighting, boxing, mma, muay thai etc. Thing is boxing needs idiots like this to pay their money.....

[Trail]

Bernard Dunne - Ricardo Cordoba fight - they knew what time it was...

[paddymickey]

I don't recall Johnston making an attack bar maybe 1 round. Thought it was a poor performance from him. And the ref gave out about it too. I'm against booing regardless of the reason. It's just bad manners. However I would also like to poing out that I've seen more punches by your average amateur boxer in 3 round fight than I did from Kevin Johnston in 12 rounds last night. If it was professional by definition, it certainly did'nt have any of the characteristics of a professional fight. And these are hard times, I'm sure tickets weren't cheap for that fight! Just saying.

[Dunky McCafferty]

alrigt lads, sorry I made this thread and didnt get back to anyone, I was starting to feel a bit iffy when I put it in, & have been in my sickbed since! One of those nasty wee viruses where you just want to sleep all the time, & can concentrate on nothing! Im still struggling with it just now, but as I say, im not slating any fanbase, cos IMO out of everyone the irish know their boxing the most. It was just a good time to ask as a knowledgeable crowd were booing a tough fight on paper for Fury, so I just thought I would throw a question that has nagged me about this perception that a 'crowd' knows its boxing.

Some fine answers though, especially about the new breed of cokehead fans, & the type of fan Fury attracts. However, would it be right to think that the Belfast fans maybe just dont see Fury as truly one of their own yet cos he was born in England, & speaks with a manc accent? Not a loaded question, just an honest one.

Me personally, I see Fury more as an irishman than an englishman, hes so steeped in fighting tradition & just comes accross as a pure celt(for the young scottish lads here celt means celt, & not a Celtic fan as some of you think when I mention the word) to me.

Am I veering off a bit? Maybe! Im still unwell though, so thats my excuse

[johnmaff36]

Originally Posted by Dunky McCafferty

alrigt lads, sorry I made this thread and didnt get back to anyone, I was starting to feel a bit iffy when I put it in, & have been in my sickbed since! One of those nasty wee viruses where you just want to sleep all the time, & can concentrate on nothing! Im still struggling with it just now, but as I say, im not slating any fanbase, cos IMO out of everyone the irish know their boxing the most. It was just a good time to ask as a knowledgeable crowd were booing a tough fight on paper for Fury, so I just thought I would throw a question that has nagged me about this perception that a 'crowd' knows its boxing.

Some fine answers though, especially about the new breed of cokehead fans, & the type of fan Fury attracts. However, would it be right to think that the Belfast fans maybe just dont see Fury as truly one of their own yet cos he was born in England, & speaks with a manc accent? Not a loaded question, just an honest one.

Me personally, I see Fury more as an irishman than an englishman, hes so steeped in fighting tradition & just comes accross as a pure celt(for the young scottish lads here celt means celt, & not a Celtic fan as some of you think when I mention the word) to me.

Am I veering off a bit? Maybe! Im still unwell though, so thats my excuse

In my opinion, and others that ive spoken to, nobody really gives it a 2nd thought. If he wants to call himself Irish then thats his perogative, same as if he wants to call himself english. If a fighter kinda bases himself in the area, shows a bit of integrity, trains (among other places) in local clubs, sparring local fighters, and fighting out of the city, then the local boxing fans will take to him like they have with Fury. By all accounts hes a personable guy and when people are like that then word spreads. Its not the first time its happened here, it happened back in the early 90s with crisanto espana and paul hodkinson, to name but 2.

But, as likeable and good a guy as Fury seems, the 'purists' will not go and spend their hard-earned money to watch him fight because the matchmaking just isnt competitive. OK, every fighter needs weaned on a diet of certain types of fighters to improve their skills and progress up to international and world standard, but for whatever reason Fury isnt doing this (i personally blame Hennessey), ergo, most of the old skool fans wont go to watch him cos they arent mugs. The fuckwits, cokeheads and travellers who DO go and watch Fury are another reason why some wont go, and i stress 'some'. You mark my words, if Fury gets beat in belfast there will be trouble at it. (fuck, theres even trouble when he wins!! i.e. the rogan fight).

Its nothing personal. If he engaged in evenly matched fights, then more would go to see him