Fighters you used to hate for stupid reasons but knew they were the real deal?

I was annoyed with Manny and Floyd during their you know what fanatic peaks.. Forums across the internet was hijacked by these fanatics to the point nothing else was discussed without bringing up those 2..

 

The only two I didn't really like when I was younger where Sugar Ray Leonard and Chris Eubank mostly for the same reasons.

SRL mainly because he beat Duran then Hearns and lastly Hagler which really pissed me off. Some of this was because the results were controversial in one way or another but it was also because he came across as a fake persona.

Eubank because he beat Watson and Benn and his persona rubbed me up the wrong way and he was far more reticant in fights after Watson so always felt he was holding back.

With both I mellowed out SRL is still a bit of a knob because he started all the diva "a" side nonsense that we have now and tactically waiting for people to age is still a dick move.

With Eubank it was the end of his career when he went upto Cruiser to fight Carl "The Cat " Thompson twice both losing efforts but I liked him after that and think he's a good dude.

A fighter I didn't hate but annoyed me a bit was Roy Jones jr just because he was so cocky. I became a fan after the first Tarver fight were he faced adversity and had to dog it out. This was due to coming back down from heavy and just never looked the same it terms of speed ever again.

So yeah when I was young it was guys beating my favorite fighters mostly.

These days I'm not invested in an individual fighter like I was when I was young.

It's just fanboys that annoy me rather than fighters these days but I think that's fairly normal.

 

I feel you on that. When i was part of another boxing forum from 09-15 before i recieved a ban over there and found this place, thats all anyone was ever talking about. Flame wars all day long on whos better, who fans are the most delusional ect.. lol.. it was Flojoes vs pacturds.. lol

 

Joe Calzaghe............
I didn't want to ADMIT he was the Read Deal...........but he WAS....
Salute!!!!!

 

Manny Pacquiao

Just because of his fans

 

De la hoya.

Oh man, I hated that guy back then. For no reason, this stupid smile 24x7 in his face, I couldnt stand it. Now I dont do it anymore and I enjoy a lot rewatching his fights, amazing figther. Top notch.

I remember me saying that de la hoya was feather fisted, back then . I really couldnt stand him and I wasnt willing to give him any recognition at all. Stupid young me (more stupid, I mean).

 

Audley Harrison.

 

Probably GGG. I hated when he said good boy, and talked about mexican style.. But his fights with Jacobs and Canelo proved to me he was the real deal.

 

Oscar because of his personality, and Golovkin mainly because of his fans vastly overrating him. I respect the fact they were elite dogs in the ring however. They were definitely the real deal

 

Probably not a huge amount of fighters I can really ever remembering hating

Although, the following probably rubbed me the wrong way to an extent:-

• Naz - regardless of how talented his arrogance was always gonna cause a fall, and the Barrera fight was so satisfying
• Andre Ward - the whole SOG angle, a certain smugness - like him a lot more these days as a pundit / commentator
• Teo Lopez - again very satisfying seeing Kambosos shut him - and his a-hole pops - up! I'd like to see if Lopez could be better and more likable away from his dad; suspect Teo himself is not actually that bad - maybe the loss might be the best thing to happen to him?
• Sergey Kovalev - some of the stuff outside of the ring didn't sit right with me, and he always had the air of a bully. But at his peak his jab was as good as it gets really.

 

Canelo.

I still hate the little ginger *****, and I still hate the way that he stacks his fights. That said, his skills are undeniable and his work ethic second to none. He always comes in at 100% come fight night.

 

I hated Sugar Ray Leonard as a man not as a boxer. He beat all of my guys Duran, Tommy Hearns, Benitez, Ayub Kalule and robbed Marvelous Marvin Hagler of his title. In fact the loss they gave Marvelous Marvin hurt so much. Who will ever forget those words “Can you believe they took my title and gave it to Ray Leonard OF ALL THE PEOPLE “. No Marvin I still can’t believe it. With age I have relented my hatred. I always respected him as a fighter though.

 

Except Lara and Kirkland fights. Probably also Mayweather.