Boxers you used to dislike but have grown to like?

Larry Holmes. I thought he was just a bitter Bigot who never could get past the fact people didn’t embrace him like they did Ali. I was wrong. Larry is a good person and just tells it like it is he was a blue collar fighter who is very underrated mainly because he had the misfortune to come between Ali and Tyson.

 

Can't believe I'm typing this but I'm almost coming around to Wilder after his recent loses. Going out on his shield with Fury and taking those tougher fights recent fights, softened my negative opinion on him. Fury on the other hand has gone the other way ... I used to like him but can't stand him now.

 

floyd mayweather

 

Charlie Zellenoff...

 

Marlon Starling. Hated him for beating Honeygan on my 16 th birthday !! Later realised what an excellent under rated fighter he was

 

Fabio Wardley

When he first started with Matchroom, it was clearly because Dillian Whyte as his manager was putting him on his cards and i swear I don't think I've ever seen a boxer with so many dubious stoppagess in succession around that time
The Coffey stoppage was peak BS

However despite a bit of controversy with the Parker win, he has really come on leaps and bounds and proved to me he can get the job done and isn't ever to be written off

Well spoken, a decent role model if anyone chose to use him as one

I genuinely like him and his story now

However his manager has the potential to change that with how he comes across at pressers etc

 

Carl Froch. Didn't think he was as skilled as Calzaghe, Kessler or Taylor, but he gained my respect by being a tough as nails, grinder. He'd make you fight to the last second.

 

Wardley: Around the time he was rocked by Molina and came through in an unconvincing fashion, I wrote him off as a matchroom hypejob and resented the press he was getting. Fast forward to now, I can only respect him for coming through Huni and Parker, and I admire his heart and toughness. I still think he will lose to Dubois, but I hope I am wrong.

Wilder: I deemed a hypejob that feasted on featherfists and avoided contenders for his WBC title (and I'm not sure I'm wrong in that respect), but I have to begrudgingly respect him for the heart he showed in Ortiz I, and Fury II and III.

Erislandy Lara: I disliked him due to his negativity, but as his legs went and he had no choice but to stand and trade, I started to warm to him.

Rigo: In contrast to Lara, as Rigo declined he didn't really become more watchable, but he definitely got worse. Still I started to warm to him a lot more; I guess it is easier to appreciate his skill whilst he is dour and losing, as opposed to when he dour and winning, and also hyped to the heavens.

George Groves: When I first started to be drawn into boxing, it was around the time of Groves' two fights with Froch, and I got caught up in the hype and instinctively rooted against him. As I watched the sport more and learnt more about Groves, I grew to like him and his style of fighting; at present, I would classify him as one of my favourite British fighters if asked.

Broner: I initially viewed him as a hypejob (which he probably was), but now I'm just plain worried about him; I hope he can come through his addiction issues and just live a fulfilling life, boxing be damned.

 

Anthony Joshua when people for some reason believed he was decent, now he has been exposed and lets us watch him get chinned every fight I like him.

 

Haney, Jermell, Khan, GGG...these guys have annoying personalities but Ill be damned if they didnt do exactly what fans want - make no excuses and FIGHT. Usually won too

 

Bruce Seldon. I used to call him a fake champion. But gradually over time by tune has changed. Hes really just a casualty of fans obsession with top 5 opponents. He fought Tyson and got beaten quickly so clearly he must suck. Seldons not beating Lennox, Bowe, Moorer, Holyfield, Foreman or Tyson. Maybe Golota. Other then that who else from his era does he really not have a good chance of beating?

A contributing factor has been the over the top praise Ray Mercer or Chris Byrd and that praise has made Seldon look better to me because theres really no proof hes not better. Fans of that era kinda treated Olympic medalists like the chosen ones. Like George Foreman baptised the medals in the blood of Muhammad Ali. They made the final of a speed boxing tournament.

I also feel we subconsciously group Seldon in with Peter McNeeley even though Seldon was a champ and McNeeley wasn't. Just the way that story is presented to you growing up they are playing the same role. Seldon is way closer to Tyson then McNeeley is to Seldon but all the record shows is Seldon surviving 20 extra seconds.

 

I am one of the first an loudest of Deontay Wilder haters, and I will always maintain that his career is mostly smoke and mirrors, but it intrigues me a little that he turned down Usyk in order to take a tough match against fellow veteran Derrick Chisora, who is doing much better than Wilder going in, and if he beats Chisora and earns a title shot, I am going to give him a lot of credit for believing in himself, doing things the right way, and adding one of his best wins to his record at this late stage.

 

Have to respect coming back from the questionable Wilder decision to re inventing himself in the soviet style.

 

Pretty much same for me.
Thought he was a right idiot but then the penny dropped and he became my favourite fighter.
He would have gone on and done better if he hadn't have done damage to Watson.
Was always trigger shy after that