Hello Classic I can't help but wonder sometimes what motivates this forum. I love this place, I really do, but sometimes I feel like we are talking about a sea of ghosts. Long forgotten fights, long forgotten fighters. Where does the motivation come from? It may seem an obvious question, but do you not sometimes feel...like it is a forgotten chapter? Like Nobody really cares? Where does one get the motivation to talk about boxers that were active 20, 30, 50, 100 years ago come from? Boxing has an illustrious and rich history of course, but I do feel sad when discussing fights that happened 20, 30, 40 years ago...don't you? Don't you, at least a little bit? Does anyone still really care? Or are we just comfortable with the familiar? Yet, when I browse this place, I can feel the excitement, the passion of those fights through the posters right through that very day. It's quite amazing really; and one of the reasons why posters like Burt Bienstock are so revered around here. Time is a funny thing; an almost ethereal thing. It slips from our grasp so very, very quickly. We become part of the passage of time before we even know it. So Classic...are we an unhealthy obsession or the keepers of the flame? Where does preservation of the 'good old days' begin and an unhealthy obsession with the past begin?
I think the impact people have on the world, whatever it may be, should be celebrated and discussed by future generations. When it comes to boxing, how can a fighter such as Roberto Duran be no longer discussed without exciting fervour? A man who fought a combination of legends and greats over a number of decades. A man who had experienced being arrested upon entering his native Panama for coming of a loss, to coming home to a greater crowd than the Pope received. How can you no longer discuss the spirit and soul involved in James Scott fighting Dwight Muhammad Qawi inside of a prison, Leon Spinks entertaining prostitutes and Cocaine two days before beating The Greatest, Sugar Ray Roinson landing that perfect left hook whilst moving backwards and Floyd Patterson having the guts to get up that seventh time against Johansson? It's all part of the history of boxing. The history of what these amazing men accomplished on their short time on this earth. If you are that great at something say boxing, you deserve for your memory to live on and people within these forums to spend hours discussing what made you the fighter you were
I love this place for the most part, it made me realize how little I knew about boxing history before my time and how biased I was against the old timers before I came here. I am still biased against a lot of the old timers when compared to the new BUT not nearly as much as I used to be. There are great posts to be read here if one doesn't mind skipping threw the garbage posts in between them and occasionally the garbage posts can be fun as well, occasionally.
I love the mystical aura surrounding the old timers. I feel they were better than what we have now even though there's probably some myth to their stories. I'm just attracted to the past. I've always loved history. Great thread by the way, and we'll written.
I think you can take the best of today and yesterday and appreciate both. Duran, Ali, Charles, SRR, Leonard and the rest of the legends of boxing deserved to be mentioned, just like fine music and wine. Quality transends time.
Where does the motivation come from? Boxing history is the social history of the societies that it reflects. Whether you are reading about Tom Cribb in early 1800s Britain, or Joe Louis in 1930s America, you are gaining a powerful insight into those societies!
Though the future is getting relatively bright, it's history is much better than its present. Fighters fought more often taking on all comers. Because Boxing commanded so much more of the public's attention it also attracted a much higher percentage of the highest caliber athletes. As janitor points out It was also more closely tied to society and the times overall giving a history buff unique insight into the time the given events occurred. Boxing's history is dependent on it's fans. The promoters do a poor job as stewards of the game. They have no interest in fairly presenting the past, instead selling their most current offering as the biggest ever between the best ever. The classic forum definitely has it's downsides with keyboard warriors being unnecessarily rude lacing, their opinions with childish attacks. There is no reason, and a shame there isn't a more convial enviroment. Being a snide punk should not be confused with strength, it reveals the opposite. That said, the other forums are much less respectful, regularly attacking each but the people who give so much of themselves in the ring,.
It's hard to explain, I'd be lieng if I told you I discuss anything to the extent I do on this forum in person. Most people don't care, mainly because they don't understand, which is fair enough. This place is however, a little different. It shows you both sides of the spectrum, I can normally sympathise either end. I used to be pretty radical with my opinions, matured out a bit now. I'm only 22 after all, which brings me into another point that age doesn't really have to be a thing in a place like this. Its cool to discuss with people that have lived much longer lives than me and almost comforting that we all share a love for boxing. Of course with love, also comes hate and a lot of unpredictability Also something neat I stumbled across a year or so ago, my birthday is shared with Ali's triumph in the Rome olympics, as well as Heenan-Sayers taking place about a 2 minute drive from my house. Which of course ended in a draw. Controversial from the very beginning of championship prize fighters
Well, Isee as people who love history in general. It only gets annoying when people that love the history and barely follow the current game want to talk about the current game and only say negative things because of (obvious) bias.
It's hard to talk boxing in person without coming across as pretentious, or a bit of a ****. BTW My birthday is shared with Jimmy Saville 😁
The current game is garbage. That's why I don't follow it. Garbage isn't the word, it's completely.... SUPER AIDS!!
I like the classic forum I do post on the current one but that can get a bit heated !.l like when someone talks about a fight or fighter that I had forgotten about sometimes the fights are from a very early memory watt v O'Grady-hagler - minter the blood and guts in these fights were burt on to my memory as a young kid .other fights Tyson SRL Benn remind me of what I was doing at the time these fights happened then I think was that really that long ago!. I also like to speculate about fights that never happened and fighters from different time meeting in the ring.this can be very interesting with the guys on the classic forum putting there view forward usually a bit more politely .
Oh by the way I share my birthday with Oscar de lahoya.but iam richer better looking and a better boxer .Then I woke up lol!