Exactly. That last example made me laugh. And a **** bricklayer is exactly the sort of person who’d tell you you didn’t know **** and get aggressive on check-a-trade reviews
It does hold some weight when yuo talking from a techincal aspect, but no one's opinion isn't valid. Even casuals can say something that holds weight.
Think the problem nowadays is that most opinions are negative. It wears you down eventually when guys that cant do much themselves pretty much set unachievable goals that are set up to make you fail. Look at bellew for example. The boy had a tremendous career. Made great money. Became a world champion. And you,ve got some bloke thats never fought saying he needs to beat usyk or hes useless. When he doesnt hes a failure who hand picked his opponents. Most boxers have unachievable goals set on them nowadays. Pretty sure people just use opinions mostly to make themselves feel better. "Look there not that great" The guys that haven,t done anything tend to be the guys with the biggest opinions. I can see it from both sides tbh. If you do a bit boxing or most sports you quickly realise its not as easy as it looks. Tend to have a bit more understanding. Like when people say someone cant throw a jab. Its usually not that they cant...its just that they cant against the high level of opposition their fighting at. They,d probably get knocked out trying to jab. But you cant explain that to someone thats no real idea of it. Or things like that. Sportsmen used to be hero,s....i reckon social media ruined that as well tbh. Anyone can just type out a negative opinion. Helps make them feel better about themselves.
The people you refer to are casuals really. Yes, they turn up at shows and shout things like " Hit him " or "Knock him out" but their just there for the night out, the beer and sadly these days, the Charlie.
I had 9 amateur fights over a three and a half year period and it does give you an insight. Sometimes you don't watch what other people are watching. Maybe you are watching a lads feet or seeing if fatigue is getting into his legs. I can't stand these guys who talk a brave game. It's hard. If you've had enough, leave it, it's not ancient Rome. But when it comes down to it Angelo Dundee never even sparred a round and I will never, ever come close to having his wisdom on Boxing.
I agree with most of the posts in this thread. Some very knowledgeable observers have never fought in their lives and never even been in a boxing gym. What I will point out though is that I was a boxing fan before I started learning how to box myself. After starting boxing training there are so many little things that you pick up on when watching boxing than before learning how to box. It definitely enhances your understanding of the sport.
I understand where Bellew and Fowler are coming. Many people simply will never properly understand who haven't boxed. However, there are over 7 billion people in the world, where the majority haven't boxed.... Yet among them, there will be plenty of people who do have an understanding and respectable opinion.
The everton fan and the liverpool fan Who both have opinins on football But aint played at the level Should never form an opinion on football ever again What they mean is we can but you peaseants cant No self awareness none
Enzo Calzaghe was about as good a boxer as Peter Coe was an athlete. Like everything, any experience you have is only as valuable as your willingness and ability to process and apply it. That aspect is more important than the sum total of what you've seen and done. If experience = knowledge/insight, then every old timer we know would be walking through life like latter-day Solomons, imparting pearls of wisdom to anyone fortunate enough to be in their presence. In reality, most of them just talk utter sh*te. Putting on the gloves yourself can give you a good insight into the technical and mental side of boxing. I think where it helps most with is to be able to empathise with the mental aspect of fighting; without that insight there's a tendency to see fights more like a video game with energy bars. Ultimately though, any line of argument should be taken on its own merits (or otherwise). Pro fighters generally aren't any better than the rest of us at calling fights, and often don't do even basic research (eg Froch).
Anyone can have an opinion right or wrong .However it does grind my gears when people normally when they are hammered mock or criticize a fighter when they have never had the the bottle to set foot in a ring ! .looks easy on the telly.Try it !!!
I've only had 5 amateur fights so only a novice, but sparred too many rounds to remember and help out coaching basics to kids now. I don't think your opinion isn't valid if you've never sparred/boxed, but I feel maybe you have a bit more of an insight/appreciation of how difficult the sport is. I know for me personally being involved at admittedly a much lower level has given me more of an insight than I would have had before. I think it's maybe more the whole a fighters "a bum, a coward, ****" etc if their not in the pound for pound list. I know not al people who haven't boxed talk like that (there are many very knowledgeable and respectful posters on here and I've no idea whether they've boxed or not), but I never really hear that kind of talk from people I know from the gym.
