It is fun. My dad got me into Rocky years ago and I get into pro boxing since then. Now I'm sort of giving back to him.
Re the Charles thing, it sort of makes sense on one level, even if I disagree with it. It's simply lineage I think. Louis retired as unbeaten champion and an exciting, unbeaten champion with knockout power. Charles (as a heavyweight, anyway) was not that exciting a fighter or as dynamic a champion as Louis had been so I think a lot of the antipathy is about that. Of course, he clearly wasn't a paper champion as he won the title fair and square by beating Walcott and then any lineal claim that Louis had disappeared the following year when Charles beat him. For a lot of people, that would give them even more reason to hate Charles! There are a couple of comparisons that can be made here with the Louis/Charles situation: Larry Holmes suffered for a long time for being the first great heavyweight post-Ali. He didn't have the dynamic personality of Ali and stylistically people likely saw him as a cut-price version (which he wasn't). Then, after he won his version of the belt he made the grievous mistake of beating Ali in the ring so people disliked him even more. Then at the end of his reign, he made another big mistake by insulting one of boxing most celebrated past heavyweight champions and his public image was complete. The second example is slightly different but starts in a similar way. There was a fair bit of antipathy towards Evander Holyfield when he became champion. I think part of it was the post-Tyson fall out of the heavyweight scene. People still wanted the excitement that Tyson brought with the risk of devastating power. Holyfield, didn't appear to be that fighter. Then he went the distance with two former champions (one of whom Tyson had destroyed 4 years earlier) and people thought less of Holy. It wasn't until the Bowe fight and his gallant performance in defeat that the public mood softened towards him and of course he became one of the sport's most popular champions in his second and third title reigns.
Yodda's right Will.treasure it mate because when they're gone they're gone , now my Da didn't hate anyone in his life to my knowledge but he had a hilarious at times dislike of Joe Bugner for the simple reason he out pointed Henry Cooper .lmao .
You are both right. I am glad I got involved in boxing a few years ago so that I could enjoy doing this with my father for many years.
In order to hate someone, you have had to have loved them first. The word dislike is a word that is better suited.
OP is right about a bad decision hurting the winning fighter as well as the losing one, sometimes. It's been impressive to see Timothy Bradley bounce back in American life, but people hated him after Pacquiao 1. The worst reason for hating a fighter though, on the modern day forum anyway, is that he is in a division with a favourite. The amount of time spent running down "the other guy" over there is mad.
My Dad and I were real close before his passing in 1994, like I mentioned on several occasions, I saw my first fight with my Dad and Uncle, the first Muhammad Ali vs Floyd Patterson fight, shown on Closed Circuit Television on Nov 22 1965. I attended several fights with him after that as well as watch them.
Ray Leonard is the poster boy for this subject. I never understood how he gets so much hate because Roberto Duran quit, or Marvin Hagler was seen as past his prime. (As if Leonard wasn't out of boxing for years partying and using drugs filling sorry for his self because of the eye injury.) Leonard beat the best competition of his era and arguably 3 of the best 3-15 welters in history while they were prime head to head. On his way up through the ranks before his championship run at welter he fought most of the better welter contenders of the era, guys who were not quite championship caliber, but could surprise if one wasn't careful.... Very few real marsh mellow types, or no hopers. He came off of a damn near 5 yr lay-off and only defeated the greatest Middleweight in history. Damn the excuse making for Hagler , it wasn't like Hagler his entire career showed himself to be unbeatable. Duran proved he wasn't by fighting smart and countering forcing him to lead. Duran didn't possess the size to win. But what if it was the bigger, stronger, faster , and just as smart Leonard in his place? In hindsight would it have been a Hugh upset if Leonard and Hagler fought in their primes Leonard wins? Leonard had a hugh ego and came off arrogantly , but what ATG didn't ???? Duran didn't? Robinson ? how about Demsey? And the love fest for a fighter like Monzon, a murderer . They didn't have a big ego's or wasn't arrogant? Leonard's career was far too short to be considered the GOAT. But what he accomplished in such a short period should be commended.
Holmes gets a lot of hate for being dominant and for fighting Ali, neither of which seems fair. If anything ppl should be mad he legitimized another new sanctioning body.
Someone can hate a fighter for being more popular or more overrated than another one. People are insecure about their opinions, they want to feel special by having what they have convinced themselves is the correct opinion, and challenging that opinion is a big no no. Just look on this forum ( or anywhere boxing related really ) and you will see examples of that. Floyd fanboys vs Manny fanboys. One side belittles Manny's accomplishments and overstates his blemishes. The other believes Floyd is a coward who never fought anyone worth of note at his best. Both of them may say they don't hate the other fighter but there is clearly disrespect of the fighters involved. Old School fans vs Modern fans. One side says modern Boxers are nowhere near as good as their heroes, and claim that the most basic stuff in Boxing like freaking feinting and body punching are lost arts, and claim that everyone today is a bum. The other says that the old timers were primitive and crude with no sense of skill and atheliticism, and that a modern gatekeeper could be a world champion back then. One side hates modern Boxers because some people dare suggest they come close to the fighters they grew up with, and the other side hates older Boxers either because their fans have gotten on their nerve, or for refusing to aknowledge that anything older might be better than what we have now. There are many more examples. Older Heavyweight apologists vs Modern giant lovers, arguments about who ducked who, debating about someone who may pose a threat to their favorite boxer etc.
I don't have to meet Gerald McClellan necessarily to hate him, or Carlos Monzon for that matter, yes they were both very good, but them 2 are the fighters I hate the most, there is also Luis Resto and Margarito who I hate, but not as much as the other 2
I meet Holmes way back in the 90's. I like the guy as a person. Not my all time favorite fighter in style or fights. But it was great meeting Holmes. Got his autograph which I treasure to this day. He was a ATG. But the knock against Holmes is well he beat a popular past prime Champ which is not Holmes's fault. Tunney got little love for beating Dempsey and for a while Marciano was kinda of hated for ending Louis, even got a few death threats for beating Louis. I think the problem is we are Home "Fighter" but that does not mean you should hate the other guy. I was home Holyfield, but when Lewis won the rematch, I did not dislike or hate a guy I never meet lol. I am a Cowboys fan and I dislike the Eagles, but I did meet Reggie White who I adore as a person. "RIP". You got to part sports and the person if that makes sense.
