How did you get into boxing?

7 years old, my uncle took me to gyms all over upstate NY. Met numerous boxers, watched many training/sparring sessions. Of course I would dart around the gyms and punch bags. As I got older I actually started to train and go to the gyms more and more. Never got into anything serious but it was an introduction to the sport I love most

 

I was afraid of fighting and I went to a gym to learn to fight.

After a good amount of initial fear, some black eyes, some bleeding noses and after discovering that the forehead can get black too, making some good friends in the meantime, I realized that I love this sport (even if I have zero talent for it).

 

My big bro as a kid watching Tyson and 90’s PBF and RJJ, learned how to fight studying they videos, I also boxed for a while when I got older in HS but I heard Floyd say something about you can’t have sex during training camp and was like… Nah lol

 

Always hearing my uncle talking about his sparring wars with Sugar Ray Leonard at Palmer Park, Maryland gym.. So I would watch Sugar fights with my family.

 

Great topic!

Easy for me to trace my passion for boxing. My dad had been a semi pro boxer in Mayaguez, Puerto Rico during the 1930s and the sport remained his passion for life. He had so many stories of his days in the ring (although he spent more time in baseball fields as a semi pro pitcher). I well remember being with him among fellow Boricuas in barber shops or cafés in Brooklyn, NY where I grew up. All those Ricans loved boxing as well and he always had their attention riveted to him as he spoke of the past or when he made predictions about who would win the next televised boxing match. I tried my hand at amateur boxing but confess that I wasn't any good at it (too puny to take a punch). Still, I attended a few matches at the old Prospect arena and watched TV broadcasts with great intensity.

All these decades have gone by. But pro boxing remains my passion and it will always be so.

 

Thomas 'The Hitman' Hearns...this dude who stayed about two houses from my house had a TV..a luxury back in the day in South Africa...was bored and was was browsing thru the channels when we spotted Hearns-Duran1 highlights
on one of the channels..that KO hypnotized me..Tommy was a beast.

Once I was older and had my own money I just about collected every Thomas Hearns fight I could lay my hands on.That will always be my dude always..chin or no chin.That why I hated Sugar Ray for a while..for besting my dude after being outboxed all night.

The Hagler replaced Sugar Ray after that war..motha****a had a titanium jaw...and when the Sugarman avenged
Tommy he redeemed himself in my book.

 

The first time i saw the then Cassius Clay i was hooked

 

Mike Tyson highlights from '05 or so, which lead to Roy Jones highlights which lead to watching SRL vs. Hearns. Walked into a gym soon after.

 

Floyd mayweather for kids in the 2010s it was either mayweather or pac from his return to 09 till his retirement he was the most entertaining fighter off the ring I remember watching his fight hype videos flossing and bragging about his lifestyle

 

Got to stay up late and watch Steve Collins beat Eubank with me Da when I was wee, was fantastic!

 

I was 8 and it was March 1971 and everyone at school was talking about this big fight. Here I am 50+ years later and I’m still hopelessly addicted.

 

Family used to watch the big fights in Australia Tyson fights, Kostya Tszyu fights, Delahoya fights I was just a kid and then Anthony Mundine came on the scene he used to play for the St George Dragons which was my team and he was my favorite player so naturally when he went to boxing I supported him and watched all his fights.