What got you into this GREAT sport of BOXING

Noel_philly · Oct 25, 2008

Mike Tyson And Julio Cesar Chavez

JM22 · Nov 3, 2008

Bump.

Godfather · Nov 3, 2008

Always liked boxing but Mayweathers mouth got me into boxing as i wanted to see him get the **** kicked out of him

Azania · Nov 3, 2008

When I was about 11,somebody made me sit and watch a tape of Leonard-Hearns1...I knew Sugar Ray,but not Tommy....When I watched him scholl Ray for nearly 13 rnds..and then to be KOd like that broke my heart....But then I started looking for all of The Hitman's fights...Whe I saw how he concussed Duran..there was no turning back...I was hooked to the hilt.

I then got back to watch cats like Ali,SRR,Laryy Holmes....and I've been at it ever since.

I love this game.

Gandul · Nov 3, 2008

Well, I fell in love with boxing because of Tyson in his prime. In my hood we just to call Tyson the Pitbull and when he fought Holyfield well... our imagination came true ajjaajaj... After that a new Puerto Rican guy came in and started to make a name after he KFO of Maurice Blocker. That barely unknown guy after a while became the superhero we all know as "Tito"

JM22 · Nov 5, 2008

Anyone else?

CarlesX7 · Nov 5, 2008

It's not exactly a mainstream sport, so it feels "mine", if that makes any sence. For me it's an art and a science, a mixture of talent and effort.

I was lucky to watch some great fights on TV when i was very young, especially the great Marvin Hagler, Thomas Hearns and Sugar Ray Leonard. I was 7 when i saw the Hagler-Hearns fight and that was it. Also, watching Mike Tyson was something that got me hooked even more. I was truly shocked with Douglas' win over Tyson and disgusted with the Hagler-Leonard decision. But hey, u gotta love the controversy

Too bad almost nobody appreciates boxing in my country, including the media, so i have great difficulty watching fights. :fire

Thank God YouTube, torrents and live streaming exist.

JM22 · Nov 5, 2008

CarlesX7 said:

It's not exactly a mainstream sport, so it feels "mine", if that makes any sence. For me it's an art and a science, a mixture of talent and effort.

I was lucky to watch some great fights on TV when i was very young, especially the great Marvin Hagler, Thomas Hearns and Sugar Ray Leonard. I was 7 when i saw the Hagler-Hearns fight and that was it. Also, watching Mike Tyson was something that got me hooked even more. I was truly shocked with Douglas' win over Tyson and disgusted with the Hagler-Leonard decision. But hey, u gotta love the controversy

Too bad almost nobody appreciates boxing in my country, including the media, so i have great difficulty watching fights. :fire

Thank God YouTube, torrents and live streaming exist.
Click to expand...

Good post man:good

kirk · Nov 5, 2008

I was actually an MMA fan as a kid.... I would watch Tank abbott and oleg taktarov... i remember when Vitor Belfort came out for the first time and what a badass he was.... i printed out pictures of him and tank and put them on my walls LOL!!! I wasnt die hard fan or anything.... but really liked the sport, and rooted for those two.

then.... one day i was flipping through a magazine and i saw an article on Fernando Vargas, everything he said in there spoke to me as a young angry kid... and i looked at him... and i saw everything i wanted to be, and everything i 'thought' i was (believe me, im not trying to compare myself with a world champion boxer... but as a kid your niave)

So i googled him... found his website, read up on him.... and everything about him, i related to... and this was before i had even really ever watched him fight OR really watched boxing... sure, i had seen ali fights here and there but for some reason boxing didnt speak to me back then, watching Ali fight.... But when i seen Vargas.... it was like a warrior, a conquering king entering the ring to conquer the champions of distant lands (this was how my brain worked lol) and he was showing the world the fire he had within him, and punishing his foes for daring to challenge him....

and the thing was... he could have easily let his life overcome him, and become a worthless human being.. instead he dedicated himself to what he loved, and rose above the ashes. People have no clue on what he does for his community year in and year out... and that also spoke to me

And for one of the first times in my life... I looked up to someone, he in a way became an idol. As i watched his fights, i started seeing boxing for more then i had before... not as a mere sport... but as a tale, a tale of two warriors meeting in hand to hand combat, and the result goes down in history forever.... and i fell in love with boxing, the heroism it shows...

The boxing ring is a stage of epic tales.... ones of courage, redemption, pride, tragedy, heartbreak, death.... it is an instrument in which to show ones self, where even the lowest of the talented can earn respect through his determination and heart.... and even the most talented and physically gifted can be vanquished through the shortcomings of their soul.

I havnt looked back since... i love boxing to the core, and will forever be a hardcore fan, despite the heartbreaks i constantly suffer at the hands of my favorite fighters losses lol.

JM22 · Nov 5, 2008

kirk said:

I was actually an MMA fan as a kid.... I would watch Tank abbott and oleg taktarov... i remember when Vitor Belfort came out for the first time and what a badass he was.... i printed out pictures of him and tank and put them on my walls LOL!!! I wasnt die hard fan or anything.... but really liked the sport, and rooted for those two.

then.... one day i was flipping through a magazine and i saw an article on Fernando Vargas, everything he said in there spoke to me as a young angry kid... and i looked at him... and i saw everything i wanted to be, and everything i 'thought' i was (believe me, im not trying to compare myself with a world champion boxer... but as a kid your niave)

So i googled him... found his website, read up on him.... and everything about him, i related to... and this was before i had even really ever watched him fight OR really watched boxing... sure, i had seen ali fights here and there but for some reason boxing didnt speak to me back then, watching Ali fight.... But when i seen Vargas.... it was like a warrior, a conquering king entering the ring to conquer the champions of distant lands (this was how my brain worked lol) and he was showing the world the fire he had within him, and punishing his foes for daring to challenge him....

and the thing was... he could have easily let his life overcome him, and become a worthless human being.. instead he dedicated himself to what he loved, and rose above the ashes. People have no clue on what he does for his community year in and year out... and that also spoke to me

And for one of the first times in my life... I looked up to someone, he in a way became an idol. As i watched his fights, i started seeing boxing for more then i had before... not as a mere sport... but as a tale, a tale of two warriors meeting in hand to hand combat, and the result goes down in history forever.... and i fell in love with boxing, the heroism it shows...

The boxing ring is a stage of epic tales.... ones of courage, redemption, pride, tragedy, heartbreak, death.... it is an instrument in which to show ones self, where even the lowest of the talented can earn respect through his determination and heart.... and even the most talented and physically gifted can be vanquished through the shortcomings of their soul.

I havnt looked back since... i love boxing to the core, and will forever be a hardcore fan, despite the heartbreaks i constantly suffer at the hands of my favorite fighters losses lol.

Click to expand...

:good :smoke

Clearly Cool · Nov 5, 2008

Im a relatively new fan (since 03).

I was always a fan of action films and kung-fu (like most little kids Teenage mutant ninja turtles was my bread and butter). So for me it was a sport with the sort of action I liked.

But I only gained interest after catching a Kostya Tszyu fight in a pub when I was young. Looking back it wasn't a great fight (jesse james leija), but the broadcast showed boxing highlights and I was fascinated. Went home and downloaded some boxing clips which happened to be RJJ and DLH. From then on I justed watched more and more and my interest grew as I became familier with the names and events.

I used to go to the pubs to watch boxing (didn't have cable) but was underage, so I had to convince my mum to come along. Started ordering fight DVD's and downloaded all the fights I could.

Its almost like a soap opera for straight guys, all the drama and hype and storylines that reach their peak on fight night.

To be honest its annoying such an obscure sport took my interest, it is not popular at all in Australia and none of my friends watch it.

henrik · Nov 5, 2008

i used to be a tiny little boy at the age of 10,and i was often an easy target,and came crying home from school severel times a week because of the beatings i had to take.
finally my stepfather said that i should start to box,i loved to watch fights with my stepfather,late at night.
So i went to the gym...the first 6 months were very tough.But after a while i could box a bit.and it gave me confidence.And i continued for about 3 years.
thats how boxing came in to my life.

fists of fury · Nov 5, 2008

john garfield said:

I've posted this before, but since the thread's come up again:

Growing up when the few blocks around the Brooklyn Navy Yard was the entire universe and sports heroes rose above sky scrappers, Sugar Ray Robinson was the supernova that fired my imagination and life-long love for boxing.

All New York was a hotbed of boxing. Robinsons name was magic. His picture with gloves held low was on fight posters all over the neighborhood. Grainy shots of him in dinner clothes, hob-knobbing with celebrities, graced the tabloids daily.

We elbowed for a glimpse of his fuchsia Cadillac and crowded around the radio for his fights.

When we play-fought, we all wanted to be him. He was movie-star handsome, gracious to opponents, soft-spoken, feted by kings, always with beautiful women...and the best fighter on the planet.

The first time I saw him in the ring, my dad took me to the old Garden in 46 to see him against Tommy Bell for the vacant welter title.

Bell was no slouch -- not the least cowed by Robinson's reputation.

Sugar glistened in his corner waiting for the bell. He was sleek, with a dancers legs and long supple arms that looked even longer because of his sloping shoulders. While the introductions were given, he windmilled his right arm like David readying to smite Goliath.

Robinson and Bell were mirror images -- both standup boxer-punchers, though Sugar enjoyed a few inches in height.

Bell fought with hands high and a tighter stance. Robinson's guard was lower. He was turned slightly to the side, in concession to defense, but his stance gave him more leverage.

They dueled evenly for 15 rounds, but to me, Robinson's punches had more authority; his combinations were the repeated crack of a bullwhip.

Some thought Robinson lost... it was that close. Bell dropped him in the 2nd round with left hooks, but Tommy hit the canvas in the 11th, and was almost stopped in the 12th.

It was near impossible not to watch Robinson exclusively every move as elegant as Fred Astaire. Even in the bitterest exchanges, he had the baring of royalty. His fusillades were flashes of fire.

The die was cast: I couldn't wait to get to the gym the next day.

After the Bell fight, we went to all Robinson's bouts in New York, Philly, New Jersey, Wilkes Barre, Scranton and Connecticut, as well as watching any on TV we couldn't get to.

There were no end-zone dances when he KO'd some one. Usually, he was almost turned away headed for a neutral corner while they were fallinglike a hit man that knew his job.

Whether it was third-tier guys like Floyd Sebastian and Gene Buffalo, or the very best around, like Georgie Abrams, Kid Gavilan, Steve Belloise, "Sugar" Costner, Charley Fusari and Bo Bo Olson, Sugar struck with the same lightening suddenness, electrifying.

We'd have paid to see him hit the heavy bag.

But what defines Robinson for me is something very accessible: He was able to rage back through blood and adversity to win A parable not lost in the cheap seats.

Certainly, he was head and shoulders above the competition, but it still made you wanna root for him: Nobilitys always been in short supply...and he was thrilling.

When Ray dramatically ended a fight... as he usually did, I couldn't wait to get home and relive the moment in front of the mirror, supplying the roar of the crowd myself.

At the Uptown Gym and Stillman's -- the General Motors of fight factories -- where legends, amateurs and journeyman went about the daily grind in a democracy of sweat, everybody stopped what they were doing to watch Sugar spar and do floor exercises.

He was always cordial, calling me by name, showing me how to extend my jab by dipping a knee, how to draw a right hand and counter over it...and countless other tips and encouragement.

At best, Sugar was a friendly acquaintance; I wasn't part of his clique. I was a kid; he was a man -- a giant figure on a world stage. I could only fantasize about the richness of his life.

I tried to emulate everything about him, from what he wore in the gym to his stance in the ring. But, it did me no more good than copying Ted Williams stance trying to hit home runs. And, no matter how I pulled and tugged, Sugars gym gear never looked quite the same on me.

Once, after sparring a round, I looked down and saw Ray ringside. He gave me an approving nod. I couldn't have been prouder if I'd won a title.

I saw the arc of his career, from welter to middle -- all of his title victories and losses, the ticker tape parade after regaining his middleweight crown from Turpin, and every other glorious moment...until time and too many fights reduced him to a mortal and he was only a look-alike in his final days in the ring, eking out a payday for the use of his name on a marquee.

Even in his last fight in 65 against Joey Archer, he showed flashes of the old Sugar...and I was on my feet hoping for a miracle, but it was not to be; he couldn't pull the trigger often enough.

True, he was far less heroic as a human being than as a fighter...but, I still get chills thinking of ring announcer Harry Balough, with his shellacked hair and shiny tuxedo, grabbing the mic center ring in the old Garden, trying to raise his voice over the 17000 fans straining on the edge of their seats to hear him say:

"IN THIS CORNER...SUGAR...RAY...ROBINSONNNNN!!"
Click to expand...

Great read, as always.

I'd love nothing better than to have a few beers with you and listen to your stories. You really, really should write that book John.

bizzer07 · Nov 5, 2008

Benn vs Mcclellan

john garfield · Nov 5, 2008

fists of fury said:

Great read, as always.

I'd love nothing better than to have a few beers with you and listen to your stories. You really, really should write that book John.
Click to expand...

Feel a little taller, fof -- don't take your words lightly.

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What got you into this GREAT sport of BOXING

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What got you into this GREAT sport of BOXING

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