A sea of ghosts...

Most of the guys who post on the classic have above average knowledge, like me. But if you start a debate with one of the historian level posters without knowing your **** then your going to get embarrassed. I learnt my leason many moons ago and I have improved as a poster because of it.

 

Lets hope this is nothing more than a coincidence. I'm sure your a decent bloke, I mean I'm no heavyweight champion of the world ... Well, not yet anyway :nut

 

I think it's a fantastic part of the forum.

Besides, I'd rather talk about past greats and what if's than Floyd vs *insert name here*.

Not to mention that everyone on here is polite and some have some SERIOUS knowledge of the sport.

And who doesn't like to reminisce? I sure do!

 

This classic forum is interesting and informative without, generally, going overboard about the old days. Another site, that I will not name but has "Boxing" in its name, has a bunch of old farts that consistently disparage present day fighters. They would perform a *** act on Harry Greb if he was sill alive; hell they probably do it on his corpse.

 

As for me, I've always liked boxing. But I was in my twenties when I really started following it closely. Duran, Sanchez, Arguillo, Lyle, Shavers, that timeframe. I followed those guys closely for yrs. Those were my guys, among the others of that time too. There were a lot of great matchups, on free TV, guys were always inshape and ready, and they all fought the best. As the yrs go by, they get old and start to lose to the younger guys. I think that's where our love for the older crew comes from. That core group of boxers that you watch when you first get really into it are you're guys for life, nobody else can replace them, or that time. After they go, you don't really feel the same about the new crew who replaces them no matter who they are. You still like boxing, but its never the same. So, my boxers, musicians, racers, my guys are all dead now. Well, most of them

 

Don't be dissin Klompton 😁

 

I'm the same way. :good

 

1. I have been a boxing fan for over 30 years now. That begets history just in itself.

2. I am a historian by nature. Even if I find some musician I am keenly interested in, it's not enough for me to simply listen to the tunes and put it away at that. I have to know all about them and their own influences so I can piece some sort of narrative together.

3. I am getting older now, and so nothing is ever worth a damn in the present. It only gains luster in the retelling.

 

In sailing that sea of ghosts, I find that those ghost really weren't dissimilar to those who are fighting today. They are neither immortal beings who have assumed human form; nor are they crude, unrefined primitives from only the most rudimentary understanding of skill. And, I take some comfort in that. So, in sailing those waters, I find I can appreciate it more when I return home to the present and view what's taking place in the sport today.

Hope that makes sense.

 

For the same reason that I would rather watch an obscure, b/w "B" detective film made in 1954 rather than any modern day, glitzy hollywood production, I prefer to bask in the "classic" forum and dwell upon the greats of the past than get too excited about any of the modern stars of this once great sport of boxing.
BTW, on my 16th birthday, February 18th, in 1969, Mando Ramos tko'ed Carlos Teo Cruz for the lightweight title,...something that's always stuck with me....
I was fortunate enough to have experienced the Golden decade of the 70's, with free tv, stars like Monzon, Napoles, Duran, Buchanan, Foster, Young, Foreman, Griffith, Gomez, Galindez, etc.,... all appearing on that free tv,...15 round title fights,...and on a given Friday or Saturday night, a double or triple header bill, on ABC,...will Humble Howard Cosell's mellifluous monotone intoning the night's events....so how in the hell can today's overpriced, overhyped mediocrities ever hold any kind of allure for me compared to that? My interest in the modern scene can be summed up in two fighters,...GGG , Kovalev, and now Tyson Fury...compared to my healthy roster of favorites back in the Golden 70's.....and that's just not healthy, is it? For the most part, the classic forum is populated by a fistically literate, civil bunch of historians of whom I've learned from so much...and it seems that the most callow and ****less of this forum has dwindled down quite a bit lately, without naming any names, if you know what I mean.
Yeah, my interest in the sport has also dwindled down quite a bit in the past5, 10 years or so, but at the same time, I salute the Klitschko brothers for injecting their brand of class, dignity and decorum to the sport, especially to the heavyweight title,...and I'm a fan, I must say, of the new champ Fury, and I can anticipate some color, flash and bat**** crazy entertainment from the "caped crusader" who's now in charge.......but basically, I'm
'classic" to the core....and when I hear the name "Floyd" mentioned, I automatically think "Patterson", rather than "Mayweather",....and that's why this forum is my main hang out,...with other like minds. Yeah, give me the "gray ghosts" any day of the week.

 

:good

:good

 

The past is just inherently interesting. It's where we all come from. Even if something happened a long time ago, people can still be very passionate about it, whether it's dinosaurs, ancient Rome, Beethoven or a boxing match that took place in 1910.

For me, personally, I find boxing's past more interesting than its present.

 

I think its the same with every generation. I remember my elders when I was young saying "oh! Marciano would kill Clay!", or "these fighters today couldn't compete with the guys from the 40s and 50s", who were the guys they grew up watching. But, as there guys disappear, some of the love and interest in the sport fades. I haven't even watched much boxing for the last many yrs, though I'm trying to watch more lately, and have seen some really good boxers. I guess when you get older, its just not that important to you, but when I'm watching it, I love it.

 

I think its just historical enthusiasm in the same way that someone else might show interest in any other historical subject. You have baseball, football and hockey fans who are the same way.. Not to mention people who study periods like the renaissance, french revolution, dark ages, middle ages, etc... Nothing wrong with showing interest in history. It is after all the foundation for the present and future.

 

The best thing about boxing pre-World War II is the discovery. 100's of seldom talked about or seen matches are out there, and many of them are far better than the mismatches we see today due to politics, or one guy waiting forever to pick the right moment to select his opponent when the T's and C's are in his favor.

You can also appreciate near lost arts of boxing, such as 15 rounds or more, feints, body shots, or the effort level and fighting will of overmatched opponents.

Many new fans aren't aware boxing was one of the three most popular sports of the nation. At his best ( great fights ), boxing is tough to beat. The trouble today is we seldom see the sport at it best, hence my interest in yesteryear.