Do you still follow modern boxing?

Many live matches from Europe are broadcast on the internet, but you have to know where to look!

Save this link when a big fight is on.

[url]http://www.wwitv.com[/url]

Or try this link then click on TV Sports

[url]http://wwitv.com/portal.htm[/url]

It works best with a high speed internet connection.

 

Sadly, I don't follow much of the modern game at all save for the occasional "big" match.
To me its not the fighters that I dislike as much as to what the sport has morphed into:

1) 4 or 5 "champions" in each division. I remember as a kid in the late 50's early 60's getting a haircut and talking with the men in the shop. We all knew who was THE champ in each division; I grew to "accept" the double champs by the 70's and 80's but it was the beginning of the end for me.

2) New weight classes that have been created every 3 or 4 pounds, absurd! I'll grant the legitimacy of a Cruiserweight division but that's it.
I'll always still prefer the FyW/BW/FtrW/LW/WW/MW/LtHW/HW format.

3) And this revelation, perhaps the biggest "blow" of all for me:
I saw the top ten contenders a few years ago in the heavyweight division for all four of the ranking bodies. Out of 40 "top 10" contenders, only 5 or 6 were in another Bodies' rankings. What this is saying is that there are actually 34-35 top 10 contending heavyweights??? atsch

I tend to live in the past in many different areas of my life and boxing is no exception. I'm more than happy continuing to expand my growing collection of tapes/DVD boxing classic bouts.

My $0.02

 

I think it's a shame many people ignore modern boxing because of all the politics. It seems the majority of people who choose not to watch the sport, do so because of irrelevant aspects.

I don't disagree with any of the points above, but I don't think they are enough to warrant not watching the sport. I see them as minor faults. At the end of the day, you still get the same talent and the same amount of great fights. I couldn't care less if there 8 or 80 divisions as long as the best fight the best, and the result is good. Sure, in an ideal world there would be less divisions, but it doesn't affect my entertainment.

I like watching old fights, but I don't get the same buzz as a live fight. Nothing like as much entertainment, and I don't think anyone can make an argument otherwise. You just don't get the same amount of entertainment from a fight if you know the result. When I watch a fight, say of a favourite of mine, Wlad Klitschko, I get butterflies for however long it lasts. I don't feel the same watching Joe Frazier, even though he's probably my favourite of all-time. You can enjoy the fights, but the chances are you know what happens.

Plus you get to see how the divisions evolve. You watch people like Andre Berto and Jorge Linares - Great prospects, and wonder where they'll be in 5 or 6 years time. Or you see the current elite, like Mayweather and Cotto, and think about what will happen in the rest of their careers. You see people like Roy Jones and Bernard Hopkins and think whether they can improve their standing in history past their prime. If I'm watching Ali, Monzon, Hagler, Louis or anyone else like that, I know what happens in their careers.

I just don't feel the same way about classic boxing. I enjoy it, but nothing compares to not knowing what will happen.

Like I said, I think it's a shame people chose not to watch boxing now. Especially for trivial things like weight classes or governing bodies. The only thing I care about is what happens in the ring and that has never changed.

 

Alas that is the one thing that contemporary boxing offers that clasic boxing cant.

I with I had the memory removing device off men in black so I could rewatch classic fights not knowing the outcome.

 

Religiously

 

One thing I will say about the modern fighters. They go about their business just as good as the fighters from 60-70 years ago. Ok, they don't fight as often, and its more money orientated these days. But fighters like Bernard Hopkins, Floyd Mayweather, and Juan Manuel Marquez are just as skilled and good to watch as the old timers.

If you strip out the politics, multipile titles in each division, and how few the modern day boxers step into the ring, they are just as good as the old timers.

 

Here's Round 3

[YT]Sw9Hntr9M7g[/YT]

I love boxing too much not to follow.

I just love the sport. I could never give up on it. Great fights are great fights. Even between local club fighters.

 

I don't follow current sports much in general, or anything having much to do with contemporary cultural trends. But I haven't forgotten what I previously learned either. Occasionally, I'll adopt a passionate interest in something entirely new for a while, and then outgrow it completely as the novelty wears off.

History was an interest of mine during my formative years, so posting here is something of an extension of that proclivity. I vividly remember a time before I had nothing more than the most casual and general awareness of boxing. I have reverted completely back to that previous mindset, except for the fact of what I learned while I was following it intently.

 

Great points Jack; I certainly can't disagree, all I can offer is that my sports heroes aren't boxers anymore unlike the past; maybe there is an "attitude" thing working here. Patterson etc...the fighters that went into a fight with respect, not trying to out-glamour the other guy, plus if you want to see the big bouts you have to pay out the wazoo and, more often than not, it's not worth the price.

But you are a 21st century torch bearer for the greatest of sports and my hat is off to you. :good

My wife working late tonite; I've got Butler basketball on the net later on, and I'm getting ready to set down and watch:
Ezz-Rock 1
Jofre highlights
Tiger-Fernandez
Oliveres-Herrera
etc...:thumbsup

you're a true fan...

we'll stay in touch...

 

always have watched boxing and always will

 

absolutely.

 

Thanks for posting that video SteveO, I hadn't seen it before. Wish I hadn't missed that fight.

 

Of course I follow modern boxing, being young its hard to get a hold of some of the older fights. I am a huge Mayweather fan and consider his skillset to be one of the best seen in history. I do try and get a hold of or view the older fighters to make a qualified judgement though.

 

Modern boxing may be as good as boxing of the past but it is a lot more confusing to be a boxing fan nowadays... For example; in the old days you only had a few governing bodies that determined who the division champ was(The WBA and WBC) Nowadays you have 14 different bodies... 4or5 of which are considered 'real belts' plus all those 'intercontinental, pan-pacific....' BS versions of the titles. But the worst part is that people have to pay so much money to watch a fight. When PPV first started in the late 1980's with Tyson vs Spinks and later with Holyfield vs Foreman and Holyfield vs Bowe.... these fights were actually worth paying the 29.99 for.... but nowadays PPV cards of full of ****.... nowadays Don King will ask people to pay 45.00ppv money to see a card with people like Larry Donald, John Ruiz, Danny Williams & chris Byrd. My question is how in the hell DK can make any money off of creating a PPV card like that? If only we still had title fights on ABC and CBS instead of on Showtime or HBO ppv. Common people are not boxing fans anymore because they don't know any of the good modern fighters. My rant is now over....