Is Boxing the worlds most popular sport in the history of civilization?

Discussion in 'Classic Boxing Forum' started by reznick, Sep 13, 2017.


  1. reznick

    reznick In the 7.2% Full Member

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    Given boxings popularity throughout ancient Egypt, Mesopotamia, Rome, Greece, it's prominence in the ancient olympics, it's rich history in the bare knuckle era, and it's popularity in the last century, do you guys think that boxing is possibly the most popular sport of mankind?

    Is it a top 3 lock?
     
    reznick, Sep 13, 2017
    reznick, Sep 13, 2017
    #1
  2. PeterD

    PeterD Member Full Member

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    Could be right up there but I think Chess is more popular.

    Not sure how long soccer has been around, that is bigger than boxing these days.
     
    PeterD, Sep 13, 2017
    PeterD, Sep 13, 2017
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  3. bodhi

    bodhi Obsessed with Boxing Full Member

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    Boxing was around for a long time, more than most sports. However, for most of its existence there weren't really many people on the planet - same for chess. Given that, the most popular in the literal way is probably a sport that was the most popular after WW2 because that's when the world's population exploded. So, it probably is soccer for the pure literal popularity and running for the amount of people who are doing it.
     
    bodhi, Sep 13, 2017
    bodhi, Sep 13, 2017
    #3
  4. Unforgiven

    Unforgiven VIP Member banned Full Member

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    Equestrian sport and hunting for sport are probably the most cross-cultural, millenniums spanning, types of sports.
     
    Unforgiven, Sep 13, 2017
    Unforgiven, Sep 13, 2017
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  5. reznick

    reznick In the 7.2% Full Member

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    Soccer, has been around for only 150 years, minus some anomalies of ancient civilizations playing something remotely similar.

    Boxing has been around for thousands of years. There are paintings from 1,600 BC of people boxing. And for hundreds of years, it was the most popular sport in the Greek Olympics. Boxing was the most popular sport in Greece, where learning how to box was considered essential, with rich families employing private tutors.

    Soccer has exploded is popularity the last 100 years. But one of, of not the most famous person around the world from the 20th century was a boxer, Ali. He is a god like mythical figure today, sort of how they praised the boxing heroes of ancient times for centuries.

    The highest paid athlete in the last decade is a boxer.


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    reznick, Sep 13, 2017
    reznick, Sep 13, 2017
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  6. bodhi

    bodhi Obsessed with Boxing Full Member

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    All true. However, for most of history they were very few people on the planet. In the last 50 years more people were alive than in the last 10,000 combined. And soccer is the by far most popular sport in that time frame. So, logically, it also must be historically.
    However, if you mean continuous popular over time, then I'd agree boxing would be up there (also technically I think you should call it weaponless Martial Arts because the boxing 3,000 years ago is not the same as now). Still think running would be more popular than boxing though.
     
    bodhi, Sep 13, 2017
    bodhi, Sep 13, 2017
    #6
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