What fighter got you into boxing?

Growing up in Belfast my whole family were big fans of Barry McGuigan, one of my earliest memories in life is getting out of bed to be told McGuigan had lost to Cruz, also I had 2 big brothers into boxing and they were fans of the likes of Haggler, Sugar Ray and Tyson so I naturally became curious.

Having said that I never really became an "addict" the way I am now until I settled down with the missus and had kids. Having time to sit down and watch old fights on youtube and read up on stuff has got me even further in the fight game.

How much has the internet advantaged boxing fans? Things like Youtube, Twitter, Live Steaming of fights are great for this generation of boxing fans, suppose it makes up a bit for the lack of BIG boxing on terrestrial TV that has been taken from us.

 

Moore/Rhodes made me become a casual

Taylor/Froch was the first time I stayed up for a fight

During the build up to the Froch/Abraham fight I started reading boxing news then from there joined here and I'd now call myself an active casual/relaxed fan

 

Makunouchi Ippo.

 

First Ali, Alexis Arguello, the greats.... then Nigel Benn, Gerald Mclellon.

I used to watch videos of Ali all the time then one christmas my mum and dad bought me the greatest KO's, greatest rounds, greatest bloopers collection. I watched all these guys thought I could beat them all. Started going to the gym now and then pretending to be Ali, then I watched the Benn Mclellon fight and it moved me to tears. I knew then that boxing was in my heart rather then just my head.

 

Like a lot of people my age it was Tyson, was in a pub in Butlins for the 2nd Tyson Bruno fight, think I was the only one there wanting Tyson to win

 

First fight i remember watching was John Conteh v Matthew Saad Muhammad as a young kid been hooked ever since.Got to meet Conteh a couple of years ago really humble & actually told him he was the first fighter i remember watching.He said which fight told him the fight he lost to MSM he laughed & said i didn't put you off boxing then!

The fighter i really followed a few years later was Marvin Hagler true warrior remember the night he beat Minter at wembley the atmosphere was mental just watching it on t.v he cut Minter to ribbons followed him ever since still bitter about the SRL fight!lol!:thumbsup

 

Benn got me into boxing. Skelton got me out and then Calzaghe got me back in again. If fast internet access had been available back then, I would probably have watched boxing all my life. In some respects it's easier to be a boxing fan nowadays :deal

 

John Conteh from me as well. He had huge crossover appeal in the 1970s (remember him advertising burgers "Big, British & Beefy - just like me!"). Unfortunately his career soon went on a downward spiral and it was left to the likes of Minter & Sibson to keep my interest going.

 

Eubanks

 

Williams-Wright was the first fight I decided on my own to sit down and watch. I started paying a lot more attention to the sport, watching more fights, documentaries, wikipedia-ing oldtime fighters, newsites. Hajime No Ippo and fanmade highlights was what got me hooked though.

 

Larry Holmes,how could a man so talented in the ring be such a bellend outside,didnt like the Clooney overtones and the Marciano thing but started taking an interest in boxing 70s 80s and HWs are or were the main interest to the casual watcher.His skill and dominance were a sight to see....

 

I think the first fighter I followed was Hearns, followed by Hagler and then Nigel Benn.
It's a double edged sword for me, I like access that you can get now through the internet although I preferred boxing before it went PPV. This for me meant that boxers got national coverage and we watched the fights as a family, once it went to Sky I didn't follow it quite as much.

 

Was always interested from a casual point of view but Pacquiao on a more worldwide basis.

Was bored out of my mind on a day off from college so I decided to stick YouTube on and watch some boxing and the first video I saw was of Pacquiao's 1st round in the first fight against Marquez and then afterwards I just watched more and more of his fights and then shortly after that I saw Taylor/Pavlik I on Sky, not a bad first fight to stay up ridiculously late for. :yep

 

I have always watched the really big fights, and Lennox was the first I remember seeing regularly. Also watching the build up to the Holyfield fight (?) there was a feature on Ricky Hatton and his name always stuck, and started following him when he got big.

Since Hatton Mayweather I've got more and more interested, and over the last couple of years i'd say I'm more than a casual fan.

 

mike tyson.

9:30 sunday mornings on itv.

those were the days. :yep