figured this was the most appropriate place to post this as it would be appreciated more over here and deals with a lot of 'classic' type topics..... -I miss being able to watch Boxing on ABC, CBS, NBC in the afternoon that are Championship fights or fights between undefeated contenders -I miss hearing Gil Clancy say "I am getting excited" during a fight where the two guys are going at it -I miss top undefeated prospects not being scared or afraid to fight each other to earn a title shot -Although I didn't really like him I miss Howard Cosell doing commentary and post fight interviews on a Saturday afternoon -I miss Boxing getting major coverage in newspapers and magazines like Sports Illustrated -I miss the days when there were not 5 belts per a division along with 'interim', 'regular', and 'super' champions when it was easy to tell who THE Champion was in a division -I miss Champions like Larry Holmes fighting 4 or 5 times a year most fight twice a year now if we are lucky -I miss being able to go to a bar or pub and being able to talk Boxing with people who don't look at me like they think I am crazy for still being a fan -I miss 15 round Championship fights feel free to add your own :good
I miss Battle Royales I miss the Color Line I miss TV not existing I miss Mob controlled fighters on every card I miss never having tape on fighters I miss fighters having the cuffs on I miss ND and Newspaper Decision fights I miss World Wars that brought the game to a halt
I miss the HBO jingle from 5-10 years ago. I don't like this new one. I miss Wednesday Night Fights. I miss Bert Sugar already.
I actually do miss Don King in his prime during the 90's, throwing down some of the greatest cards I ever saw. **** Bob Arum. I prefer the other scumbag.
I don't miss much. I don't have much patience with the modern game and the silly circus of 24-7 coverage and WWE-style soap operatics that surrounds it. It's become a camp theatre of the ridiculous. But that's not because I miss the old days. And I actually think 'the mob controlled fighters on every card' days were a great time in boxing. When the mobsters had their monopoly we saw some great fights. (Maybe it's no coincidence that Don King was a mob-connected racketeers with two kills under his belt ? Murderous hoodlums love to put on great fights ! ) I think 'No Decision fights' would be an improvement on all the bad decisions, and controversy and squabbling over decisions that seems to happen every month or two on a major fight these days. As for 'fighters having the cuffs on' ... I see fighters on the old films who reputed fought 'cuffed' actually giving it a better effort than many of the fighters these days who we are supposed to believe are legit.
Here here - and I also miss the days when boxing fans were good ol boys instead of wet limp wristed annoying gits who hate the old days because it would've been to tough for them to cope with and I also miss the days when boxing fans weren't all brainwashed modernists who know nothing other than Mike Tyson and Muhammad Ali haha
I've got tears in my eyes reading this Rico. Born in 53' the Wide World of Sports Championship matches in the mid-60's were special. Watching the Gillete fights on Friday night with my dad in the early 60's, into the seventies, major bouts on regular TV, Larry's title defenses, even Muhammad's bum of the month defenses. I was all alone in the house (my parents at a 'function' in 68) watching my beloved Floyd Patterson attempt a 3rd title against Ellis on WWOS. It will NEVER be the same. And I DO miss Howard. For all his egotism, he did genuinely love the sport. "The problem here with Ellis is that he needs to win this clearly, early, and decisively...oh! Patterson on the attack! Ellis cut over the right eye!!! (with the Swedish crowd going nuts!) I love the old days, I only wish the youngsters on board here could have experienced it.
