Thread: History or Today

Would you say you are a historian or more enthusiastic about what is happening now in the boxing world?

I would like to think that I am a boxing enthusiast but as I have aged and am seeing less boxing because they are on expensive or obscure channels it is the historian.

I'm all about the here and now. I miss/will miss certain fighters and will forever remember some of the fantastic wars I have seen over the years but if we don't support the sport and get behind todays fighters, the sport we love will fade and die. People get far too nostalgic at times and seem to forget some of the truths of the time. That Tyson-Wlad thread is a prime example.

Originally Posted by bzkfn

I'm all about the here and now. I miss/will miss certain fighters and will forever remember some of the fantastic wars I have seen over the years but if we don't support the sport and get behind todays fighters, the sport we love will fade and die. People get far too nostalgic at times and seem to forget some of the truths of the time. That Tyson-Wlad thread is a prime example.

Very good post and I agree 100%...not just about the Wlad-Tyson thread but about how the sport will die if everyone has their heads so far up the asses of older fighters that they refuse to enjoy the here and now.

Its a balance now. Before the internet () it was hard to stay current with the exception of weekly shows and papers. You didn't get a chance to 'look beyond' what your were being given where as history had already been written on older fighters so you delved in..there for the picking. Also you certainly did not get exposed to the massive talent over seas like you are today. Today and with the ease of information and more so awesome places like this you have up to the second info and perspective and great insight to keep it ALL current. I think a healthy respect and appreciation for history is a must to get the big picture of today, know where you came from to know where you are going. But not so much that you miss whats right in front of you. Today will be history before ya know it.

A bit of both, like to make comparisons and hope we learn from the past and dont repeat mistakes in or out of the ring. Chemistry seems to be eating into the professionalism of it all though its sad they've got masking agents to hide whats going on these days.

I am a big time fan of history in general so I enjoy learning about the wild fighters of the past the John L. Sullivan's, the Stanley Ketchel's, the Young Griffo's, the Battling Siki's, the Jack Johnson's, etc. Its the same with baseball for me I enjoy the old timers, but I still follow my Red Sox as faithfully as ever.

I think to be a true fan you have to appreciate both, but the guys who are in love with the history of the sport are extremely negative about boxing's present.

Originally Posted by Andre

A bit of both, like to make comparisons and hope we learn from the past and dont repeat mistakes in or out of the ring. Chemistry seems to be eating into the professionalism of it all though its sad they've got masking agents to hide whats going on these days.

Its all a collective, all eras mashed together. With the technology and every action being on public display today, who knows what we they would have discovered in days gone by if same was true.

Originally Posted by erics44

Would you say you are a historian or more enthusiastic about what is happening now in the boxing world?

Interesting question.

At the risk of sounding arrogant I do consider myself an historian after being a fan for over 40 years and going back to boxing history in a library in high school and university before computers were a brain fart. How can I dismiss experience in the history I have witnessed also with what are ppv today as part of a Wild World of Sports broadcast on any given Saturday? Of course it empirically effects the way I view boxing today. I watched Leonard and Duran fight twice in one year and I watched two spoiled brats squander 50 mil a piece.

Today? To many belts, to much bullshit, redefinition of risk and reward, inactivity, 0 protect and this phantom p4p. I'm still a chronic fan and will remain so.

Well, since we're all here...

What do you good folks here at Saddo think boxing needs in order to thrive?

Things to consider:
- What's practical and realistic?
- What would be IDEAL?
- How? And how long?
- Who are the people that are going to help move this forward? The fans? The promoters? The (gasp) boxers?
- Will boxing realistically go under? Why? How?

I think that's a good place to start. Haha. Personally, I do not currently have an opinion on this. I'll definitely follow up, but would also like everyone else's thoughts on both matters at hand.

Well, like most boxing fans, I want boxing to continue to thrive for the next 100 years and beyond. I do think there were the so-called "Golden Ages" of boxing, back when the sport was without some of the maddening negatives we have now, such as PEDs, and the failure of the top fighters to meet sometimes (either because of the many alphabet orgs, or through shoddy, greedy promoters). But yeah we can't live in the past and expect the up-and-comers to gain popularity. So although I like the history of boxing, I try to be more enthusiastic about what's happening today.

Originally Posted by Spicoli

Its a balance now. Before the internet () it was hard to stay current with the exception of weekly shows and papers. You didn't get a chance to 'look beyond' what your were being given where as history had already been written on older fighters so you delved in..there for the picking. Also you certainly did not get exposed to the massive talent over seas like you are today. Today and with the ease of information and more so awesome places like this you have up to the second info and perspective and great insight to keep it ALL current. I think a healthy respect and appreciation for history is a must to get the big picture of today, know where you came from to know where you are going. But not so much that you miss whats right in front of you. Today will be history before ya know it.

I agree, it's easy to be a historian and stay current with what's happing as we speak. The Internet still amazes me every day. Good post, you said it better than I could.
The problem today is filtering the information not gathering it!

As a boxing Fan,! in the 80's I have been to many Cinerama s in the early hours of the morning to see
many fights. Then sky early hours staying up, going to watch pro and amateur fights.

Originally Posted by Andre

A bit of both, like to make comparisons and hope we learn from the past and dont repeat mistakes in or out of the ring. Chemistry seems to be eating into the professionalism of it all though its sad they've got masking agents to hide whats going on these days.

i see myself as a here and now person

i am interested in the history but i generally place todays fighters and approaches above anything in the past

having said that the post above is a good one, as in you often have to look at history to understand what is happening now

Originally Posted by Peter Som

Well, since we're all here...

What do you good folks here at Saddo think boxing needs in order to thrive?

Things to consider:
- What's practical and realistic?
- What would be IDEAL?
- How? And how long?
- Who are the people that are going to help move this forward? The fans? The promoters? The (gasp) boxers?
- Will boxing realistically go under? Why? How?

I think that's a good place to start. Haha. Personally, I do not currently have an opinion on this. I'll definitely follow up, but would also like everyone else's thoughts on both matters at hand.

There are so many different levels to your question. We all want to see the best fights made but fighters need to learn and develop in the game and maximize the money they make. Fighters should be in control of their purses and educated to understand them and not be used by promoters.

TV companies, PPV and promoters with egos have stopped big fights from happening and alienating the boxing fans as well as mainstream fans in general. The drug issue is really getting rampant in boxing and it seems that there is no consistency in the implementation of stooping it. This could effect the credibility of boxing in the long run.