What got you interested in boxing?

For me it all started when I was about 10 years old and I'm 55 now... My dad boxed in the Army and we had a speed bag and a heavy bag and a big box full of old boxing gloves in our garage when I was a kid... First my dad taught me how to throw and block punches... Back in the 70's I used to spar w/ other kids in my neighbor hood w/ parent supervision most of the time... Then when I was in 7th & 8th grade I boxed amateur for PAL (Police Athletic League) w/ limited success... All the while my dad and I used to watch boxing on TV together during boxing's glory days and that's where I became a boxing fan for life... What made you a fan of our sport?

I never watched boxing but remember Ali v Holmes and Holmes v Cooney because they were huge mainstream type of fights in the UK.

I then watched McGuigan, Bruno, Herol Graham on BBC but it was Mike Tyson that really got me into boxing at a crazy fan level. Read the history of the sport, magazines and boxing tapes from 1986.

Id watched boxing for a while with my dad on tv but never really paid a lot of attention.

I remember watching Chris Eubank in the lead up to the Benn rematch then the fight itself and I found it hilarious how he would pose and show off but be hard as nails at the same time.

I can remember watching a few Tyson fights when I was a real nipper but didn't have a clue about the sport, I just liked watching people hit each other

I can remember picking up an insane hatred for Price Naz through my dad, that was when I started to pick up a bit more interest and started to understand the sport a bit more (I remember that when he fought Barrera I stayed up and watched it because I knew he was going to get beat, I must have been about 15 or 16)

It wasn't long after that that Ricky Hatton got his debut on Sky Sports (when it was Friday Fight Night if I remember correctly) that was when I really got into my boxing, I didn't care who was fighting I would always watch it if I wasn't out on the piss.

Out of all of my mates I only managed to get one other one into boxing at around the time of the Hatton v Kostya Tszyu fight, he has stuck with the sport as well and still loves it, although I don't think he follows it quite as much these days he still knows what is going on

I think Hatton fought on ITV before sky but am not sure.

I don't think so, I could be wrong but I can remember them on Sky raving about him when he was still unknown, he was just this strange looking pale mancunian who ended up crippling people with body shots every other week

His fourth pro fight was on Sky Sports, I doubnt if I'd have seen this one as I would only have been 13 at he time

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DS6FcnBgzOw

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Originally Posted by Batman

I don't think so, I could be wrong but I can remember them on Sky raving about him when he was still unknown, he was just this strange looking pale mancunian who ended up crippling people with body shots every other week

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He had a WBU Warren title and wanted more than just to defend that every other time and then jumped to sky to get the kostya fight I think.

he may have moved to ITV for a brief time but I can't really remember that, he was certainly on sky first though, especially if they televised his 4th pro fight

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Originally Posted by Batman

he may have moved to ITV for a brief time but I can't really remember that, he was certainly on sky first though, especially if they televised his 4th pro fight

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You could be right he could have been a sky fighter. He built a massive fan base and thought it was because of mainstream tv. Pretty amazing to do it that way.

My granddad was a boxer and had a few amatuer fights, i only met him a few times, and my dad was boxing for fun when he was younger, cause i didnt get to know my granddad when i was real young i thought i pick up boxing so we had atleast some connection or something to talk about when i would met him.

I always thought Muhammad Ali was great, then I was a naughty child and got given a curfew for a long time. The only place I was allowed to be after 5pm was the boxing gym ..... so I joined in, loved it and ended up representing their amateur team. 55 fights and a 12 year amateur career means I loved the sport, and those who have the guts to step into the ring competitively, and still do

Prince Naseem

My granddad was into his boxing and used to look after me and my sisters pretty much every weekend. He always had the fights on and let me stay up to watch them with him. We always had a little playful spar with him on his knees holding a pillow for me to whack. i was a wee nipper and honestly cant remember what fights we watched but this was during early eighty's. A bit before Tyson, Eubank and Ben days.

That was when i knew what boxing was. Fast forward a few years a mate at my local pub got a load of us to buy tickets to see his work mate fight on the under card of Michael Brodie vs Fredric Bonifia at the Wythenshaw forum in Manchester Before his couple of fights with Injin Che. Ady Lewis was also on the card that night. I remember stood around with my watery pint in a plastic pint pot in the foyer chatting to random people and them mentioning Ricky hatton and how hes KOing guys left right and center and the one to watch. I really enjoyed the buzz that night and i think that's what got me really interested.

I Know Anthony Farnell and used to knock around with him on the park when we were younger. Not spoke to him for years though. I know Craig Watson and went to a couple of his amateur fights but again ive not seen him in a few years. I see Anthony Crolla from time to time and always say hello and sometimes ask his opinion on the next up and coming fight. There are many people i speak to who knows someone thats fighting. Been to plenty of white collar nights and charity doos but nowadays i prefer to watch the big fights on the box in the comfort of my own home with a beer.

Boxing has always been around in my social circle. Something to look forward to at the end of the week.

I'm half Cuban so boxing was HUGE on my mothers side of the family. My dad was really into boxing also, so we would have people over for all of the big fights. I never paid much attention because I would play w my friends/cousins, until I happened to be walking by the t.v. and saw the in ring preflight instructions/stare down for Hagler-Hearns. I was terrified/mesmerized and I don't think I blinked once during that whole fight. From that moment on (I was ten at the time) I was hooked.

me dad


hes irish and it was at the time Baz was ruling the world

My earliest boxing memory is one night when my family gathered together to watch Julio Cesar Chavez Sr. I was real young, five or six and remember him getting knocked down and sit up with blood coming down his face. My only thought was "that's a lot of blood." and my family was in shock. I think it might've been the fight against De La Hoya, and they were all rooting for Chavez. Being Mexican American, boxing was always present growing up.

It wasn't until high school that I became more interested in it. I wasn't much for team sports, boxing stood out to me simply because of the 1 on 1 factor. It's all on you, and no one else. So I worked up the courage to find a gym and began training. I started at 18, and did it on and off over the years. I'm 26 now and have accumulated five amateur fights with plans on becoming pro before regret and old age claim me. I love the sport and the feeling of just you and the other guy in there and nothing else mattering. It's a real living in the moment and testing what you're made of. Plus it's a great way to stay in shape both in and out of the ring :D

The ring card girls actually. I forgot which fight it was, but I was around 8 or 9 and saw one of those ring card girls and it drew me in to the boxing match my dad and uncles were watching. I was waiting to see the ring card girls again, then ended up watching the fight and liking boxing.;D

Funnily enough, I don't care about the ring card girls anymore and just want to see a good match.

Good stuff guys! I've known a few guys from the UK and in places like Ireland and England boxing is part of everyday life for a lot of families... Dad's teach all their kids to box both boys and girls.... Right now the UK boxing scene is the world leader in our sport.... The fans over there create an electric atmosphere in the arenas and they travel well to support their fighters too...

I watched an old Muhammad fight documentary (about 2 hours long) which covered to time frame of him in the Olympics to his rematch win over Leon Spinks. Filled with fight footage, interviews and outside the ring coverage.

Prior to this, I had little knowledge of Ali's history (the Liston upset, suspension from boxing, Frazier fight, etc...), so it was as if I was watching his career unfold in real time. I watched the Frazier fight completely clueless about the result and was shocked that Frazier came out of top....decades after the fight actually happened.

Frank Bruno
Mike Tyson
Barry McGuigan
Prince Naseem
Benn/ Eubank/ Watson
Evander Holyfield
Lennox Lewis
Knockout Kings on PS1
The Peacock Gym
Oscar DelaHoya
Fight Night Round 4 on PS2
James Toney
Emmanuel Augustus
Flyd Mayweather

In that order

I'd say Bruce Lee. More specifically Jeet Kun Do philosophy. As a runt, I started with wrestling, then Boxing, then kickboxing briefly, Muay Thai... moving along studying all forms of combat from Hockey fights (used to play) to now researching Kali and krav maga... . Studying fighters and breaking down styles, stances, weight shifting, and body position and techniques ... picking up what can be blended in and discarding what is useless

Boxing holds a special place because, prior to cable it was the only one that was televised mainstream over here aside from maybe the Olympics (judo, wrestling TKD) where you could watch, analyze and glean from the pros in competition. (Even now, many martial arts on cable are exhibitions, not real world applications.) So I spent most of my time watching it and breaking down in my head why the best were the best. Fighters like Ali, Tyson, Roy stood out because stylistically they were extreme for their time but still so effective. Ali's movement, Roy's everything... I mean Cus coached patterson and torres but there was something about the speed and compactness of tyson under him that brought the style to a pinnacle.

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Originally Posted by jimanuel boogustus

frank bruno
mike tyson
barry mcguigan
prince naseem
benn/ eubank/ watson
evander holyfield
lennox lewis
knockout kings on ps1
the peacock gym
oscar delahoya
fight night round 4 on ps2
james toney
emmanuel augustus
flyd mayweather

in that order

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bruuuuuuunnnnnnnooo

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Originally Posted by erics44

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Originally Posted by jimanuel boogustus

frank bruno
mike tyson
barry mcguigan
prince naseem
benn/ eubank/ watson
evander holyfield
lennox lewis
knockout kings on ps1
the peacock gym
oscar delahoya
fight night round 4 on ps2
james toney
emmanuel augustus
flyd mayweather

in that order

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bruuuuuuunnnnnnnooo

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You put Mayweather down on that list! You 2 faced fucker!! 😂😂😂
Secret Mayweather lover!

when we were kids do any of you remember playing hot hand?

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Originally Posted by Yuzo

when we were kids do any of you remember playing hot hand?

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no

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Originally Posted by Yuzo

when we were kids do any of you remember playing hot hand?

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Did it involve a magnifying glass?

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Originally Posted by Yuzo

when we were kids do any of you remember playing hot hand?

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Is that basically slaps? If so then yes, no idea what the relevance is though

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Red_hands

theres this saying in boxing. they say you cant play boxing. not so sure this is true.

boxing is just a game of hot hand. but with punches, counter punches, counter counter punches, slipping motions.

when guys walk into boxing gyms they suddenly have amensia. they dont remember anymore. you have to teach these guys how to play hot hand again. but with punches, counter punches, counter counter punches, slipping motions.

With my Dad in the 60s Cooper Clay just went on from there.
My son watched boxing with me and went onto box himself, I am 56 and my son is 25 and we still watch boxing together, weather on TV or we go to watch live .

Large draw was the individuality of it. I was a baseball junkie prior right down to at ball game stats and score sheets but once I began catching boxing on the weekend afternoons I was hooked. Weird really as early on to follow the sport was to be a bit of a nomad who had search for it. Unfortunately I have zero boxing-family connection and the only tie with Pop and boxing was me "borrowing" some of his blank vhs tapes to record cards. Right after Douglas ko'd Tyson he walked by and knocked on my bedroom wall shouting "how'd ya like that hahaha" ;D. Sure you had random network availability but much of the time we see only the top layer. The story and career line of watching a fighter rise and fall or vice versa is better than any classic Hollywood could rewrite while on the shitter. You 'live' the moment in boxing and that's what makes it so memorable..your spot and era and favorite. For all its ass shat backroom dealings and corruption of convenience, the international depth and life metaphor playing out is great.

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Originally Posted by Primo Carnera

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Originally Posted by erics44

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Originally Posted by jimanuel boogustus

frank bruno
mike tyson
barry mcguigan
prince naseem
benn/ eubank/ watson
evander holyfield
lennox lewis
knockout kings on ps1
the peacock gym
oscar delahoya
fight night round 4 on ps2
james toney
emmanuel augustus
flyd mayweather

in that order

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bruuuuuuunnnnnnnooo

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You put Mayweather down on that list! You 2 faced fucker!! ï¿½ï¿½ï¿½ï¿½ï¿½ï¿½ï¿½ï¿½ï¿½ï¿½ï¿½ï¿½ï¿½ï¿½ï¿½ï¿½ï¿ ½ï¿½
Secret Mayweather lover!

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;D Lol I should have put Saddoboxing at the end of that list.
Not only to pay homage but to also give you an idea of the time scale ;)

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Originally Posted by Jimanuel Boogustus

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Originally Posted by Primo Carnera

Quote:

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Originally Posted by erics44

Quote:

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Originally Posted by jimanuel boogustus

frank bruno
mike tyson
barry mcguigan
prince naseem
benn/ eubank/ watson
evander holyfield
lennox lewis
knockout kings on ps1
the peacock gym
oscar delahoya
fight night round 4 on ps2
james toney
emmanuel augustus
flyd mayweather

in that order

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bruuuuuuunnnnnnnooo

---

You put Mayweather down on that list! You 2 faced fucker!! ï¿½ï¿½ï¿½ï¿½ï¿½ï¿½ï¿½ï¿½ï¿½ï¿½ï¿½ï¿½ï¿½ï¿½ï¿½ï¿½ï¿ ½ï¿½
Secret Mayweather lover!

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;D Lol I should have put Saddoboxing at the end of that list.
Not only to pay homage but to also give you an idea of the time scale ;)

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Lloyd Honeyghan should be on that list