Have boxing writers become too melodramatic?i

[Beanflicker]

Meh, I don't read the stuff because I don't value the opinion of any boxing writers any more than I do of a forum poster.

It's the same as fans, everyone's either too negative or complete nut huggers. Everyone wants to be an armchair expert and everyone is a hindsight genius who knew what was going to happen and wants to tell you all about how smart they are. Who cares about that shit.

The fact of the matter is, even so called "experts" (boxers, trainers, commentators, ect) can't tell you who's going to win a boxing match with any consistency.

I've heard guys like Emmanuel Stewart say the dumbest shit and make the worst predictions I've ever heard.

[Beanz]

Meh, I don't read the stuff because I don't value the opinion of any boxing writers any more than I do of a forum poster.

It's the same as fans, everyone's either too negative or complete nut huggers. Everyone wants to be an armchair expert and everyone is a hindsight genius who knew what was going to happen and wants to tell you all about how smart they are. Who cares about that shit.

The fact of the matter is, even so called "experts" (boxers, trainers, commentators, ect) can't tell you who's going to win a boxing match with any consistency.

I've heard guys like Emmanuel Stewart say the dumbest shit and make the worst predictions I've ever heard.

There is a lot of truth in what you say but I enjoy the work of a great writer because of how more than what he writes. Hugh Mcilvanney is a great writer, here he is on the tragic Johnny Owen

"…Boxing gave Johnny Owen his one positive means of self-expression. Outside the ring he was an inaudible and almost invisible personality. Inside, he became astonishingly positive and self-assured. He seemed to be more at home there than anywhere else. It is his tragedy that he found himself articulate in such a dangerous language.”


on Duran leonard 2

" Faced with such indignities the Duran we knew was liable to take drastic retribution. Butting and kicking would have been infinitely less surprising than what he did. But it must be he concluded that somewhere in the complicated reaches of his mentality he had decided that his most effective gesture was to declare the contest void as far as he was concerned. Brown, the second of his old trainers, says that with Duran boxing has always been too serious to be considered a sport. 'It's not like football,' says Brown. 'Because he never gives you the ball.' Realising that Leonard was taking the ball away from him for keeps, Duran resolved to put a knife in it. "

You don't have to agree with the guy to enjoy it. The writing is mesmerising, subtle and and deft.

[Beanflicker]

I'm talking more so of the "opinion" of the guys who want to tell you who sucks, who's good, who's overrated, ect. I don't think Dan Rafael and the other boxing writers have any more insight than the top posters here. I don't put much value in their opinions.

But if you're talking actual boxing writers - guys who write about the history, the people, the stories, ect - that stuff is great. I like guys like that. George Plimpton was another great one and Shadow Box is one of my favourite books. Great writing is great writing. I'll read an article on golf if it's great writing.

I'll read Plimpton's stories about Muhammad Ali, Foreman, Archie Moore, ect because he's not giving an opinion, he's letting you into their world. But I could give a fuck about who Plimpton thought would win between Muhammad Ali and Joe Louis.