Great points by Tito fan and Memphis and Slim

Yes the ring walk and the psychological game leading up to the ring and stepping through the ropes and the adrenaline and the heart pounding. That whole pre fight activity right up until the staredown. sometimes I thought I was going to pass out just watching it.

And no doubt the idea that a person could die or get seriously hurt is also a kind of weird background understanding we all have when we watch grown men throw punches with the force sometimes it seems of a bullet or a missile at someone else's face.

Some of those missed punches when we say HOLYSHIT THAT WOULD HAVE ENDED IT RIGHT THERE! I think that's when we really get the understanding that that really would have taken the guy's head off almost literally. Knowing at any moment it could happen....