How much do you REALLY know about boxing???

[Zilla]

It's a combo for me because I don't know everything. I'm not deeply ensconced in boxing, but what I know I know from personal experience, watching on TV, places like Saddo's.

I don't discount secondhand info unless I find out the person writing/saying it is full of it. Because there's a wealth of people who know more than me and I'm always ready to learn something new. I can say who beat who based on what I actually know for about a handful of fighters, maybe 20-30 or so, but I'm no encyclopedia. I'm more recently getting into the lighter weights.

I've met a bunch of fighters in person. Tommy & Ronald Hearns, Bernard Hopkins, Mary Jo Sanders, and other minor local fighters. But I'm in a place where I'm comfortably standing on my own opinion based on what I've taken in from where ever I've gotten it and I can hold my own in most conversations/debates. But I'll always acknowledge when someone knows more than me.

[DaxxKahn]

It's a combo for me because I don't know everything. I'm not deeply ensconced in boxing, but what I know I know from personal experience, watching on TV, places like Saddo's.

I don't discount secondhand info unless I find out the person writing/saying it is full of it. Because there's a wealth of people who know more than me and I'm always ready to learn something new. I can say who beat who based on what I actually know for about a handful of fighters, maybe 20-30 or so, but I'm no encyclopedia. I'm more recently getting into the lighter weights.

I've met a bunch of fighters in person. Tommy & Ronald Hearns, Bernard Hopkins, Mary Jo Sanders, and other minor local fighters. But I'm in a place where I'm comfortably standing on my own opinion based on what I've taken in from where ever I've gotten it and I can hold my own in most conversations/debates. But I'll always acknowledge when someone knows more than me.

Thanks for the honest reply...Like I said I am not trying to call anyone out or make anyone look foolish, just curious is all..

I mean speaking for myself and probably the older posters here like Scrap Andre etc...We started as fans in this sport before the internet...Either you knew someone in the or around the sport, you have been to the fights, watched then Closed circuit (Anyone from the East Coast in the US remember the Felt Forum) got news from ABC wide world of sports or Read Ring Magazine when it actually was the Bible of Boxing...

[ryanman]

Well, on the criteria of the opening post i know next to nothing.

I don't know any fighters personally (a couple are friends of friends). I've been in a gym once.
But in terms of using Boxrec etc to check facts I don't usually need to. I have a pretty crazy memory and can recall a lot of fighters records perfectly. Stats and records etc I know plenty.

Pretty much everything I know is self taught, and until I got into this place properly last year I never really had the chance to talk boxing with people.

Non-boxing fans would probably consider me a boxing expert but compared to a lot of people i'm a mere amateur.

I've been into boxing since I was about 7 (1992) but until the last couple of years aside from watching the fights I could and buying Boxing Monthly I didn't really seek it out much.

[Scrap]

I watched my 1st Fight 60 years ago, Trained 38 champs. Know most people in the Game. Unfortunatly still know Fuck All.

[Youngblood]

I wasn't even born when yet when the internet was invented. So obviously I know knowing.

[DaxxKahn]

I wasn't even born when yet when the internet was invented. So obviously I know knowing.

Not true..Like I said this isn't something that I am trying to insinuate...I am not saying that if you get your info from the internet you know nothing,,,Just wondering how people learn their info....

I mean if you learn things from the posters here it is a big difference then learning stuff from lets say ESB or Hennessey

[Scrap]

What I dont know, I ask by phone someone that does. You want to see my Phone Bill

[ryanman]

Hmm, my first post kind of made it look like I barely even like the sport

Just to be clear - I love the sport. Watching boxing is my favourite thing in the world to do and I spend a lot of my spare time doing it.

In terms of fights i've watched I have no idea, but its in the thousands.

[DaxxKahn]

I watched my 1st Fight 60 years ago, Trained 38 champs. Know most people in the Game. Unfortunatly still know Fuck All.

Ah hell Scrap these days even when we think we know something they go and change it all up before Dinner anyhow ....

Any day I am expecting Susan Lucci to enter the sport and ESPN to flash something on a ticker about a purse bid to be revealed on the afternoons episode of All My Children

[Youngblood]

The truth is I really don't know much. I know my way around a ring, and I know my way around a gym, but as far as the professional side of things go, when I showed up here at Saddos I didn't even know who Pac was, barely who Mayweather was, and certainly less about near everyone else in the sport.

But I could fight, and I loved it.

Coming to Saddos and other online forums has been my education in learning the sport. I learn the most from the fans. The people who have favorite fighters, who know it's history, or are maybe just weekend fans like so myself too and many are. I learn from sports writers, historians, officials, coaches trainers online, but overall, the most I learn regarding boxing I learn from the fans. The ones with both little and lots of knowledge. I learn not just knowledge, but what makes them tick. That I believe is important to know, especially for anyone who might be considering it for a living long term.

So all in all, in learning to train and fight...I learn most of that in the gym. But learning the sport, how it works, the fighters, the history, divisions, who's who and what's what, and to hear it's heart beat...that I get from places just like Saddos here, and the fans who are on the boards sharing and often wearing their hearts on their sleeves..

[bcollins]

I watched my 1st Fight 60 years ago, Trained 38 champs. Know most people in the Game. Unfortunatly still know Fuck All.

Ah hell Scrap these days even when we think we know something they go and change it all up before Dinner anyhow ....

Any day I am expecting Susan Lucci to enter the sport and ESPN to flash something on a ticker about a purse bid to be revealed on the afternoons episode of All My Children

I'll buy that PPV.

[Mark TKO]

been following boxing since around 85 - got most of my info back then from the Ring (which I have just stopped buying after 25 years as its too far behind these days and internet is killing it)

I admit I only follow the main guys and two guys who have lost 12 fights between them, and who i know won't be players on world scene, may put on a decent scrap on Friday night fights but I can't get excited about it if youy get my drift

I have a good library of fights going back to late 70s but not seen many fights before then - apart from the classics we all have

If big fights are shown over here I watch but difficult to see some guys in UK eg I've never seen Paul Williams, Edwin Valero etc only on youtube clips.

I been to a dozen or so fights over here eg Benn, Eubank , Hamed, Khan - and made the Vegas trip twice for Lewis Tua and Hatton PBF.

But there's a hell of a lot I don't know and if someone knows more than me - then I don't care !

eg there's some guy called Ali or something like that who sounded like a bit of a big deal in his time - never saw him fight...

[Spicoli]

Re: How much do you REALLY know about boxing
As far as physical aspect and performing the craft...next to nothing.Have stepped into a professionally run gym twice in my entire life.Both in Va.Beach.Have stepped into the ring both times and just slapped boxed around.Never officially spared,never received instruction and frankly never took advantage of vast surroundings to learn and soak up the knowledge of the ones who's company I was in at the time......my physical participation to any thing "boxing" related consist of home implimentation....A heavy bag at work...one at home and gloves we put on to knock around in the backyard,not school yard right hand happy crap....but def not serious studied proper footwork etc aspects.More or less I know what I am and I know what I am not...and thats a professional prize fighter,besides I'm too old and fat for that now HA.Mainly work the bag alot for cardio,flexibility,work many muscles that may go dormant and it is a GREAT stress relief,done properly.

As far as an observer and 'arm chair warrior' if you will.Quite simply I am an addict.Its my tar heroin.Started watching late in age,17,18 I believe on ABC wide world of sports and ESPN in 87'.Originally followed Baseball and scored games,kept stats on everything.After a year it was bye bye baseball and full time boxing junkie.No internet,no computer so I kept 5x8 bio cards on every fighter featured,newspaper articles and notebooks be they a super star or some 5-5 club fighter.Gathered info through all publications,Ring,KO,Boxing Illustrated,World boxing and newspapers,and Ralph citros record books and 'Fight fax inc'Had to call 900 #'s for global updates and started trading/buying tapes in 90'.Ive joked that I was forming a Box-rec before it existed and somehow let technology pass me by.Quit a very good job to do so and actually payed some bills for a while.Ultimately a dumb thing to do.The shit takes you over and blurs lines on reality and sports world.Had little to no internet-computer reliance up until a few years ago..long story.Found Saddo's one night looking for results (on dial up ) and wondered "who are all of these over seas fighters Ive never heard of".Made an account that night,no floating and jumped right in.Has not been the same since and cannot imagine following this sport with no internet...damn near impossible and a lonely azz task.We have a great thing in the instant availability and living in the 'now' with the sport as opposed to what many here remember in the past.After all until recently the major networks did not exactly scramble to cover the fights.Ive recently canceled Cable tv last month and have not seen a live fight in three weeks (streams a rarity or fail often it seems) but make due.Have rethought this decision as I feel like I'm having with drawls .Shite...quite the novel here,need coffee.

[Hulk]

Well I am 22 years old now. I began watching boxing with my Dad when I was about 12. I believe the first fight I watched and really paid attention to was Holyfield vs. Lewis II. Then Mosley vs. Delahoya and so on.

On TV I've watched easily over 1,000 fights, probably around 1,500. I watch all that I can be it, ESPN 2, Showbox, FSN, HDNET, and HBO and PPV.

Yes I've really been in a gym and done more than hit a heavy bag. lol

I first learned to box properly from a boxing trainer who himself had 80 amatuer fights and was 13th in the nation and #1 in the state of California at one time.

Since then I've boxed and trained for 2 years at the MMA gym in my town because that is the only fighting gym we have.

I've sparred hundreds of rounds, with anyone who would spar me, including pro MMA fighters.

As far as fights go I have had 3 "smokers" which are unofficial amatuer boxing matches with 16 oz gloves and headgear and only 3, 2 min rounds.

Two of my opponents were pro MMA fighters. The first outweighed me by a good 25 lbs of muscle and that was a hell of a fight that I am very proud of. lol

And I get all my boxing news from here, ESPN 2, and Yahoo sports.

[JonnyFolds]

I like to keep up with the current champs. I also have favorite fighters whom I know may never win a world title.I watch about 6 fights a week. I know NO boxers personally.

Boxrec is a great resourse, and I think a bigger fool would not use it. I think 70% of my knowledge is from fights I've seen. Only fight I've ever been to was Gatti/Gomez... rather disappointing for my hero only to follow tragedy (RIP).


My first memories are Tyson/Douglas, but at the time I didn't realize what I was watching.. the biggest upset in history. I used to watch Foreman in his comeback with my dad. My dad was an Olympic power lifter, and a lot of his close friends boxed. (he's 82 now) He planted the seed a long time ago when I still thought that team sports would take over the world.

The first fight that got me hooked was (oddly enough) Gatti/Mayweather. Even though Mayweather is not one of my favorite fighters, my bro and I got it and I could not believe the hailstorm Gatti walked through... only to get KTFO. Well... it was inspiring anyway! Except I could not figure out why Mayweather was crying at the end (again). And I hated his ostrich trunks. And I hated that he was carried out by 4 guys dressed as Roman soldiers... Guess, I just don't like Mayweather, really.