I grew up watching the greats like Ali, Frazier, Sugar Ray, Hagler, Hearns, Tyson, Holyfield, Chavez, and other boxers of significance as a kid.
We used to go watch the Golden Gloves championship and on the way to the arena my parents spoke of Marciano, Lewis, Robinson, LaMotta, and other heroes of the past.
Boxing was such an amazing sport. The pure science it was and the ultimate test of one on one in professional sports. But as time and corruption changed the sport, it lost its luster and most of all its credibility.
The heavyweight division faded and the sport was left with Roy Jones Jr. (a blow hard who actually never fought anyone in his prime), Oscar DeLa Hoya, and Bernard Hopkins (a menacing fighter of redemption and resiliency).
Floyd Mayweather has been a great champion and a devastating student of the boxing game, so good that no one has even blemished the pretty boys face or image for that matter. Yet, we are still left asking is that it?
- B/R Ticket Guide
Well the emergence of Pride, K 1, and eventually the UFC has given way to the purest form of professional fighting. It pits the greatest fighters in the world representing all different schools of hand to hand combat and pitting them in the ring or octagon for that matter.
It's hard to not be intrigued by the brutality of this sport and the overall excitement generated by a kick-boxer fighting a college All American wrestler and a jujitsu black belt taking on a mui thai expert.
These types of match-ups have this barbarian gladiatorial feel to them as the world's best fighters are matched with no significant national implications as fans like fighters from around the world.
The skills necessary to be a consistent champion in this sport are striking, grappling, submission holds and most importantly the mental edge that separate contenders from pretenders.
They come from all walks of life and from the worlds four corners. They talk the talk and most walk the walk.
Personally I was an old school boxing fan who refused to give MMA a reasonable look until about five years ago as I spent hours with a MMA fanatic on the Internet watching highlights and fights of Don Frye, Cro Cop, Wanderlai, Andersen, Chuck, Serra, Fedor, Cotoure, and other great warriors of the new "fight game."
Since then I have been a huge fan and ask the question of boxing fans who refuse to give MMA a glance...
"Do you not realize the amount of great fighting you are missing?"
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about 1 month ago
I had a similar conversion from boxing to MMA. I still enjoy the sweet science from time to time. But MMA is the evolution of combat sports for me and I 2nd the sentiment of your article. Do you plan to write more articles in the MMA section?
about 1 month ago
Very nice. I dont think MMA is taking away from boxing per say, so much as it is blossoming into its own. It is gaining more credibility which is great. Boxing is an entirely different, similar but different sport. Boxing is historic, and carries the names of the greatest fighters the world has ever known. MMA too someday will have that honor. Hopefully MMA previals over corruption, and detrimental characters, as boxing could not. It would be a shame to lose the purity of MMA to the demons and schemes found all to often in the world of the sweet science. Great article.
about 1 month ago
I was a huge boxing fan growing up.
But I became disenfranchised with boxing when corrupt promoters like Don King and Bob Arum started holding back fights we wanted to see.
Then came the UFC in 1993. I was hooked immediately. It was simple and pure. But it didn't stay that way for long. Congress demanded that the UFC police themselves; that the sport was too brutal and bloody.
With no choice, the UFC did tame themselves. They wisely didn't over-do it. The sport lost some purity, but not enough discourage me. The politicians were happy, and the UFC could stay above ground.
Then came the Fertita's with Dana White in tow. They anesthetized the sport so much that it stopped being fun to watch. The new owners wanted to get rich by going "mainstream." But by then, other less homogenized MMA Organizations came along. Like Pride FC and now Dream. So, I can continue to get my MMA fix until the UFC decides to make themselves fun to watch again.
from about 1 month ago
Hey Joseph, I've heard you say similar things before about how you like other MMA organizations but not the UFC because of it's Anesthetized state. I'm curious what things specifically you're referring to. It seems to me like they are very similar with only a few basic differences. Pride has it's share of un "Pure" fighting aspects (no head butts, no elbows etc....) also. I respect your opinion and would just like to understand a bit better what you mean.
about 1 month ago
Hey, Jeff...it's always good to hear feedback from you!
Sure, I'll be glad to expand on my comment above.
In Pride and in Dream: No elbows, but who cares? Legal knees to the head and soccer kicks more than make up for it. Not to mention the ten-minute first round and all those Grand Prix Tournaments! Plus the gi is allowed! And let's not forget all those international fighters from more countries than I can remember coming in.
Sure, the Yakuza ran pride and now Dream. But they don't toss fighters to the curb after a couple of losses. A warriors willingness to fight their heart out every time is enough to keep then on the roster.
Win-loss records mean nothing to the Japanese fans. Those fans are MMA savvy...and respectful. Every fighter gets cheers and high-fives on their way back to the locker room. Now that's class! Not so with angry Dana and his UFC prison.
And the announcers? Bas Rutten and Steven Quadros were not only knowledgeable but actually fun to listen to. They discussed the fights calmly; minus that obnoxious "in-your-face, and Bud Light plugging into virtually every sentence" designed to force-feed our brains into believing every single fight has historic ramifications.
Joe Rogan and his non-stop loud and screechy voice sounds like a carnival barker/used car salesman/AM disc jockey. Mike Goldberg sounds like a lumbering caribou on Quaaludes.
Does that clarify specifically what I was referring to?
As a disclaimer, this is merely my opinion.
about 1 month ago
Always a pleasure to meet a convert, especially one who is converting others. Good job, buddy!
27 days ago
I still remember crying about having to go to church instead of watching the highlights of Holyfield getting his ear bitten again...
I actually do watch some MMA, but, ironically like boxing, I don't catch much thanks to my non-PPV lifestyle (it makes wrestling a challenge too). I'll give you this: If boxing doesn't get it together, I'm going to move towards MMA more because of the much better matchups.
from 27 days ago
Boxing is such a great sport and truthfully in its most spectacular form is poetry in motion, but over the years so many boxers polluted it's grace with ducking fights and the promoters...OMG DON'T GET ME F'ING STARTED.
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