People dress up in gowns and Tuxedos, trying to show that they have risen above the level of animals, but they have not! Scratch the surface of our so-called civilization and you will find all the body language and other trappings of wild beast. To test my ideas, just go into most any bar between the hours of 11p.m. and 2a.m. and begin staring at other men. Chances are, you will either need to rapidly flee, or fight.
People love to see someone else get hit! Until recently, people could ride horses or walk short distances and see armies do battle. Anyone who has read about the First Battle of Manassass, outside Washington D.C. in 1861, knows what happened when folks went down there to watch the first great battle of the American War Between the States. They did not go just to get in on being a part of history, they went to see other people getting hit, whether it be with a rifle butt, or cannon ball. There was a carnival atmosphere until exploding shells and musket balls began to land in amongst the crowds! At that point, there was a stampede to head north, back to D.C. My point being, people love to watch combat and the last genuine, legal combat is boxing. (Sure there are other sports involving getting hit, but boxing enjoys the most worldwide acceptance.)
Many Ice Hockey players are missing teeth, due to the combat on the ice, but all of that protective gear detracts from the pure combat of that sport. Same for Football, which trys to be surrogate war, but like Hockey, falls short, due to protective clothing and substitutions after injuries. Joe Louis said it all, "He can run. But he cannot hide!"
Boxing, when we can be honest and admit what we like, gives us the chance to watch real combat, where one man imposes his will on another. If one is too hurt to continue, it is over. And, whether we like it or not, the perfect punch kills. When I watched BoomBoom Mancini knock out the Korean boxer, Kim, I said to myself, "That was a perfect left hook!" Sadly, Kim died from the blow, but the fact remains, Mancini threw a perfect left hook, because that punch took the opponent out!
Certainly the ideas imparted to youth, in terms of what being a man really means, have been watered down by modern society. But those ideas, such at the use of firearms being bad, have merely pushed many of our instincts below the surface. The surface being thin, indeed. Boxing draws crowds willing to pay huge sums to spectate, because boxing is combat and people love to see combat.
Location: town of Greece, nw. of Rochester, New York
Posts: 68
why boxing will survive
I like boxing because it strips civilized combat down to it's basic essentials. You see two well-conditioned athletes who have only themselves to rely on,
battling for physical dominance. The same is true for freestyle or submission wrestling, and the Ultimate Fighting Championship and similar competitions.
That is why team sports could never interest me. Too many people.
Also, watching a good fight is much more exciting than a shootout in a movie or on TV. Firearms get the job done fast for policemen or soldiers or while defending yourself. But in any other situation real men shouldn't have to stand behind guns.
As far as combat goes, between one man and another, you are correct. There will always be that interest to see what happens. But I think that true boxing and fight fans see even more to it than just the struggle to impose your will on another being. Boxing is a very complicated, yet simple sport. The casual watcher sees knockouts, punches, and decisions. The enthusiast sees slips, feints, footwork, counterpunches, proper form, ring generalship, determination, and heart. I not only watch for the outcome, I like to watch the setup of punches and what plan a boxer had to execute in order to be succesful. What a great sport...
Boxing will survive and thrive as sport because you have well trained boxers, footwork, punches, bells, and judges. You have the fans and the guys in the corner with them wiping faces, cuts, etc. Usually you know who your cheering for. You get mad when they fight with less vigor than you wanted. But loving every minute of the time spent watching.
I agree with pollux. But boxing does need to find some better fighters, the heeavyweights really need some. James Toney is getting old, so is Roy Jones Jr, Holyfield is old and shouldn't be fighting. The Pazaz in boxing is dying out because practicaly nobody out there is hall of fame material, or champion material for that matter. What boxing needs is another Ali, Frazier, Foreman, Marciano, Louis, Holmes, Liston, Leonard, Hagler, Hearns, Hopkins, or even a Jerry Quarry, or Jimmy Ellis. I mean really is there nobody out there that is actually very good or can be a true contender.
I like this one quote by George Foreman. "There's nothing wrong with heavyweights nowadays. They're just not boxing! They're all playing football or basketball. Thats the situation in society today."
We need some new good heavyweight that can be a great boxer, as well as a spokesman for the sport or someone who draws crowds and attention and keeps it.
Why Boxing Will Survive As A Sport!
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