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Post by billyc on Sept 1, 2010 11:58:13 GMT -5
The thing is, back in the day they too fought for money! They were actually SKILLED fighters who looked at boxing as a trade, and like in any trade, you want to not only do it well, but be the best. I think they "did it for the money" MORE. They were FULL time boxers...not like today where a fighter has a job and boxes on the weekends. I think that it IS a problem that today's fighters only fight for money and don't fight. I agree they need to make a living, but they should take pride in boxing. Instead, guys like Fayweather take pride in conning the boxing fan....by making the most money for doing the least. Good for him....bad for boxing and the fans. The worst part is that the younger fans are accepting it, which will ultimately kill the sport for real. The only way boxing can get back to where it should be is if the pasion comes back....from all...the fighter, promoter, trainer, manager, network and fans....tough hill to climb, man.
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Post by Daxx on Sept 1, 2010 21:50:04 GMT -5
Boxing has always been a poor mans sport, a means to an end where even on limited talent you could feed your family if there only to be used an an opponent but I was speaking in the sense where fighters actually wanted to be known or remembered for their in ring accomplishments....Today guys don't care if they fight 25 cab drivers get a title shot against a washed up champion lose it in their first defense and then call it a day...They don't care if they are not considered tough rugged fighters who even in a loss are known to give it their all....They just want to be paid and will sacrifice dignity to to get the payday...That is the difference between todays guys and those of past decades
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Post by davemurphy on Sept 2, 2010 9:11:31 GMT -5
Despite having a much bigger population today, the pool of actual Boxers is considerably less than it used to be years ago, and like Billy points out, the pool of SERIOUS Fighters is even more depleted. I'm not talking the Elite, I'm talking about the mid-level guys, the ones that used to be the actual LEARNING fights a Prospect needed like a Oreo needs filling.
We have Real Fighters and a Class of Fighters known as "Opponents" and then ones I don't even count as Fighters that are used to make the "Opponents" records look respectable. AS BC says, it's all about making the most money for doing the least.
It's why we see a LOT of Guys who are actually World Champions : 1. Being happy being "A" World Champion, there's no problem in their mind holding 1/4th of the titles in their division and 2. Fully realizing that they can make as much in two questionable fights as they can in one REAL Challenge. Often that questionable fight actually being a mandatory defense, which makes it even easier for them.
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Post by Daxx on Sept 2, 2010 10:45:14 GMT -5
Despite having a much bigger population today, the pool of actual Boxers is considerably less than it used to be years ago, and like Billy points out, the pool of SERIOUS Fighters is even more depleted. I'm not talking the Elite, I'm talking about the mid-level guys, the ones that used to be the actual LEARNING fights a Prospect needed like a Oreo needs filling. We have Real Fighters and a Class of Fighters known as "Opponents" and then ones I don't even count as Fighters that are used to make the "Opponents" records look respectable. AS BC says, it's all about making the most money for doing the least. It's why we see a LOT of Guys who are actually World Champions : 1. Being happy being "A" World Champion, there's no problem in their mind holding 1/4th of the titles in their division and 2. Fully realizing that they can make as much in two questionable fights as they can in one REAL Challenge. Often that questionable fight actually being a mandatory defense, which makes it even easier for them. Ahh but that is nwhy we have World Champions and Belt Holders....Because most of those guys who hold one of the titles are in no way "World Champions" when it is put into its true aspect
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