Getting into boxing

This morning/ last night, a post was made in Trash Talk about a fantasy fight between Apollo Creed and Rocky Balbao, something I thought was an interesting topic, if a little silly.

However, the debate continued a little and I made a statement that I think can be debated sensibly and might not have been done before (certainly not on v2).

The comment I made was along these lines:

The Rocky films have done more for boxing than UK TV has.

Now to back up my viewpoint, I am talking about the fact that the film franchise has most probably peaked youngsters (and some adults I dare say) to watch pro boxing and maybe even take it up.

The perfect example of this is as a kid, I watched Rocky III. The first thing I went and did was then go and pretend to have boxing fights with my friends. This led to an interest in proper boxing that I might not have had. I watched Tyson on TV etc.

If it hadnt been for the film franchise, the reality is that I most probably be that interested in it today. I know its not realistic but that isnt the point. Its about bringing an interest in the sport.

I am sure I am not the only one.

this combined with a terminal decline of terrestrial TV coverage in this country has made films one of the only ways that some people have got into the sport.

Let me pose this question - how many Rocky Fans have seen Hagler v Hearns? How many Hagler v Hearns fans have seen Rocky?

The point being, that nearly all boxing fans will have watched the films. But not all film fans have watched possibly the most exciting fight ever.

As terrestrial TV have given up the ghost of boxing and its moved to subscription channels/ PPV, where are the next set of boxing fans coming from? Its becoming increasingly marginalised.

So back to my original point - I believe that many boxing fans got into the sport due to the Rocky films more than any other factor.

So for me, Rocky Balboa has done more for boxing than the UK TV coverage.

Hopefully the debate will remain sensible and not veer off.

It is a valid point Adam supported by the fact that Stallone was recently, albeit controversially, inducted into the Hall of Fame for pretty much the reasons you have outlined.

I'm a little too old to remember what first got me into the sport but agree it does run the risk of getting marginalised, this is why I personally object to boxnation, nobody outside the hardcore fans will subscribe, so whilst its content may be manna from heaven to us the chances of casual or new converts seeing the sport has again been reduced.

There's countless proffesionals who took up boxing after watching Rocky, Vinny Paz is definately one.

Mike Tyson and my dad got me into boxing I remember watching Tyson Bruno thinknig Bruno was going to crush him because he was so big, boy was I wrong...
But it interested me because a guy who had such a size disadvantage could beat a guy so big and I wanted to understand how...
I was very young of course but my interest in boxing was made then and there.
Though my interest waned at one point but huge fights were the thing that got me interested in the sport againand thats the reason I talk about boxing all the time, perhaps not the same for everybody...

AlexHuckerby wrote:Mike Tyson and my dad got me into boxing I remember watching Tyson Bruno thinknig Bruno was going to crush him because he was so big, boy was I wrong...

You are apparently 19, therefore you were born 3 years after Tyson / Bruno.

The second one you muppet

So you were 4 years old and your Dad kept you up to watch a fight in the middle of the night?

AlexHuckerby wrote:Mike Tyson and my dad got me into boxing I remember watching Tyson Bruno thinknig Bruno was going to crush him because he was so big, boy was I wrong...
But it interested me because a guy who had such a size disadvantage could beat a guy so big and I wanted to understand how...
I was very young of course but my interest in boxing was made then and there.

Windy's is a similar story, he could not believe a guy as small as Corbett stood any chance against the much bigger Sullivan, seems a bit naive give he was 60 at the time.

Union Cane wrote:So you were 4 years old and your Dad kept you up to watch a fight in the middle of the night?

He taped it actually and we watche dit together the next day... whats wrong with that?

rowley wrote:

AlexHuckerby wrote:Mike Tyson and my dad got me into boxing I remember watching Tyson Bruno thinknig Bruno was going to crush him because he was so big, boy was I wrong...
But it interested me because a guy who had such a size disadvantage could beat a guy so big and I wanted to understand how...
I was very young of course but my interest in boxing was made then and there.

Windy's is a similar story, he could not believe a guy as small as Corbett stood any chance against the much bigger Sullivan, seems a bit naive give he was 60 at the time.

Fifty nine.

And a half.

First fight I saw as near as possible to ' live ' ( it was screened the night after it happened, ) was Clay v Liston I. Have been hooked ever since.

AlexHuckerby wrote:He taped it actually and we watche dit together the next day... whats wrong with that?

Nothing wrong with it, just seems a bit odd that you were thinking in these terms...

"it interested me because a guy who had such a size disadvantage could beat a guy so big and I wanted to understand how"

...as a four year old.

I was more interested in Thomas the Tank Engine and Battle of the Planets at that age.

Still am.

Obviously I didn't quite think like that, but it just seemed so odd to me that a guy so big was utterly destroyed by a seemingly much smaller guy and it interested me, I was 5 for the record... I think.

I dislike when "Rocky" is brought into serious boxing conversations but yes you do have a point. Although I'd seen all the Rockys by the time Calzaghe-Lacy came along (perhaps the fight i choose that got me inspired to give the boxing a go myself, another big VS small well more like skinny VS chunky guy scenario)

alma wrote:Personally I think the Rocky films are rubbish. Body and Soul every day of the week

Best boxing film there's ever been classic.

Body and soul I mean not Rocky,but quite like Rocky 1.