Boxing

[Omegstrat6]

Some at work last night talking with some merriment about Anthony Joshua's chances against Tyson Fury but is it me, or do today's boxers hold little of the appeal that former heavy weights did? Watching todays behemoths slug it out doesn't seem to be "proper" boxing anymore, however much you may admire the Gypsy King. Can today's crop of heavyweights really compare with the likes of Ali, Foreman, Frazier, Holyfield, Holmes, Lewis and, yes, even Mike Tyson in terms of technique and ability? For my money, not, and I think the days of boxers like Ali (my own personal favourite) or Sugar Ray Leonard are long gone. Could just be me getting old though🙄

[westcountryvillain]

"even" Mike Tyson? He was phenomenal in his pomp, overall I agree, Fury is the people's champion, huge reach to his advantage but how would have fared against prime Tyson or Holyfield?

[regis80]

Some at work last night talking with some merriment about Anthony Joshua's chances against Tyson Fury but is it me, or do today's boxers hold little of the appeal that former heavy weights did? Watching todays behemoths slug it out doesn't seem to be "proper" boxing anymore, however much you may admire the Gypsy King. Can today's crop of heavyweights really compare with the likes of Ali, Foreman, Frazier, Holyfield, Holmes, Lewis and, yes, even Mike Tyson in terms of technique and ability? For my money, not, and I think the days of boxers like Ali (my own personal favourite) or Sugar Ray Leonard are long gone. Could just be me getting old though🙄

Good thread megastar. I do like boxing but I really don’t like the heavy weight division and the amount of poor boxers in this catchment. I like Tyson Fury, he’s as real as he gets and a clever boxer in the ring. I still think he doesn’t get the credit he deserves.

AJ - I just wish he’d retire and shut up. He is so over rated. The bloke cannot even move it out our combos. He’s what everything that’s bad about boxing with him and his instagram life and training for gratification and likes. He is the marketers dream but he’s so crap.

The other divisions aren’t too bad. That Haney guy will be too pound for pound soon, even Mayweather rates him so highly.

Bit late and tiring for me but I do like my boxing but it’s kind of got its own issues with top fighters not fighting.

[Omegstrat6]

"even" Mike Tyson? He was phenomenal in his pomp, overall I agree, Fury is the people's champion, huge reach to his advantage but how would have fared against prime Tyson or Holyfield?

Just meant that I always felt that Tyson was not as technically skilled as some of the others mentioned but relied more on his aggressive attitude and sheer punching power. (As an aside, a mate of mine once met him when he was on holiday in Las Vegas about 12 years or so ago. They were sat next to Tyson's party and he invited them to join them. Said he was very nice and also generous so a little different from his fearsome reputation! )

[WBA1955]

The boxers of today are giants, the Klitschko's, Tyson Fury, Wilder, Joshua etc
Henry Cooper wouldn't have been a heavyweight today and Rocky Marciano would have been a midget.
Ali is imo the greatest heavyweight of all time, you won't see another like him, the confidence he had to go against the hardest hitters the sport has seen with his hands by his side, using speed and ability to evade punches. If he had not missed three years out of his career I doubt he would have been beat, those years were when he was in his prime. Sadly he had a few fights too many. He should have retired after the thriller in Manila. Neither him or Frazier were the same again after that.
Tyson was probably the best boxer of the last forty years, there was more to him than just being a hard puncher, he had quick hands. How many people have named their dogs after him?

[soulman101]

I once had words with a boxer Terry Downs him and his mate where getting a bit rowdy and swearing in front of women in my mates pub .
My mate was out and his wife was in charge, she asked me to have a word.
I told the pair of them, didn't know it was Terry Downs , to keep it down or I would throw the both of you out.
His mate said do you know who he is ,then he told me, I said it your choice or I throw you both out.
Terry told his mate to calm down and apologised , then told his mate to buy me a pint and I sat down and joined him.
My mate the Landlord come back and we all stopped for afters, ended up a good night.