Which do you prefer pro-boxing or pro-wrestling?

[Guest Steve J. Rogers]

I love watching pro-wrestling, but I completely LOATHE pro-boxing, and here is my reasons:

 

1. Yes promoters like Vince McMahon are scum, but I'd take scums who own and operate their own promotions over scums like Don King and Bob Arum who just controll boxers, and its easier to do a con job on an individual basis as oppossed to an entire roster

 

2. For the most part wrestlers make it out of the buisness alive and depending on how they handle their money, pretty secure. Plenty boxers do not, often are broken, penniless and forgotten. Granted there are plenty of former wrestlers in that same condition (hence probably why so many kick around in the indy circuts) (BTW can someone point to numbers that show the amount of boxers who die at way too young of ages in the same manner of a Brian Pillman or a Davey Boy Smith, I'd say they are roughly around the same number) I mean compare the respective "Greatests Of All Time" in both sports: Ric Flair, doesn't NEED to be in the WWF, is very secure, very healthy for a pro-wrestler. Muhammad Ali, doesn't need money of course, but too many blows to the head has caused him to be a shuffling, whispering and stuttering shell of a man.

 

3. Too many "organizations" and "athletic commissions" involved in boxing, no one galvanizing organization ala the different promotions in pro-wrestling across the world. Wheither its WWE, ROH, NWA:TNA, all the Mexican, Canadian, Japanese promotion, you know that they controll what the product they are showing in the ring. Too many times a boxer (and his handlers) will go to state to state trying to find a commission or an organization that is so starving for attention that they'll let them fight (i.e. Tyson settling on Tennesse after the Nevada Commission said no way) Also with the WBA, WBO, IBF, WBS belts out there, there is no controll of who the champions are, who their opponent will be, when the fight takes place (thanks in part to the respective boxers and their promoters) I mean if someone thought the WWF was bad with all the titles after the WCW "invasion" this is even more convoluted.

 

4. In pro wrestling the fights are staged and generally the wrestlers are not trying to hurt each other (yeah they do get hurt but they are not TRYING to hurt their opponent) in boxing you are trying to maim your opponent, that is the objective and I guess I perfer to watch "fake" fighting than "real" fighting. Which leads to another point. Like I said, wrestling you KNOW is not on the level. Fights are pre-planned, outcomes pre-arranged, ect. In boxing you always have that element of "Gee that could have been fixed" based on many factors; money trail, too many scummy and shady characters involved, conicidental happenings during the fight (i.e. Ali-Liston II and the phantom punch) Maybe I like it better knowing I am watching pro-wrestling rather than something that people will say "Well that will bring it down to the level of pro-wrestling" after a shady finish

 

Those are probably my main reasons, anyone else have any thoughts?

 

Steve

[Guest oldschoolwrestling]

At their very best, I love them equally. Both can get me to mark out with the proper buildup and follow-through.

 

Watching matches like Tyson biting the ear of Holyfield is right up there with Hogan joining NWO as holy shit moments.

 

Seeing Tyson lose to Douglas is right up there with Steamboat-Savage WMIII.

 

Seeing lighter guys like Julio Cesar Chavez (back in the day) main eventing is like seeing a good Angle-Benoit match.

 

A Tyson promo is gold like a Stone Cold promo.

 

But boxing is all too often like a HHH political move. You get those with power influencing the judges and a guy that should have won is screwed into a draw or even worse a close loss. Its harder to take with boxing because its supposed to be real.

[Guest razazteca]

I prefer watching a good fight no matter what sport it is in, yeah thats a cop out but its my opinion. I was so hyped to see the Tzou vs Leija fight for the 145 pound title but was so disappointed that it was called off on a questionable injury "ruptured ear drum" my ass, Jesse James was sent to Tzou home town to job to him. I was more impressed with the undercard forgot who it was but it was a good fight as the winner literally knockout the opponet with a power punch and it looked like the guy fell backwards in slow motion. And then there is the Forrest Whitaker fight which the announcer proclaimed that he was the best fighter in his weight class and they were over looking this fight and hyping the next potential title defense, but you know what Forrest got his ass beat in the worst way just like Tyson vs Douglas. I am disappointed that I missed the match out the year that had Mickey Ward prove that the best fighters in the world are in his division. Damn Heavyweight bias, the Sweet Science lives in the hearts of the Welterweights. It is hard to believe that only Max Keller is the voice for boxings future, scary thought.

 

If this was a poll I would of choosen Other in favor of MMA, yeah it is tainted also with scandal and political BS but its a "new" sport trying to inch its way into the main stream. There are just 2 major federations PRIDE FC and UFC and they get on tv to hype its events on Fox Sports Net or ESPN for the PPV. The promos are not so much as Sports Entertainer as WWE would do it nor is it crazy WTF has Tyson done this week news either, its Tito Ortiz playing around with Tom Arnold or talking smack to Ken Shamrock.

 

They all have their pros and cons but they are all corrupted and at times hard to watch or even be a fan of the "sport"

[Guest Spaceman Spiff]

I wouldn't say I loathe Pro Boxing, but if given the choice, I'd go w/ Pro Wrestling.

 

How about UFC? A lot more violence. I don't like UFC, it makes me a bit uncomfortable **coughPussycough** Shut up

[Guest razazteca]

UFC and PRIDE maybe violent but KO is not the only way to win the match, Submissions own the MMA, as the ground game is what MMA is all about. Sakaruba no-selling the Gracie Guard with a jumping stomp or a kick to the ass. Or Don Frye beating Tank Abbot with a choke out, even though his face looks like ground beef.

[Guest wrestlingfanatic]

I like boxing equally with wrestling. Can't wait for Roy Jones Jr v. Ruiz. 8 days away

[Guest El Satanico]

I never could stand watching boxing. I didn't mind watching early Tyson matches just because he was so damn brutal.

 

But other than early Tyson boxing bores the hell out of me.

[Guest CED Ordonez]

I watch alot more wrestling than I do boxing. Boxing doesn't appeal to me as much. When I do watch boxing, though, I rather see the lighter weight classes for they usually are more technically sound than the heavies.

[Guest kkktookmybabyaway]

If I want to see two black guys go at it, I'll just visit the alley behind the local bar at 2 a.m.

 

If I want to see sweaty men roll around then I'll just call Vito and Big Sal over -- Oh, nevermind...

[Guest The Czech Republic]

2. For the most part wrestlers make it out of the buisness alive and depending on how they handle their money, pretty secure. Plenty boxers do not, often are broken, penniless and forgotten.

I believe it was Leon Spinks that ended up as a janitor at the old arena where the Blues played.

[Guest Agent of Oblivion]

You're comparing apples and oranges here. Boxing is a legitimate sport, which means a lot more factors go into it rather than an admittedly staged form of entertainment like wrasslin'.

 

Athletic commissions have just as much to do with things like the NBA and the NFL, but those are organized leagues that get all of their paperwork and bullshit out of the way of the public eye, as opposed to boxing, where promoters essentially handle things themselves/with their own personnel, not to mention the fact that the fighters themselves are involved with their management.

 

The reason things get so nitpicky and ridiculous is because the next fight could very well be your last. With a football game, you've got a backup that can give you a rest for a few minutes, same with any other team sport. Not boxing. It's mano a-fucking mano, and that's what I love about it. It's head-to-head, no excuses, no teammates. Either you beat the guy in front of you, or you get beat. With that environment, you can get nailed hard, and be fucked up for good. THAT's why fighters try to look out for their own interests so much; it's the very nature of the sport.

 

With all of the belts and title nonsense, blame TV, not the fighters. In the early days of televised boxing in the 50's and 60's, all the way through the 70's and mid-80's, Title fights meant more ratings, and more money for everyone involved, eventually, it got to the point where almost every damn fight you saw on tv was either a title fight, or a contender elimination bout to set up a title fight down the road. It's pretty obvious which boxing titles mean dick. Currently, there's three that are worth a shit: WBA, WBC, and IBF. There's probably literally THOUSANDS of different podunk titles here and there, but it's common knowledge that they're meaningless, both in the eyes of the fans and the fighters.

 

In terms of enjoying what you see in the ring, hey, that's all in the eye of the beholder like anything else, but if you can't enjoy the intensity, drama, and sheer force of wills in a fight like Ali/Frazier III, or Hagler/Hearns, I don't have much use for you. Most of the world class fighters have a charisma and style all their own, just like wrestling, only it's not quite condensed to a level where one guy's good, and one guy's bad. Muhammad Ali has more natural charisma than any pro wrestler I've ever seen, and you can take that to the bank. The man had most of america hating his guts for refusing to go to Vietnam when his number was called, the rest saw him as a hero championing their beliefs.

 

Best of all, the man had a perfect opposite in Joe Frazier. Both men were top-notch, and at the head of their game. Joe was more understated, stoic, no bullshit type of guy, when Ali was the flamboyant but brilliant technician.

 

There's so many characters in boxing that are not only tangible, but REAL. That aspect is something I'll always love about the sport, and the fact that it so direct affects their performance in the ring.

 

Right now, there's basically a renaissance of brilliant fighters in the Welterweight division, and no one knows about it, which is a shame. Guys like Kostya Tszyu, Arturo Gatti, Mickey Ward, Zab Judah, Ricardo Mayorga, Vernon Forrest, et al. All have their own "thing" going for them. The fights are great, the fighters are great, and there's really a good thing going. If you can't at least appreciate that, well, I don't know what to tell you.

[Guest Agent of Oblivion]

...And then there is the Forrest Whitaker fight which the announcer proclaimed that he was the best fighter in his weight class and they were over looking this fight and hyping the next potential title defense, but you know what Forrest got his ass beat in the worst way just like Tyson vs Douglas. I am disappointed that I missed the match out the year that had Mickey Ward prove that the best fighters in the world are in his division....

Forest Whitaker is an actor. I think Vernon Forrest is the guy you're looking for here. He's a case where he's got the number of an otherwise superior fighter in "Sugar" Shane Mosley. Mosley was considered the pound for pound best in the world until Forrest floored him TWICE, in back to back fights no less, with a victory over him in the amateurs to get on the US Olympic team in Barcelona to boot. He made the mistake many fighters make, and thought he was hot shit and untouchable, and promptly got his ass handed to him by a young, powerful Ricardo Mayorga.

 

Tyson/Douglas was a whole other kettle of fish, where in retrospect, Tyson was ripe for an upset. That fight shattered Iron Mike's aura of invincibility. It's was also the fight of a lifetime for an otherwise useless Buster Douglas.

 

Which Ward match are you referring to? He had three FOTYC over the past year and a half. One with Emmanuel Burton, which was like a true to life Rocky movie, and two incredible bouts with Arturo Gatti. The second Gatti fight was all Gatti for the most part, but Ward still held his own very well, and came out swinging at the end.

[Guest alkeiper]

It's pretty obvious which boxing titles mean dick. Currently, there's three that are worth a shit: WBA, WBC, and IBF. There's probably literally THOUSANDS of different podunk titles here and there, but it's common knowledge that they're meaningless, both in the eyes of the fans and the fighters.

 

As far as I'm concerned, NONE of the alphabet titles are worth a damn.How an organization can proclaim John Ruiz its champion with a straight face is beyond me.

[Guest razazteca]

Your right it was the Forrest vs Mayorga fight on Showtime or HBO. As for the Gatti vs Ward fight I think it was the second fight that Max Kellerman was pimping as the Rocky fight of the year.

[Guest bps "The Truth" 21]

Time was I would have said wrestling and that would have been that.

 

But lately I'd rather watch Boxing.

[Guest pinnacleofallthingsmanly]

Tyson would have beaten Douglas if he hadn't been in Japan doing all the promotional bullshit that he as doing. While Tyson was living it up and touring Japan, Douglas was training in the US.

[Guest Agent of Oblivion]

That was just part of it. Tyson had just changed trainers, and his corner was completely inept. He's a kind of fighter that desperately needs guidance in a tough fight, and when he got in trouble, they couldn't help him. They tried to treat his swelling eye with a fucking condom full of icewater.

 

Buster fought the fight of his life, using simple tactics to keep Tyson off guard. He even took one of Tyson's best bombs, and got back up. It was a masterful performance. Tyson's poor training was only part of the puzzle that led to that upset. Christ, Douglas was a FORTY TO ONE underdog!

[Guest bravesfan]

Vernon Forrest

+ Pernell Whitaker

= Forrest Whitaker.

 

Hey, it happens.

 

...I'll go with Professional Wrestling, as well. Mike Tyson may be the only reason I pay any attention to boxing in the first place.

[Guest Agent of Oblivion]

Heh. Good math. They're even both welterweights. Both southpaws, too. (at least I'm pretty sure Forrest is. I know Whitaker was.)

 

Tyson's an iffy guy to watch. He's got that natural charisma and unpredictability factor that makes him fun to watch, but he rarely makes for a good fight. He's like Ali in the respect that he has the uncanny ability to get under his opponent's skin, and actually take a mental advantage in his seemingly chaotic actions. He did this perfectly against Etienne. It used to be his aura of invincibility and fear, now it's just his craziness. He shares absolutely nothing else in common with Ali, though, other than religion.

 

The welterweights are the division to watch right now. So many good fighters and good fights. I hardly even bother with the heavies much anymore myself, although Jones/Ruiz should be interesting. Only 5 days away.