What's the most difficult sport?

[Your Paragon of Virtue 0]

I'm calling BS on boxing.  Any chump can build the endurance and learn the strategies.  Ice hockey and wrestling both require higher endurance and a much wider range of skills IMO.

You obviously don't know a lot about boxing. Anyone can get hit in the face and throw a few punches back... but fighting and boxing are two very different things. I am by no means an expert, but I DO know enough to know that boxing requires a highly developed set of skills and techniques.

The fact that MMA requires highly-skilled techniques for many more aspects of fighting makes it that much harder, not to mention the fact that Mixed martial artist to be completely skilled in all aspects is impossible, and that there are so many different approaches and styles, etc. etc.

 

But never mind all that, boxing is the most difficult sport. What the fuck ever.

[Art Sandusky 0]

Once again, let's strap any of the racing naysayers into a car (Trans-Am, WRC, NASCAR, GT-R, whatever) and see if they can even live through a race, let alone place.

[Mystery Eskimo 0]

Rugby should be above soccer. Anyone can play soccer, but take an ordinary person and put them in a rugby game and they'd be lucky to finish without broken bones.

[Jorge Gorgeous 0]

I'm calling BS on boxing.  Any chump can build the endurance and learn the strategies.  Ice hockey and wrestling both require higher endurance and a much wider range of skills IMO.

You obviously don't know a lot about boxing. Anyone can get hit in the face and throw a few punches back... but fighting and boxing are two very different things. I am by no means an expert, but I DO know enough to know that boxing requires a highly developed set of skills and techniques.

The fact that MMA requires highly-skilled techniques for many more aspects of fighting makes it that much harder, not to mention the fact that Mixed martial artist to be completely skilled in all aspects is impossible, and that there are so many different approaches and styles, etc. etc.

 

But never mind all that, boxing is the most difficult sport. What the fuck ever.

Boxing has a depleted talent pool these days, at least compared with boxing's past. Athletes are going towards football, basketball etc... I would assume that they're doing this because there're more opportunities to be involved, it pays better and you're not going to come out of your career with serious brain damage (Certain football players aside.) However, you cannot make these same considerations for MMA. You mean to tell me that the various MMA fighters with striking skills are forsaking $10 million contracts to go tough it out in the Pride and UFC ranks? You would insinuate that Bas Rutten(sp) or Tito Ortiz would rather do more work for less money for some unspoken reason? The reason that UFC people are in UFC and prize fighters are duking it out for gigantic purses is because UFC fighters can't stand in a boxing ring with a prize fighter. I'm sure you've seen a menagerie of impresive things in MMA fights, so have I, and I'm not detracting anything from their skill... but watch Roy Jones stick his chin out, inviting a punch, and then a split second later knock a highly trained fighter out cold. Watch Mike Tyson do so much as TRAIN when he was in his prime... his hands are coming faster than you can blink and they're coming harder than you or I can even fathom. How else do you explain the fact that Tyson is taking MMA contracts AFTER he washed out of boxing? Because hes bored? What the fuck ever.

[Guest Agent of Oblivion]

Not to mention both Francois Botha and Shannon Briggs going into K-1. They move into those types of other styles because of the focus required to box. The second ANYTHING: conditioning, reflexes, heart, strength, speed, coordination, is lost, the fighter is no longer a prime contender. Washed up fighters can become decent MMA bruisers, as was mentioned above.

 

No other atheletes take or dish out more punishment. Has an MMA fighter ever DIED in the ring in front of everybody? That's how brutal professional boxing is. Up to 36 minutes of getting hit in the head and body with the intent to destroy. No other sport has to deal with that.

[The Czech Republic 0]

Once again, let's strap any of the racing naysayers into a car (Trans-Am, WRC, NASCAR, GT-R, whatever) and see if they can even live through a race, let alone place.

You make a valid point, but I believe the topic title is "most difficult sport."

[Damaramu 0]

Rugby should be above soccer. Anyone can play soccer, but take an ordinary person and put them in a rugby game and they'd be lucky to finish without broken bones.

Umm.....I didn't break any bones my first game.......then again I'm not a normal person. I went to practice for a month and the week long spring break camp before I ever set foot on the field in a real game.......

[Guest Agent of Oblivion]

Anyone CAN play soccer. That's why they let little kids do it. It doesn't even belong on the list. It's running and kicking...all day long.

 

Golf takes more skill than soccer.

[nl5xsk1 0]

I think it's the needed endurace and quickness that make soccer more difficult than golf. Plus, you do realize that anyone can play golf, right? (little kids, old people, fat people, etc)

 

Using your own words (modified to fit the 'sport' in question): Anyone CAN play golf. That's why they let little kids do it. It doesn't even belong on the list. It's hitting a ball and then riding a cart after it...all day long.

 

My presumption is you mean to say that golf takes more skill, but by the same token, the game of soccer being played by 7 year old girls is pretty dissimilar to the game being played by ManU or Arsenal.

 

(I can say that even though I'm a pretty passionate soccer hater).

[Guest Goodear]

Would I succeed as a baseball player? Nope. Can I at least hit a curveball? NOPE.

 

Most of these sports I can at least get out of the gates on. I would fail at all of them...but I'd at least get started. I'd never get out of the batters box in baseball.

 

Granted but could you run very far in football before you got your head torn off and had your body tossed to the floor? Getting hit in the face makes it a whole lot harder to play in any contact sport than any non-contact sport regardless of the difficulty of the task.

[Guest Agent of Oblivion]

My presumption is you mean to say that golf takes more skill, but by the same token, the game of soccer being played by 7 year old girls is pretty dissimilar to the game being played by ManU or Arsenal.

 

Yeah, that's what I was going for, and my reason is based on the proportion of the sizes of the balls and goals in question, as well as the method of getting them there.

 

Besides, aren't there several teenagers who are upper echelon players in soccer right now? Golf's got that one asian girl, but she's hardly a top rank player.

[Guest Vitamin X]

The fact that Auto Racing beats out any sport on this list, let alone 18 makes this list null and void.

Well that's great, Li'l Hemingway, but I'd say hockey, lacrosse, and rugby ARE much harder. As for baseball, it's a tough one to judge, as anybody can play it, but it's damn hard to play well.

I don't get your point. You're agreeing with me, right? Because I wasd making fun of the fact that Auto Racing beats out any sport on this list.

 

Though I will admit that it's a lot harder to race a car than it is to fish. With racing a car with you have to move your arms with the steering wheel, and move your foot with a racing pedal.

[The Czech Republic 0]

Cricket is hard. I just don't get it! I'm supposed to outrun the bowler to the wickets before he can whip my balls off or something?

[Guest jpclemmons]

My presumption is you mean to say that golf takes more skill, but by the same token, the game of soccer being played by 7 year old girls is pretty dissimilar to the game being played by ManU or Arsenal.

 

(I can say that even though I'm a pretty passionate soccer hater).

For a soccer hater. You seem to know the names of the biggest clubs in the world.

[Damaramu 0]

Not to get off subject but.........JP your list shows all of the Lakers championships........and calls them the greatest franchise on Earth.

Yet:

Lakers: 9 championships(according to your sig)

Celtics: 16 championships.

Win 7 more.

 

Now back on subject.......Golf is hard for me......

[Guest Salacious Crumb]

I'm calling BS on boxing.  Any chump can build the endurance and learn the strategies.  Ice hockey and wrestling both require higher endurance and a much wider range of skills IMO.

You obviously don't know a lot about boxing. Anyone can get hit in the face and throw a few punches back... but fighting and boxing are two very different things. I am by no means an expert, but I DO know enough to know that boxing requires a highly developed set of skills and techniques.

Actually I've had a lot of martial arts training. I have a hard time seeing boxing as harder when I had to deal with potentially being kicked and thrown when I went for a strike. Boxing is completely one dimensional compared to that so I really have a hard time accepting it as the hardest sport of them all.

[EVIL~! alkeiper 0]

Perhaps you should give boxing a try.

[Guest Salacious Crumb]

I've done some boxing but I don't like it as much as martial arts.

[Jorge Gorgeous 0]

I've done some boxing but I don't like it as much as martial arts.

Well I like walking more than sprinting, but I don't think walking is harder...

 

 

God I hate sprinting.

[Your Paragon of Virtue 0]

I'm calling BS on boxing.  Any chump can build the endurance and learn the strategies.  Ice hockey and wrestling both require higher endurance and a much wider range of skills IMO.

You obviously don't know a lot about boxing. Anyone can get hit in the face and throw a few punches back... but fighting and boxing are two very different things. I am by no means an expert, but I DO know enough to know that boxing requires a highly developed set of skills and techniques.

The fact that MMA requires highly-skilled techniques for many more aspects of fighting makes it that much harder, not to mention the fact that Mixed martial artist to be completely skilled in all aspects is impossible, and that there are so many different approaches and styles, etc. etc.

 

But never mind all that, boxing is the most difficult sport. What the fuck ever.

Boxing has a depleted talent pool these days, at least compared with boxing's past. Athletes are going towards football, basketball etc... I would assume that they're doing this because there're more opportunities to be involved, it pays better and you're not going to come out of your career with serious brain damage (Certain football players aside.) However, you cannot make these same considerations for MMA. You mean to tell me that the various MMA fighters with striking skills are forsaking $10 million contracts to go tough it out in the Pride and UFC ranks? You would insinuate that Bas Rutten(sp) or Tito Ortiz would rather do more work for less money for some unspoken reason? The reason that UFC people are in UFC and prize fighters are duking it out for gigantic purses is because UFC fighters can't stand in a boxing ring with a prize fighter. I'm sure you've seen a menagerie of impresive things in MMA fights, so have I, and I'm not detracting anything from their skill... but watch Roy Jones stick his chin out, inviting a punch, and then a split second later knock a highly trained fighter out cold. Watch Mike Tyson do so much as TRAIN when he was in his prime... his hands are coming faster than you can blink and they're coming harder than you or I can even fathom. How else do you explain the fact that Tyson is taking MMA contracts AFTER he washed out of boxing? Because hes bored? What the fuck ever.

I guess most difficult sport is different than the one that requires the most skills than? Boxing IS one-dimensional, and focuses on nothing but punching. Obviously his hands are quick as lightning, when has he had to develop anything else? The reason these guys aren't boxers is because that's not what they were brought up in. They come from different disciplines, it's not as simple as "Well he tried to be a boxer, but couldn't, so went into the UFC". If that were the case than we'd have a Toughman on our hands. Has Mike Tyson ever trained to block a takedown? Has he ever tried to avoid a kimura? No, because he can't. Don't bring K-1 into this, as I said MMA.

 

The reason there's not as much injury in a sport like MMA is because people tap when a submission hold is applied. They don't go all the way because doing so would cause permanent damage. It's a sport, so your opponent is given a chance to tap before succumbing to permanent injury. That speaks much more for the brutality of MMA, or the potential of such, as Iron Mike fought again after getting KOed by Douglas. They pulled no punches, and held nothing back. If a guy like Royce Gracie was to hold nothing back, he'd end Iron Mike's career. Hell, he could KILL him if he didn't let go of a choke. Such displays of brutality are prevented, because they're not animals people.

 

Mike Tyson in his prime vs. Royce Gracie nowadays? I'd still take Royce, without a doubt. There's also a much better chance of Royce killing Mike than vice versa. Seriously.

 

What the fuck ever indeed.

[EVIL~! alkeiper 0]

I guess most difficult sport is different than the one that requires the most skills than? Boxing IS one-dimensional, and focuses on nothing but punching.

 

That's not entirely true. Boxing also requires full body movement (to avoid punches), and footwork. Why else would boxers jump rope to train?

[Your Paragon of Virtue 0]

I guess most difficult sport is different than the one that requires the most skills than? Boxing IS one-dimensional, and focuses on nothing but punching.

 

That's not entirely true. Boxing also requires full body movement (to avoid punches), and footwork. Why else would boxers jump rope to train?

Obviously they work on their footwork, which has to be perfect in order to perfect their power, quickness, etc. But I'm saying, when you break it down, they just punch each other. Their offense consists of hitting the guy with their fist. Naturally, punching someone requires movement of your body to maximize its effect, but yeah, just punching. No low kicks, no muay thai knees in the clinch, etc. That's my point, and I didn't even get into the nuances of the ground game.

 

I just realized that Botha LOST all of his K1 matches, and Shannon Briggs has had one, where he beat a WRESTLER in a "kick" boxing match(in quotes because its quite clear that it was basically a boxing match). Also, K1 is a bad example since the politics of any Fight organization in Japan is worthy of a topic on its own. Many of the shows are run in a pro wrestling fashion.

[Guest Agent of Oblivion]

Francois Botha is terrible though. That's not surprising.

 

and even though this "my combat sport can beat up your combat sport" kind of thing is goofy, I'd like to see Gracie even get a grip on Tyson, because the moment he tries, his face is going to be in pieces. No one in MMA hits even on the same scale as Tyson in his prime (since you used him as an example.) Offensively, sure, Boxing is one dimensional. Punches. but then coupled with that is footwork, as was mentioned, timing, the ability to move your opponent around the ring, and use it to your advantage...it goes on. The punch is the LAST part of a lot more steps that make up an offensive barrage.

 

I think it'd be interesting to compare the training regimens of the top fighters in each sport, just to see how they differ.

[Your Paragon of Virtue 0]

Francois Botha did contend for the World Title though if I remember correctly, or at least he hovered around the scene. He lost to guys that are at the bottom of the barrel at K1, so yeah, he ain't great or anything.

 

The thing is, all Royce would have to do is take Tyson down, which shouldn't be that hard since Mike was never used to defending the takedown. He'd have to be smart about not getting hit, but odds are he'd be able to get the takedown before getting hit by anything other than a jab. But, I admit a right straight would go through his skull. Royce is about as one dimensional as Mike is though, since he's all BJJ and nothing else. He represents a lot of things in MMA though, in my opinion, since he was the guy that beat men twice his size, in two minutes, never lost by his own will, etc., which is why I used him. He's like the guy that brought MMA to the mainstream I think, but I'm probably giving him more credit than I should.

 

Training regimens are probably stricter for boxing, since there are so many complicated factors in MMA. For instance, a boxer should work thickens his abs to make his ability to take a punch that much greater, and is generally built like a brick shit house in order to help their power and such. In MMA, that can be a bad thing, as more muscles means that your conditioning is generally worse, not to mention that you are less flexible and are more prone to submissions. So, it makes sense that they don't hit the weights as much. Look at the guys that are most dominant. Most of the time they're not guys that would strike you as fighters were you to pass them on the street.

 

My basic point is that boxing is one aspect of fighting, and since MMA combines all the different aspects, it requires more skill and is more exciting to watch. Styles make fights.

[Guest jpclemmons]

Not to get off subject but.........JP your list shows all of the Lakers championships........and calls them the greatest franchise on Earth.

Yet:

Lakers: 9 championships(according to your sig)

Celtics: 16 championships.

Win 7 more.

Actually, the Lakers have 14 championships and are closing in on thier 15th

this year. Pretty soon we'll overtake the Celtics as being the number one team in the NBA.

[Vern Gagne 0]

That's 14 including their days in Minneapolis.

[KTID 0]

Have any of you ever tried to play golf? I have several times and BUGGER ME is it hard. I just can't do it.

[Guest Choken One]

Nope.

 

Golf is Easy. I picked it up quite easy. Hated it though.

[Guest Agent of Oblivion]

3 friends and I once took the better part of five hours to play nine holes.

[Damaramu 0]

Not to get off subject but.........JP your list shows all of the Lakers championships........and calls them the greatest franchise on Earth.

Yet:

Lakers: 9 championships(according to your sig)

Celtics: 16 championships.

Win 7 more.

Actually, the Lakers have 14 championships and are closing in on thier 15th

this year. Pretty soon we'll overtake the Celtics as being the number one team in the NBA.

Closing in on their 15th? That's why they're losing to the Spurs.....right?