Boxing

[Larsen B]

If you enjoy watching boxing matches you do get a thrill out of violence, it's quite simple.

The audience that watches these spectator sports such as football, rugby, boxing and so on are primarily what I would call working class people, but in this day and age I would tend to define "working class" as an intellectual subclass rather than a financial or material one.

I think the vast majority of people are into following these sports because of their own lack of identity, they can avoid dealing with becoming truly individual adults and postpone developing their own opinions and ideas about what life is by latching onto these popular cultural idioms.

"I support rangers therefore I have something in common with everyone else who supports rangers, therefore I am accepted by everyone else who supports rangers so that must mean I'm just like them".

Rather sweeping stereotypes there, and perhaps some of it true, but I don't think you can really go about using your own definition of "working class". It would only cause confusion. The sports you mention (and pretty much all sports) transcend social class. This is partially because class distinction are less clear these days. What you say about about people following sports due to their own lack of identity might be true to a degree, but I don't think it's necessarily a bad thing. Certainly in the early days of Celtic Football Club the Irish roots were an essential way of bringing together the Irish community who were perhaps rather at a loss for their cultural identity in a different country. However, this is of course a double-edged sword and nowadays (and for many decades) this need for people to assume a certain identity has led to bigotry amongst the less enlightened. There are of course many exceptions to this, myself for example being a pro-British union Celtic fan. I must agree about boxing though, regardless of the technical/tactical aspects of it, the result of it all is still two guys punching each other.

[jackson]

I have been trying to come up with a defence for liking boxing but I guess it is just barbaric blood lust at the end of the day.

Ouch

[Old Gold]

You miss the point.

In that case I can only guess that you're just waiting for somebody to call you a wuss so you can call them a name back.

Grow a pair. Fighting's what animals do etc etc.

[-matthEw-]

i'd love to box stripey. the skill, tactics, athleticism, percision and balance on show would be sure to woo the aberdeen-music.com audience.

matthew o'leary versus stripey @ Priory next Saturday. 3.

[WoodyRATM]

Hmm interesting topic.

When i watch boxing i do watch it for the technique involved, i enjoy watching these guys plan their moves, watching counters etc etc.

Kinda like chess..but more exiciting..

and its not exactly a total brutal gore fest to watch..it does have rules etc.

[Chris]

How do yo feel about UFC?

Mindless ground and pound. K1 and Pride are superior.

[Diesel]

Mindless ground and pound. K1 and Pride are superior.

UFC is gash. A bunch of over-muscled and ridiculously tatooed glass-jawed poseurs "fighting" like pansies. Pish.

[davewarden]

So a great musicaian/writer/etc. cant enjoy watching boxing/football/rugby?.

Horseshit

[Brymon]

In that case I can only guess that you're just waiting for somebody to call you a wuss so you can call them a name back.

Grow a pair. Fighting's what animals do etc etc.

Call me a hypocrite, or that i am contradicting myself here, but with the revelation of Stripey being a Rangers fan, id pay to watch that shit!!!

[lepeep]

I think when you see "boxing done well"...it's amazing.

but, 80% of the time it is a slug fest.

Think of rumble in the Jungle...and most of the "classic fights". it's not about "violence and agression".

As any boxer would tell you, it's about mental strenght, tactics and restraint.

The idea is, to get an opponent down in as little effort as possible.

but, you tar everything with "your brush", so, if you see slugging and bashing, "that's what all boxing is".

fair enough.

[Alan Cynic]

I'm in the 'not enjoying boxing' corner, but if people enjoy doing it, as consenting adults that's up to them. Watching it, despite the skill, etc, isn't for me.

However I can find absolutly NO defence for supporting Rangers (unless it's a brain-damaged boxer, of course?( )

[KimyReizeger]

Wouldn't banning boxing be more indicative of an over-protective, interfering society that holds little respect or trust for its subjects? Whatever your perception of the working class is (and the distinctions are there, though the term is getting old), should the sport of the multitude be curtailed by the higher intellectual ambitions of the few? I think we should be wary of restricting long-running traditions that people partake of in their own will, and hark of a basic nature long smoothed over by 'civilisation'. Sport is about the closest us drones get to any sense of our roots!

[Spoonie]

i absolutely agree with Kimy. i think the essence of what we're both trying to say is that cunts getting their shit stoved in is decent!

[ca_gere]

Anyone watching the Valuev v Haye fight? Can't see it being a classic but would like to see the big man fall.

[Soda Jerk]

Haye seems like a bit of a cocky, smarmy git, which is probably the personality you need to be a boxer. This massive Russian seems like a right good gent however, and hasn't gotten involved with all this "Shouldn't be to hard to hit, because he's got a big 'ead, arf" nonsense, so I'd love to see Haye take a good pasting from him.

[ca_gere]

I love all that cocky Boxer banter. They live in their own egocentric world.

From a purely physical aspect I'd like to see Haye win win with a KO, just for the spectacle. Although Valuev seems a decent guy like you say.

[Scootray]

I'm currently watching it. Nothing exciting, but Haye has done better than I expected so far.

[ca_gere]

It always impresses me how weak some of the punches look in real time, then in slo-mo you really see the impact. Haye's not done anything to really hurt the bohemoth but is performing quite well.

[Soda Jerk]

I love all that cocky Boxer banter. They live in their own egocentric world.

From a purely physical aspect I'd like to see Haye win win with a KO, just for the spectacle. Although Valuev seems a decent guy like you say.

I'd enjoy it if both fighters were talking trash at each other, but Valuev hasn't even flinched at anything he's said. You almost start to feel sorry for Haye trying to start a slanging match when he's yammering on about how he's going to embarrass Valuev, as you know he just isn't going to react. He's got poetry to write and plays to attend. A true gent. I bet he even uses a knife and fork.

[ca_gere]

A pitchfork and a hacksaw maybe. Wipes his mouth with a beach towel after. He is unbelievably huge. There's something fascnating about massive people. I used to love seeing The Big Show and El Gigante wrestle. Eventhough they're useless and slow as fuck, seeing how tiny normal people are around them is ace.

[Randy Watson 101]

The point the threadstarter made about the modern working class being an intellectual subclass, rather than a social and financial caste, is a really interesting, valid and perhaps slightly snobby point.

However, the importance of amateur boxing clubs cannot be overestimated. Though there are a certain type of loutish, fight-seeking people that go to these clubs, a lot of those who go and pursue it as a long-term interest find themselves disciplined to not only defend themselves, but to fight only 'inside', rather than 'outside' their respective clubs.

It is not just people that live on sink/council estates that need to learn how to look after and, latterly, fight for themselves; people of ALL walks of life should know how to survive in an increasingly violent society. Seems like a contradiction, but it is funny how predominantly middle class people are hellbent on drawing a distinction between a controlled environment like boxing - perhaps even UFC too - and violence; wanting to ban the sport altogether. I think boxing stops predominantly young working and lower-middle class guys from becoming wayward and ending up with a criminal record.

I box with Kingswells Amateur Boxing Club, and recently had a humbling experience the other day: I (21) was battered around the ring by someone who was still in 3rd year at school. One punch he landed on the side of my head (head guards ASWELL as gum shields, remember) could have knocked me down were he the same weight or heavier. I was pretty unsteady on my feet!

Why did I tell you this?

I told you this because it taught me that there are harder people than those in your everyday garden suburb. I already knew that WAY before I boxed for Kingswells. It simply reaffirmed what I already had suspected. A lesson in modesty and humility, I reckon.

When I was at secondary school I had a bit of a reputation as a nutcase that would not take shit from anyone, no matter what their age or size; and could take a fairly hefty punch no problem. I used to get drunk and throw terrible punches at people I did not like! The final straw came when I had a fight with someone who was two years younger than me. A bit boozy, I tripped up and...BAM!.....I got kneed in the face. Blood was everywhere and my nose was almost broken. I have not drank since, and have BOXING, cycling, football, jogging, swimming and weightlifting to thank for the discipline I managed to maintain within myself. My punching's a bit better now!

Anyway, nowadays they stop fights for the sake of preventing the worsening of open wounds, let alone coma-inducing knockouts! I went to my first boxing match the other week in Aberdeen's Lee McAllister's recent victory over Motherwell's Charlie King and discovered during the undercards that the buff guys don't always beat the guys who look out of shape. That, had I not watched 'Prizefighter' on television, would have surprised me. Boxing can teach a scrawny weakling to tactically take on ANYONE. Just think: the threadstarter could have learned to take on all the jocks and bullies he came across at school!

*I hope Haye wins so it proves my point. DAVID VERSUS GOLIATH, AND DAVID WON!*

I am beyond help though - not coordinated enough. Does the threadstarter realise how in-tune you have to be with your own hands, eyes and feet to box well? That is TRUE skill.

[ca_gere]

i absolutely agree with Kimy. i think the essence of what we're both trying to say is that cunts getting their shit stoved in is decent!

had a wee re-read of the thread... This is funny as fuck!

[triggs]

technical precision and ability perhaps, but what's so great about being able to punch someone in the face with technical precision? Is that something to admire in a person? Boxing glorifies violence and agression.

shut up you puff

[Guest droid]

Well chosen words Randy,Sugar Ray,Smokin Joe and Jim Watt amongst others were very clever boxers.Like your 3rd year kid they thought about their punches!.....David beat Goliath tonite.

[Randy Watson 101]

Well chosen words Randy,Sugar Ray,Smokin Joe and Jim Watt amongst others were very clever boxers.Like your 3rd year kid they thought about their punches!.....David beat Goliath tonite.

Read Jake La Motta's 'Raging Bull' autobiography. MUCH better than the film: you get an idea of his upbringing in downtown New York. Fascinating, and a brilliant, yet perhaps not tactical boxer - hence the nickname. He took on the Mafia and won. His fitness and general stamina must have been awesome to have maintained that sort of onslaught for ten, twelve rounds!