What are your experiences with boxing?

[Boxingnut]

I thought it might be entertaining while we wait for TBCB2 and TBRP if we all listed how we got interested in boxing.

I turned from a very casual fan into a die hard at 18 (I am 37 now) when my brother brought home a copy of The Ring. I picked it up, read it and became hooked on boxing, and in particular in following the story of Ray Mancini. (This would be about 82 or 83).

From there I pestered my father (who has no interest in boxing) to attend a fight with me. We went to the Liverpool Stadium to watch local heavyweight Noel Quarless win. For those that don't know the Liverpool Stadium was the only arena purpose built specifically for boxing in Britain. In the 1940's, 50's and 60's there was a fight there almost every week. When I went you could feel the history of the place. Years ago it was demolished and is now a car park, which is an absolute disgrace. Over the years I travelled all over the UK with my good buddy John Heyes who is an ex-amateur himself. John was in fact good enough to win three junior titles at 16, all in the same season (the junior ABA, the national schoolboy championship and the assocation of boys club title). To put this into perspective, Naseem Hamed managed the same thing at 16. Anyway we saw some great and good fighters like Lennox Lewis, Meldrick Taylor, Manning Galloway, Crisanto Espana, Razor Ruddock, Andy Holligan, Pat Barrett to name a few.

In my 20's I went to a gym run by an ex-pro Franny Hand, who had once lost on cuts in a fight he was winning against Dennis Andries. There I learnt the rudiments of boxing and was lucky enough to be taken on the pads by Franny and even have a few rounds sparring. This minute taste of boxing filled me with admiration and respect for all those who step in the ring, whatever the level.

Now my interest is in watchings the fights on TV, watching old videos, reading books and magazines and playing TBCB of course. All of the above naturally annoy my wife!!

Hope a few others will post, maybe even Jim will make a comeback on these boards!!

[javier_83]

I cant figth because my nose was broken with a baseball bath

so i only train, and sit hours and hours watching on the TV and computer

[jofre]

I first got involved through my cousin's two uncles Werther Arcelli (former world ranked welter in 1930s & former NE welterweight Champion), and Oddone Piazza (fought Gorilla Jones for vacant NBA Middleweight Title).

Boxed in CYO with Paul Raymond (former New England Heavyweight Champion). Serious eye problem (scar tissue - left eye) cut amateur career short. Remained active as a non-paticipant with a brief return to boxing while in the service. Once again the old eye problem left me on the sidelines.

Mainly a boxing historian now.

[CONN CHRIS]

I became a fan because of my Dad and Grandfather. They took me to see a number of amature and club-type pro fights at the San Juan Center in Hartford as well as some of Marlon Starling's fights in Hartford (at the Sheridan, Civic Center, et cetera). Early in his career, Starling trained at F. Mac Buckley's farm in the town my Grandfather lived in, so we got to see him doing roadwork and on occation (when allowed) the public was welcome to watch other training. - that was where my interest in and love of boxing realy was sparked. My Dad and I watched a lot of fights on T.V. as well. His Dad had not boxed, but grew up in New Britain and Hartford and had been a huge Pep and Mann fan. My Dad boxed in the Marines in the 60s but it was not formal, just the typical service fight night sort of thing.

My only experience with boxing was in college. We had an intermural program run by the local PAL folks that ran 16 to 20 weeks over the winter months. If you went to three of the four training nights during the week, you could fight on Saturday nights. We would pair-off by closest weight and get a three one-minute round "fight". It was crude, but gave me a better appreciation for what these guys do.

[CONN CHRIS]

As long as this is a "get to know you" thread, here is a picture of me making mincemeat of a Halloween pumpkin. That's Wyatt(6) and Laura(3) in the background and Clara(5) in the front. Eleanor(1) is just off camera and my wife Kathryn is taking the shot.

It would be fun to see what some of the rest of you look like (if you want to post something) other than the few of you that have portraits as avitars.

[hamed]

Cute girls Chris! - get ready to have lots of boys around your house in 10 or so years. It's good you're into boxing, that might come in handy for intimidation purposes down the line.

My younger brother liked boxing before I did (he watched the fights on ABC, etc.) & then we got the original TitleBout board game in the 70's. My father likes football, basketball etc. but always complained to my mom for getting the game because my brother & I then always wanted to watch boxing on the weekends (when they used to show it in the afternoon) instead of the golf he wanted to watch.

[Dave1877]

I am 19 years old now which might surprise some people because generally the users are older on here in my experience. My interest in boxing began as a child, I was quite a rough and tough kid and watching boxing was a big interest of mine, second only to football (I have had a season ticket at my local team Wolverhampton Wanderers since I was 5 years old). I never actually knew any of the fighters by name at such an early age except for the big stars and well known names.

I went through a patch where I lost interest in boxing but within the last couple of years I've become an addict all over again. Title bout probably helped to bring me back up to speed. I have never been an avid reader of books but I have read a lot of boxing recently and subscribe to the weekly boxing newspaper in the UK, 'Boxing News' which arrives every friday. I have a lot of boxing DVD's as well.

In terms of boxing myself, I have never been in the ring, not once. But I train a lot, I do a lot of muscle building activities and own some quality boxing equipment, including a 'punch-man', maybe better known as a combo-dummy, which is great. Although I have let myself go a bit in the last few years (too much of a boozing lifestyle) I am still pretty fit and really enjoy working out.

[Ric915]

I was introduced to boxing thru my step dad, when I was about 9 (just turned 34) he was quite a few years older then my mom and we would go to the "candy store" and we would hang out with Al Savani, for fans who don't know him (Rocky's cut man in the first two movies" who was a very good friend of my dad's and Tami Mauriello who floored Joe Louis before Louis wacked him out. and talk about the old time fighters, My dad was also friends of Mike and Steve Belloise Contenders back in the day. Ofcourse Tami was alot older when I met him and you could tell he used to be a fighter with his cauliflower ears and flat nose and a ton of scar tissue around the eyes those were some great times and memories I will not soon forget

[Ian Lord]

I first became interested in boxing in 1986, whilst on holiday with my parents and brother in Great Yarmouth, England. Frank Bruno challenged Tim Witherspoon for the WBA heavyweight title and I watched it on telly with my dad. Mike Tyson became champ [WBC] later that year, and as a young teenager he became my role model. By the time of the Hagler-Leonard fight I was totally hooked, as I still am to this day.

I tried boxing, but I wasn't very good at it. I decided it wasn't for me when I was sparring one time and suffered a blackout. I was still standing and being hit, but everything was in total darkness, [and before anyone says it, no I wasn't stood there with my eyes closed]. I never did get to have a proper fight.

[Ian Lord]

Forgot to say it, but I think it's a good idea of Conn Chris' about sticking a picture up here of what we look like. I haven't got the equipment to do that yet, but when I do I'll stick a picture of me up. You have been warned!!!

[Ian Lord]

Originally Posted by javier_83

I cant figth because my nose was broken with a baseball bath

so i only train, and sit hours and hours watching on the TV and computer

Ouch!!! Sounds painful. Were you actually playing baseball at the time?

[CONN CHRIS]

Originally Posted by hamed

Cute girls Chris! - get ready to have lots of boys around your house in 10 or so years.

Thanks - simply contemplating having three girls in their teens at the same time is enough to make my hair grey.

This is a little better shot of the motley crew, I married an Irish girl, so they all have red hair. I've had more than one person actualy ask me if they are my children when I have them out in public. My dark skin and black hair just don't fit in.

[Cap]

I see now why your kids are so cute, Chris. My wife is Scots-Irish and has the temper of a (Oh, hello, dear! Nothing. Just chatting with the lads on the weeb.) I boxed some in the old days, but was never very successful at it for some reason. Although getting knocked out repeatedly may have had a small part in it.

Cap

[javier_83]

i was the catcher playing with my friends

[hamed]

Chris, your 3 year old (Laura) looks to me like she's going to be a handful!

I think she'll be the one who'll grow up cute/pretty & know it! I've known grown women like that & love them but they're tough to deal with!

[CONN CHRIS]

Originally Posted by hamed

Chris, your 3 year old (Laura) looks to me like she's going to be a handful!

I think she'll be the one who'll grow up cute/pretty & know it! I've known grown women like that & love them but they're tough to deal with!

The one of the far right is Clara (5) - she is cute and knows how to bat her eyes to get her way.

The one in the middle is Laura (3) - she is Tom Sawyer in a Cinderella package. She takes no nonsense from Clara or Wyatt (6). Her preference is to slug first and ask questions later.

They are indeed a handful, the next 15 years will be interesting

[bear]

Chris
It was nice meeting your family. All the best to you and yours.

I grew up watching fights with my dad, as a kid, in the 50s. He also used to take me to the Armory to see bouts in person. Dad was a sports nut, especially regarding baseball. He could watch two kids play fast pitch in a school yard because it was a ball game. I share his interest in boxing and prefer pro football to baseball. When the Trunzos came out with the old Title Bout board game I underwent a transfiguration. They offered only a limited number of fighters in the game. I had a couple of Ring Record Books--I've always been drawn toward record books in any sport. In the 1979 RRB they did a retrospective listing of annual rankings (top 10--not the annual stuff from February or March issues.) I created index cards for every ranked fighter and began assembling their records by cross referencing the records available in the books I had. I lamented the fact that boxing lacked a historical record book comparable to either the Big Mac or Total Baseball and I've been interested in boxing history ever since. I've got a compulsive type of personality. it took the Trunzo's and Title Bout to nudge me into the direction of boxing historian.

You can find a picture of me taken at the last IBHOF inductions with Kenny Buchanan at:

http://www.ibroresearch.com/Buchannan_Koss.jpg

Dan Cuoco posted it on the IBRO website.

Bear

Originally Posted by CONN CHRIS

I became a fan because of my Dad and Grandfather. They took me to see a number of amature and club-type pro fights at the San Juan Center in Hartford as well as some of Marlon Starling's fights in Hartford (at the Sheridan, Civic Center, et cetera). Early in his career, Starling trained at F. Mac Buckley's farm in the town my Grandfather lived in, so we got to see him doing roadwork and on occation (when allowed) the public was welcome to watch other training. - that was where my interest in and love of boxing realy was sparked. My Dad and I watched a lot of fights on T.V. as well. His Dad had not boxed, but grew up in New Britain and Hartford and had been a huge Pep and Mann fan. My Dad boxed in the Marines in the 60s but it was not formal, just the typical service fight night sort of thing.

My only experience with boxing was in college. We had an intermural program run by the local PAL folks that ran 16 to 20 weeks over the winter months. If you went to three of the four training nights during the week, you could fight on Saturday nights. We would pair-off by closest weight and get a three one-minute round "fight". It was crude, but gave me a better appreciation for what these guys do.

[Rocco Del Sesto]

Originally Posted by CONN CHRIS

Thanks - simply contemplating having three girls in their teens at the same time is enough to make my hair grey.

This is a little better shot of the motley crew, I married an Irish girl, so they all have red hair. I've had more than one person actualy ask me if they are my children when I have them out in public. My dark skin and black hair just don't fit in.

Great family you have Chris!

[Jim_Kidd]

I grew up around boxing. My grandfather was a trainer and manager (Jimmy Krug) back "in the day" in New Jersey. He's in the New Jersey Boxing Hall of Fame. As a young boy, I had the please of being around Tony Galento, Mickey Walker, Charlie Fusari, Jersey Joe Walcott and many others. I got to know them as they were all friends with my grandfather.

At the time, I was only 8 years old. But, from age 8 to around 12, I had the pleasure of meeting with them and hearing them tell the stories of their fights and careers. We all used to get together in Newark New Jersey where the Ring Organizations they all belonged to, held dinners.

Mickey Walker was a blast. I still have all their autographs many times over stashed away in my boxing magazine collection that I inherited from my grandfather.

Then, sadley, most of them started passing on. I was about 12, then.

I still remember the look on Tony Galento's face when I asked him if it "hurt" when he got knocked out by Joe Louis.

His eyes got real big - "Oh yeah!! You need to stay in school and get an education. Boxing isn't the way to go!"

That's what he always said.


Jim

[boilermaker]

I'm relatively new to the fight world, or at least I feel like it...

Caught Johnny Tapia on the tube. I couldn't believe anyone could look so happy doing a job that involved getting punched in the face. Not long after that, I saw Hilton vs. Ouellet I, which seemed more like Julio Cesar Chavez vs. Meldrick Taylor. It's hard not to like the sport after witnessing it in dramatic splendor like that...