On a
number of levels, boxing in 2014 hasn't been particularly notable, especially in the
United States. This year has been plagued by overly cautious matchmaking,
blatant ducking of opponents, mismatches/showcases, an explosion of pay per
views (many of which have had very weak undercards), fighters putting
themselves on ice and promoters (or managers) who still won't work together.
Sure, there have been some very good moments in the ring, but not enough for my liking. In the midst of a disappointing year, it's easy to
get caught up in the negativity of the sport – I know that I can be guilty of
this.
As a
personal corrective, I wanted to list why boxing still brings me so much joy and
highlight the aspects of the sport that keep me tuned in, week after week, even
with the recent paucity of memorable fight action. Without further ado, here are 100 reasons why I love boxing:
1. Bernard Hopkins’ lead right hand from distance
2. Floyd Mayweather making an opponent miss by an inch
3. Juan Manuel Marquez’s left uppercut
4. Wladimir Klitschko’s jab
5. Nonito Donaire’s left hook
6. Anytime Gennady Golovkin cocks his hand to throw a power punch
7. Carl Froch somehow finding a way to win
8. The Olympic gold medalist making his pro debut
9. The prized prospect taking his first real step-up fight
10. The “opponent” who wasn’t there to lose
11. The underdog who upsets the grand plans of the powers that be
12. The avoided fighter who finally gets a shot
13. An overlooked or obscure fighter making his mark
14. Boxers who overcome harrowing upbringings
15. Fathers handing down the sport to their sons
16. Roman Gonzalez’s inside fighting
17. Brandon Rios’ fearlessness
18. Vasyl Lomachenko’s desire to be great
19. Keith Thurman’s promise
20. Marcos Maidana’s will
21. The buzz of the MGM Grand right before a Manny Pacquiao fight
22. Checking out the glitzy crowd in Las Vegas
23. Checking out the less-than-glitzy crowd in Atlantic City
24. Michael Buffer with the microphone; a big event is happening
25. Steve Smoger in the ring; a memorable fight seems more likely to happen
26. Harold Lederman’s scorecard after three rounds
27. Jim Watt saying “Lovely stuff” after a good combination
28. Larry Merchant’s quips
29. Paulie Malignaggi telling it like it is
30. Arguing about a disputed fight until 5 a.m. on a Sunday morning
31. The glow of a spectacular knockout or a huge upset
32. The gallows humor on Twitter during a boring fight card, especially if it’s a pay per view
33. Mocking inane press conferences and conference calls
34. Having drinks after the fights with boxing fans and writers
35. Taking a long weekend to see a live fight
36. Meeting a boxing fan in person that you had only known on social media.
37. The timeless boxing arguments
38. The way the sport respects its history
39. The recognition of past champions and famous fighters who are live at the fight card
40. The memorial 10-count for our fallen heroes
41. The Hall of Fame debates
42. Watching old fights on You Tube
43. Discovering a new, exciting fighter
44. The passion of British, Mexican and Puerto Rican boxing fans
45. The elegant string quartet that plays the national anthems on the Sauerland broadcasts
46. Those marathon Saturdays, watching boxing all over the world
47. An unexpected great fight
48. That Friday in January when ESPN’s Friday Night Fights returns after its fall hiatus.
49. Teddy Atlas’ unique brand of craziness
50. Boardwalk Hall
51. The StubHub Center
52. The Bell Centre
53. A boxing crowd in Manchester, England
54. The energy of a fight at Madison Square Garden
55. Miguel Cotto on Puerto Rican Day Parade weekend
56. Toga Bar
57. Listening to the great trainers in the corner
58. The obscure trainer who finally gets his shot at the limelight
59. The veteran trainer who might just have his last shot at a champion
60. Fighters who always add to their repertoire
61. A winning fighter getting mobbed back at the fight hotel
62. Talking with boxing fans who travel all over for big fights
63. Taking someone to his/her first live fight
64. The crowd rising after a knockdown
65. A fighter who somehow rises after a pulverizing knockdown
66. The late-round rally
67. The opening-round blitz
68. The killer instinct
69. The veteran spoiler
70. The journeyman who travels the world taking fights on short notice, often for short money
71. The gatekeeper who just might snuff out a victory over an unready prospect
72. The entitled fighter who gets his comeuppance in the ring
73. The lower-weight guys who throw 90 punches a round
74. The pride of Japanese boxers
75. A hardass Mexican pressure fighter
76. A badass Argentine fighter
77. The self-misery of boxing fans
78. The protectionism of boxing fans when outsiders insult their sport
79. Watching a fight after a long day of work
80. The crazy-ass conspiracy theories rampant among boxing fans
81. After many years, how the sting of your favorite fighter losing never goes away
82. Watching excellence in the ring
83. When two boxers embrace after a hard-fought match
84. The way British networks interview both fighters side-by-side sitting ringside
85. To hell with work, I’m having a good boxing discussion
86. Making a new friend who shares your love of the sport
87. Fighters who win their first title belt in their mid-30s
88. A perfectly executed shoulder roll
89. Merciless body punchers
90. Pinpoint counterpunchers
91. Unconventional punches
92. Fighters trading knockdowns in the same round
93. When judges score a close fight correctly
94. Champions who take on all comers
95. The quest for greatness
96. Watching a fighter survive after a knockdown
97. Watching an expert finisher
98. Trainers who tell it like it is the corner
99. The come-from-behind, final-round knockout
100.Counting down the hours until fight night
Adam Abramowitz is the head writer and founder of saturdaynightboxing.com.
He is also a member of the Transnational Boxing Rankings Board.
He is also a member of the Transnational Boxing Rankings Board.
Contact Adam at saturdaynightboxing@hotmail.com
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