Mike Tyson is a rough guy outside the ring. So were Carlos Monzoon, Jake Lamotta and others. So to become a fighter maybe you need a violent streak naturally?
Nope. Read up on your boxing history. No violent streak needed. Many great boxers were great people. Participating in ritualized violence codified in a form of sport isn't the same animal as being a sociopath with a violent streak. Having the mettle and the athletic ability to succeed in a sport like boxing doesn't necessarily entail a violent streak. Boxing runs the gamut. That boxing has traditionally drawn from the have-nots in society probably throws a curve ball into the numbers somehow though. I've been to many an after fight party with some of the biggest names in Muay Thai - and the calmest... most polite guys that were completely unassuming have always been the fighters. If you want to see violent, nasty tempered, drug fueled, back stabbing scum bags that are should all be rounded up and summarily shot... well then you really want to look at fight promoters. An example of some of the salt of the earth that from time to time makes an appearance in boxing: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/James_J._Braddock Cinderella Man was a movie based on James Braddock. A compassionate and hard working American boxer that just happened to live through the depression and did whatever he could to feed his family.
The current heavyweight champion Wladimir Klitschko springs to mind as someone who always handles himself with dignity. Certainly better than some in light of recent events. Wlad fights Jean-Marc Mormeck tonight and is currently standing centre ring listening to the national anthems looking very cool.
Beat me to it Hannibal. A modern day equivalent from MMA would be Georges St. Pierre. He is just a classy guy in every respect. Rich Franklin is another good one.
I gotta say... I'm well pleased that MAP has a nice cluster of boxing fans who have a grasp of their boxing history. This is a swell development as it really does a lot to put to rest many of the negative stereotypes associated with boxing. Not that there aren't negative aspects to boxing... there are... plenty of them... but for once it's nice to see some positive press.
It's knowledge of boxing history which keeps me from ever watching "Cinderella Man" due to the disgusting and totally fictional character assassination of Max Baer. Too bad,would've seen it otherwise. Oh,and to the "nice guys" list I'll add George Carpentier and Max Schmeling.
as a bit of a potential aside.... the whole idea that a violent steak is necessary to me is a reflection of the obsession that modern society has with specialisation, i.e. that a boxer is a person that fights - and nothing else. Cobblers. We are all of us quite complex folk when you get down to it, capable of being good at a whole pile of things all at once if you have the necessary drive, and that also means that we are not locked into some insect like role specialisation thing - the whole angry male defender ant vibe. Shock, horror, boxers are capable of being decent people! end of rant.... paul
Tennis isn't very violent, but Johnny McEnroe could be. Does that mean tennis primarily attracts violent individuals, or is it just a few individuals out of a majority? [ame="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C8Nyc9jzSDg&feature=related"]John McEnroe's most famous outburst happened in Stockholm in 1984 - YouTube[/ame]
One thing i will say most boxers are idiots when it comes to money. Look at Tyson, Holyfield, Holmes, Hearns, Duran etc. It goes all the way back to John L Sullivan who went broke. How do you **** away millions of dollars? Ask a boxer.
I think for misbehaving and petulant aggression football is probably a far worse culprit. Sorry, soccer. S'my opinion that sports with a little more aggression tend to have better behaved participants overall.
Or a pop star, or a gambler, or any other kind of sportsman. Are you just trying to find SOMETHING wrong with them?
