Let's Get Ready To Rumble...
Boxing.
I despise the sport. I really do. I have always held this opinion, but I have thought about it more in the last couple of days after seeing the beginning of the Tua fight on Saturday. Obviously it was not a happy choice I made to spend a sunny Saturday afternoon watching boxing on television, but the three guys I was playing tennis with decided to watch the event. It was either go with them or sadly stand alone on a tennis court without even a wall to hit against. I decided upon the company of my friends, although I did make it very clear that I was not enthused.
I find boxing disgusting, barbaric and boring. And stupid. Now I know that a lot of hard work and skill is required to be a professional boxer (I too have read The Power of One), but I still just don't get it. Puch each other to see who can get the best and most hits, or just plain old knock the other guy out. Hmmm, sounds fun - and healthy too. It also shows us that it is okay to hold violent agression towards another person, a person who in fact has not even done anything to arouse that agression, other then partake in the same sport. I would rather watch synchronised swimming (I hope now you are beginning to fully realise my distaste for boxing).
I guess what I want to achieve through this blog is to find out what other people think about this sport of ancient roots. If you want to defend boxing then please do, I look forward to the debate!
I despise the sport. I really do. I have always held this opinion, but I have thought about it more in the last couple of days after seeing the beginning of the Tua fight on Saturday. Obviously it was not a happy choice I made to spend a sunny Saturday afternoon watching boxing on television, but the three guys I was playing tennis with decided to watch the event. It was either go with them or sadly stand alone on a tennis court without even a wall to hit against. I decided upon the company of my friends, although I did make it very clear that I was not enthused.
I find boxing disgusting, barbaric and boring. And stupid. Now I know that a lot of hard work and skill is required to be a professional boxer (I too have read The Power of One), but I still just don't get it. Puch each other to see who can get the best and most hits, or just plain old knock the other guy out. Hmmm, sounds fun - and healthy too. It also shows us that it is okay to hold violent agression towards another person, a person who in fact has not even done anything to arouse that agression, other then partake in the same sport. I would rather watch synchronised swimming (I hope now you are beginning to fully realise my distaste for boxing).
I guess what I want to achieve through this blog is to find out what other people think about this sport of ancient roots. If you want to defend boxing then please do, I look forward to the debate!
posted by Lis | 3:48 pm
12 Comments:
I don't think there's anything wrong with boxing, sure it's violent but its not as if violence doesnt exist. With boxing you have 2 consenting individuals often being paid big money, for them its how they make a living and they know the consequences of it. Girls box too, although I wouldnt enjoy watching a whole fight, to me its just something I wouldnt want to see girls doing.
I think people love the entertainment factor in boxing, like say back in Roman times where you'd go and watch people fight eachother to the death - great! Obviously in our politically correct world we're not going to see that again, but everyone enjoys a bit of aggression and violence. For instance fights on the footy field gain big crowd support, but maybe you just have to be a guy to understand.
Yes, violence does exist, so much in fact why must we add to it by having sports that not only condone but encourage violence? Now I'm not saying that boxing sould be banned or removed from the Olympics or any such thing, I'm just voicing my own personal disgust at it.
And why couldn't you watch too women boxing Sav? Is that a little too violent for you? Is violence a male thing?
*two
I personally find boxing quite boring to watch, it's not a sport that excites me. I have nothing against it though, if these men waht to live their lives by pummeling others and getting pummelled to the point of long term injuries so be it. But one thing I do agree with is Lrav's point of discipline. A great example is of two guys I went to school with, The Gardener brothers. At school they were pretty crazy and uncontrollable, but now they both box and are doing very well, they're even heading for the commonwealth games, and the change in them is incredible they've matured greatly. So I think the discipline side is a great thing.
Okay, so even though I did say that this is my personal opinion and that I am not saying boxing should be banned or telling people that they should not watch it, you are telling me that I SHOULD watch it for the sake of the kids from the slums. Hmmmm... interesting approach, I didn't think using guilt tactics was your style. And yes boxing does produce some upstanding citizens - Mike Tyson, Max Baer, our very own Pownceby. Ear-biters, Women-bashers, sexual predators and killers. Upstanding.
And, do you really think it is fair to pigeon-hole people because of their class and background? He's poor, therefore he must be violent, ergo he will make a good boxer.
Maybe it would be helpful to teach people (especially young men) that violence is not an answer or even an acceptable out-let for aggression. But I guess it is easier for Billy to set up a boxing ring instead of dealing with the real issues...
I'm not saying that boxing turns people into violent beings - to say that would be ignorant. All I'm saying is that if people have a tendency to be violent then maybe they should work out why that is.
Oh, and that I hate the sport. At least I think that was the point of my post.
Ok, if youre saying that boxing may possibly encourage violence, then I think you just can't single out boxing. What about rugby, rugby league, you have guys sprinting towards each other one of them intent on smashing the other guy to the ground, do you think that may encourage violence too? it's not too different from punching someone in a ring on the violence stakes. So if thats the case then maybe every contact sport encourages violence, lets ban all of them!
I reckon contact sports boxing included are definitely needed so especially guys can let out energy, I think those sports must reduce the amount of violence we see in society.
I actually very much doubt they reduce violence in our society. But I have not said they encourage violence (read my last statement sav). I am going to say this one last time - and PLEASE remember because I don't want to have to repeat for a fifth time. I DO NOT I repeat DO NOT believe that boxing:
a. Should be banned
b. Should not be watched
c. Encourages vioence.
Okay, hope that makes things a little clearer. I am merely stating my disgust of the sport. Nowhere have I said that YOU (a generic you, not specific) should not watch or participate in the sport.
Lrav. First of all you have the gall to tell me I if fact SHOULD watch boxing, then tell me not to get personal. And let's just forget about Billy, he's not a big part of my opinion, nor do I think we should dwell on specific people (as I think you have already mentioned). Also, he is not here to speak for himself and neither of us can really say exactly what he thinks or feels (no matter how many times you have talked to him - which I believe is less then 5).
The problem I have with boxing is that it is a sport where the aim is to hit one guy as many times as posssible, in the most harmful places, and if possible knock him out unconscious. I know there is violence in other sports, but usually they have another purpose to them, ie. get the ball from one side of the field/court to the other. Personally I hate violence and I cannot imagine hitting another person for a hobby or profession. But as I have said that is my opinion. Tell me your opinions, but don't exaggerate my own.
Oh, and if men need to 'release energy' do something useful like help plant trees or something.
That is the end of my rant.
Lisa quote "Yes, violence does exist, so much in fact why must we add to it by having sports that not only condone but encourage violence?" unquote. Hehe
Encourage violence in the arena of sport, NOT in society; there is a big difference. And I'm going to be an English teacher and tell you that you need not write 'quote' 'unquote' if you are using the correct punctuation.
Seeing as we haven't dropped the Billy Graham topic, I am going to share a little story I heard today. There is a guy in Palmerston North. He was expelled from school when he was 14 and went through a pretty rough time. Now he runs a successful compost business. What happens is that all the food waste from restaurants and cafes is collected from around the area. Then it is put through a big machine that has a powerful magnet to extract cutlery that has tried to make an escape with the food. It is then churned for 15 days and made into compost, called 'Just Compost' and sold at retailers (quite cheaply as well). But my point is not that he is environmentally friendly. This guy (sorry, we wasn't told his name) employs only kids who have dropped out of school or have been expelled. He puts them through training about 'Environomics' and he has been given a unit standard scheme so that these kids can achieve qualifications at the same time. So these young people have a job, a mentor, education, qualifications, AND are doing something positive for the rest of society. I sure know what scheme I would rather see my troubled teen partaking in.
* we weren't - don't want to sound like a hick.
I apparently have to spell out my point;, as I have been told it is not explicit enough, although I did think that readers would be able to read between and beyond the written lines. My point is...drumroll please....I think encouraging kids to work hard, gain qualifications and be environmentally friendly is a much more worth while cause then teaching them how to hit another person effectively.
Post a Comment
<< Home