RIP Muhammad Ali

[canefan]

Characters have been beaten out of tennis. Djoker is funny but Kyrios is the only bad boy I can think of right now. Boxing, like MMA and even pro wrestling needs drama even when there is none. Perhaps bloodsport isn't as interesting without the conflict

[Catogrande]

<p>Maybe because one is just a sport. No-one dies from playing tennis.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Well apart from fat old farts with heart problems but they're one foot in the grave and one foot on a banana skin anyway.</p>

[Cookie]

For example I like watching Olympic boxing - no build-ups, bad mouthing etc and plenty of skill on display. However my interest is on another level when you've got the "back story" and you want one boxer to rip the other a new one.<br><br>
I guess either:<br>

1. there is something primal about boxing that brings out the savage in us, or<br>
2. in other sports you support a team you have invested your emotion into, and boxing is no different

[Chris B.]

<p>Tennis you've got three tournaments a week. A top boxer's going to fight only two or three times a year. Without the circus you might forget about them.</p>

[Cookie]

Plus that is usually 2-3 fights in front of a small PPV audience

[kiwiinmelb]

<p>I think with any of the combat sports , because they are actually fighting ,  it becomes so much easier to promote the event , if people actually believe they dont like each other , </p>
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<p>And if one can assume the role of the villain, so people really do want to see him get beat up  , good guy vs bad guy , bingo </p>

[canefan]

<blockquote class="ipsBlockquote" data-author="kiwiinmelb" data-cid="586197" data-time="1465590865"><p>
I think with any of the combat sports , because they are actually fighting , it becomes so much easier to promote the event , if people actually believe they dont like each other , <br><br>
And if one can assume the role of the villain, so people really do want to see him get beat up , good guy vs bad guy , bingo</p></blockquote>And by all accounts Ali polarised people at a time when being heavyweight champ was as big as anything in sports. So half of the people rooted for him and the other half wanted to see him get smashed which generates much more interest

[kiwiinmelb]

<blockquote class="ipsBlockquote" data-author="canefan" data-cid="586198" data-time="1465591258">
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<p>And by all accounts Ali polarised people at a time when being heavyweight champ was as big as anything in sports. So half of the people rooted for him and the other half wanted to see him get smashed which generates much more interest</p>
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</blockquote>
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<p>Thats it , I was a kid at school in NZ , and kids would argue and fight over Ali non stop , half hated him the other half loved him , </p>
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<p>At that time it was widely accepted , he had the most recognised face in the world </p>

[canefan]

<p>Recollections of Ali from two guys that knew Ali well</p>
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[antipodean]

Found this on imgur - footage from his fight against Ernie Terrell who had a height and reach advantage.

http://i.imgur.com/18xhJYI.gifv

[Mick Gold Coast QLD]

@antipodean said in RIP Muhammad Ali:

Found this on imgur - footage from his fight against Ernie Terrell who had a height and reach advantage.

http://i.imgur.com/18xhJYI.gifv

You may have read that Muhammad Ali studied his opponents' characteristics closely, including their reach, and became adept at judging where that measure fell, plus a little - so that he could successfully duck, weave and avoid them, without discouraging them from continuing to throw punches and tiring themselves, in their mistaken belief that they were only just missing him.