heavens, i grew up with boxing. the stuff about hanging around a black&white TV set and adjusting rabbit ears to see the great fights of the 70s as a little kid (which i know i did, even though my recollections are non-existent) seems like such a cliche, but it is accurate. over time, along followed a moderately successful amateur boxing career at 178lbs, while going to university to study something i could subsist in long term (the ring wasn't - i was a quitter when the going got tough).

so now i live in california and am a perfect example for an armchair expert that, given the fact that he keeps in shape, after the 2nd glass of wine will try to convince everyone in listening range he could still step in the ring and execute better than these young kids from a new era who clearly are whimps :-D just kidding, of course. boxing remains the ultimate expression of a competitive sport, just 1:1 no excuses (except for the lame ones they predictably make after the fight)... and even though mixed martial arts now probably have overtaken boxing in competitive legitimacy given the fact there are not as many organizations handing around titles that seem to come with a Happy meal, hey, boxing still manages to pay its starts top dollars...