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Quote of the Day: Boxing is better than MMA
By Zach Arnold | August 4, 2008
Rick Morrissey in The Chicago Tribune:
Watching two guys breathing on each other for a minute or more while they try to extricate themselves from a tangle of arms and legs on the ground leaves me frustrated.
Topics: Boxing, Media, MMA, Zach Arnold | 4 Comments » | Permalink | Trackback |
Unfortunately while a lot of traditional media that has enjoyed and basically promoted boxing refuse to open their minds to MMA I think there are a lot of MMA fans and writers (who are practically one and the same online) who feel the same way about Boxing.
In fact the same argument Morrissey is making is often made for why many MMA fans don’t watch Boxing. They think a lot of fighters just hold and don’t fight (although I still don’t think any MMA fan realizes just how difficult it is to throw punches and get punches for twelve 3 minute rounds).
Both are better than the other side gives them credit for. There are similarities for sure but different skills required for both. Sure Boxers never have to learn a guard or worry about submissions or ground or pound but a lot of MMA guys never take as many punches as boxers do and after seeing the chins of many of the MMA guys, I’m not entirely sure they could.
Both deserve an equal respect. Both are brutal and violent. Both are incredibly energy draining and have down times in between action flurries.
Neither deserve to be disrespected by the media. Or the fans.
Watch them both. Enjoy them both for what they are. Similar… but different.
Rp
I dont think its a matter of which one is better but what I will say is boxing is looking just fine right now. Remember all that silly talk of boxing being dead.
What annoys me is u have boxing fans which speak crap about MMA but at the same time I MMA fans say some real rubbish about boxing. Somehow chuck Liddell v Silva has more credibility than Cotto v Margarito as a standup battle.
There is one area that boxing FAR surpasses MMA……commentary. Seriously, most MMA commentary (especially from asshats like Mike Goldberg and Mauro Ranallo to a lesser extent) make me want to rip the hair out of my head! Listen to boxing commentators like Wally Matthews (WEC) and Teddy Atlas (ESPN2). Those guys are ALWAYS critical and NEVER kiss anyone’s ass. Hell Teddy has gotten suspended from ESPN a few times for fucked up behavior (punching a producer type, etc.). Even the HBO crew can rip apart a fight (watch the Alfonso Sanchez vs. Mickey Ward bout from about ten years ago, or even the Bernard Hopkins vs. Morrad Hakkar fight). What do you get from watching MMA? Shameful asskissing and shilling that makes you puke. It makes me puke. It’s a shame because Mauro Ranallo is a really good play-by-play guy but his puns are annoying as fuck! And if you didn’t know any better you could swear that Fedor was Jesus Christ incarnate by the way the Affliction crew hyped him up.
This is why I want to see a different mixed format like san shou with kickboxing, limited clinching, throws, and no groundwork go mainstream! Combines the most exciting elements from a spectator view. Take boxing, add some banned punches plus kicks and throws. No boring clinching or ground stalling or stalemates.