How to Recognize a Modern Boxing Aficionado

If someone is wildly passionate about boxing and has followed it for years, he or she just might be an aficionado; that is, an enthusiast, addict, fanatic, freak (with a nod to Dan Rafael), fancier, maven, junkie and several other descriptive terms. There are gambling degenerates. Might not there be boxing ones?

Arguably, however, the definition could include more than just liking something passionately. To be an aficionado is to be interested in a particular activity and, most importantly, to know a good deal about it. A modern jazz aficionado might enjoy jazz for years but to him there is much more than just the sounds; there are the instruments, musicians, songs, styles, etc.

Being a cigar aficionado does not mean you smoke a lot of cigars; it does mean you know the difference between one from Cuba and one from Ecuador, and much, much more.

And so it is with boxing.

Aficionados tend to ignore hype and analyze fights more like the fictional Sam “Ace” Rothstein in the film Casino than many of today’s commentators. To them, training camps and weigh-ins are more important than manufactured anger. They are pretty good at making predictions.

Aficionados give answers to tough questions without much hesitation. Ultra-maven Ron Lipton, former fighter, current referee and boxing’s jack-of-all-trades does not hesitate. He is an encyclopaedia of boxing knowledge.

They know their history; they will recall that tortured look on Johnny Tapia’s face when the decision was announced in his second fight with Paulie Ayala and then pair it with the look on Ray Mancini’s face when the decision was announced in his second bout with Livingstone Bramble. And they know what those looks meant.

They will know that Jersey Joe Walcott handily beat Joe Louis in their first fight although the record books say otherwise.

Aficionados know that Kid Gavilan had one of the greatest chins in boxing history and that Ezzard Charles may have fought the stiffest level of opposition of any fighter in modern boxing history.

They were aware of the blue collar vs. white collar implications when Chuck Davey fought Chico Vejar in 1952, and the ethnicity of the Zale-Graziano trilogy.

They also know the absurdity of total reliance on “newspaper decisions.” However, they also recognize exceptions like brilliant writer/historian Mike Casey and Henry Hascup who are aficionados extraordinaire.

To stay sharp on modern activities, aficionados post on several different on-line boxing sites, often using different aliases, and will acknowledge that many knowledgeable boxing people are posters on such sites. They also use electronic research to the max.

Aficionados are conversant with global boxing and will criticize published boxing ratings, as they are more than capable of creating their own and far better ones.

Aficionados, by and large, tend to have a strong appreciation for female boxing.

They fully understand that the underbelly of the boxing business is badly in need of a moral infusion, but that fact does not deter them from getting their fix on what transpires inside the ring rather than what goes on outside. In this connection, they also understand that the way boxing is structured will never offer solutions to the needs of boxers during and after their careers so they will not engage on this subject as it tends to go into an intellectual cul de sac almost immediately. Yes, they are cynical.

Aficionados know that an irreversible tragedy can occur in a split second as was the case with Michael Watson, Gerald McClellan (who requires constant care), and the late Greg Page. Zab Judah avoided the bullet; Adonis Stevenson did not.

They know that for every story that involves a boxer walking away from the sport with more than he came in with and with his brains still intact, there are way too many that end on the wrong note.

Semi-casuals might know about the Quarry brothers; aficionados know about the Moyers.

Casuals might know about Pernell Whitaker; aficionados know about Willie Pep and Nicolino Locche.

Boxing fans in general know and talk about Lyle vs. Foreman; aficionados talk about Nardico vs. Norkus.

Addicts know what Joan Guzman’s issue was and also why Oba Carr never won a title.

And finally, boxing aficionados often believe their opinions are facts.

Postscript: Many years ago, Max Kellerman and Teddy Atlas were teamed on ESPN’s “Friday Night Fights.” Max was just a kid and wore a leather jacket but he knew his boxing and fans liked him. Today, there probably is no better example of an aficionado than Max.

Heaven knows, he took his enthusiasm to the max.

Ted Sares is a member of Ring 8, a lifetime member of Ring 10, and a member of Ring 4 and its Boxing Hall of Fame. He also is an Auxiliary Member of the Boxing Writers Association of America (BWAA). He is an active power lifter and Strongman competitor in the Master Class.

Check out more boxing news on video at The Boxing Channel

To comment on this story in The Fight Forum CLICK HERE