Why boxing has such a big audience

Stripping the sport down to its foundations leaves us with the simple intent of two people trying to hurt one other sufficiently enough to have his/her arm raised at the end of a contest - whenever that point may arrive. But the nuances are so much greater.

Boxing is often referred to as the “Sweet Science”. The aim is to hit your opponent and not get hit yourself. Beyond the raw appeal of a good old-fashioned slugfest there is a skill involved. Boxers at the highest level spend years honing their craft. Repeating drills, routines and moves. Branding combinations and responses into muscle memory. It is beauty mixed with brutality.

What boxing films often capture so eloquently is a fundamental part of the sport that keeps fans coming back for more. The underdog overcoming pain and duress. Moving past adversity, to triumph when the odds are stacked against them.

Boxing draws from working class neighbourhoods with the best fighters often chiselled from the rock of adversity in life. Given no hope, no chance, many boxers work their way out of poverty or difficult circumstances to make something of themselves - to excel.

Their feats in the ring are the embodiment of courage and valour. They show how dreams can be achieved, how they are the everyman that people across all walks of life can aspire to. Boxing places two combatants together, alone, in a very real fight for survival. Reputations and lives are on the line each time they step inside the ropes.

Viewers in the audience, in arenas or at home, see every punch, every grimace, every drop of blood. There is no hiding place in the ring. It is the place where we find out so much about a person and where they find out so much about themselves. What they are capable of, what pain barriers they are willing to go through to succeed, what lengths they are willing to go to in order to achieve their goals.

The ring is an unforgiving space. Boxers are held to unbelievable standards when it comes to bravery, courage and battling through adversity. The fighter who can no longer compete, who is battling through extreme fatigue or a career-threatening injury, can run the risk of being labelled a “quitter”. The punches are harsh, the critiques often harsher.

Boxing can be a tribal sport. Fans of a fighter will follow him or her with unblinding loyalty, defending them in the face of criticism. Local boxers often represent a city or nation, drawing out supporters in their thousands to cheer on “one of their own”. Fans remember the first good fight they saw. The first brutal KO. The one matchup or performer that piqued their interest or encouraged them to tune in, or, indeed, take up the sport as a hobby or profession.

Competing as a boxer even at a lower level can be extremely accessible. Gym rates are low, access easy, equipment provided. Bags to punch, roads to run, skipping ropes to pound. Boxing creates mentally disciplined, physical athletes capable of handling themselves in trying situations.

When a famous fighter like Floyd Mayweather Jr headlines a Pay-Per-View, or a destroyer like Mike Tyson lights up Las Vegas with another chilling knockout win, fans of boxing and sport in general stop what they are doing and tune in to witness the event.

It creates excitement and evokes emotion like no other. This is why so many people watch boxing, and this is why we love it.

Article by Bushu.ch