In the world of sport, you need entertainers to create publicity in order to grow any particular fan following. Boxing is not unique in this sense and relies on the charisma of its fighters to bring in the sponsors as well as the fans; only in boxing, you can get away with slightly more when it comes to goading your opponent than you could do in other sports, which is why it is such a fascinating sport to watch.
At the end of the day, both fighters are unequivocally promising to knock each other out, but only one can. It is the thought of who will be left standing that captivates the fans and leads to heart-stopping moments in the ring as fighters go down but rally to come back and win.
You need only look back to Tyson Fury’s tie with Deontay Wilder to understand the array of emotions the sport of boxing can send its fan through. Fury had jabbed Deontay Wilder’s head into next month for 11 rounds but come the 12th, the big-hitting Wilder landed the money shot to steal victory from the jaws of defeat as the 19 stone Fury went tumbling to the deck with stars in his eyes.
To the world’s amazement, the self-proclaimed ‘Gypsy King’ rose from the dead and made it up before the count of ten to stay in the fight. That’s entertainment for you right there and one of the reasons that boxing is unlike any other sport in the world. It’s probably worth pointing out that Fury’s comeback on the night was only the second biggest of his life, having fought off some of the biggest personal demons a man can face to return to the ring. This sport will give you a fairytale story of the likes you have never seen before.
For anybody who’s ever been knocked down in life, that was for you. You can get up too! #andstill lineal heavyweight champion of the world
— TYSON FURY (@Tyson_Fury) December 3, 2018
And the world knows the truth #AndTheNew pic.twitter.com/uRp7VgHxzX
Boxing also has the potential to turn fighters into statesmen once the curtain comes down on their respective careers. Vitali Klitschko, brother of Wladimir, was at one stage vying for the presidency of Ukraine and currently serves as the mayor of Kiev while Manny Pacquiao has joined the Senate in the Philippines.
What’s more is that the 40-year-old Pacquiao is currently still active and will moonlight in the boxing ring as he holds down a position as a Senate official when he fights opponent Keith Thurman on the 20th of July. If that wasn’t impressive enough, in the Pacquiao vs Thurman odds, the Phillipino, 10 years the senior of his opponent, is the favorite to win the fight.
Who said getting punched in the head repeatedly would lead to a loss in brain cells? On the contrary, some of these men are going to now be the ones making the rules in their countries after retiring. That’s boxing for you in a nutshell, it combines the outrageous with reality and leaves you in a state of disbelief.
Style with attitude. ? pic.twitter.com/dk70gauqsk
— Manny Pacquiao (@MannyPacquiao) June 25, 2019
When all is said and done, boxing is so much more than trying to knock someone’s head off their shoulders. It is an art that draws in some of the biggest personalities from the most remote parts of the globe to contest for top honors.
