Boxing is the hardest sport in the world because it’s physically the most demanding and it’s so very dangerous too. One punch can knock a man out, or do worse damage. That’s the conventional idea.
But let’s examine. No doubt boxing is a very dangerous sport and a very difficult sport to become a “world champion” in, as it requires extraordinary levels of courage, skills, speed, intelligence, fitness, strength, and athleticism.
The pool of athletes who participate in boxing are microscopic compared to tennis, which does make the journey from novice to world champion a much shorter one for the aspiring boxer. Tennis is a gargantuan journey through so many levels and adversities.
My point is, tennis might actually be the more challenging sport to become a professional champion than boxing.
It takes years and years of practice and training and match play to be able to master tennis to the point of even being able to just win an open tournament on the local level.
In boxing it’s different. There have been examples of grown men taking up the sport with zero amateur experience, and then quickly winning world championships.
Dwight Braxton told me in an interview that he was in jail serving a multi-year sentence for armed robbery, watching a light heavyweight world title fight on television and thought to himself, “I could beat both of those guys right now.”
Braxton was released from jail a few months later and turned pro in April of ’78. But his pro career started off unspectacularly – Braxton settled for a draw against Leonard Langley in Washington DC. He also lost his third pro fight by decision to Johnny Davis. Braxton, who stood only 5-ft and 6 and 3/4 inches tall – small for the l75 pound light heavyweight division, grew more determined and worked harder. He won fourteen fights in a row and earned a title shot against the World Boxing Council champion Matthew Saad Muhammad on December l9, l98l in Atlantic City, N.J. In a fight that was televised by ABC, Braxton won the title by tenth round knockout – just over three and a half years after turning pro. He was 28.
There is another phenomenal example of rapid, almost overnight professional boxing success…James “Bonecrusher” Smith graduated from a college in North Carolina in the late seventies. He decided to take up professional boxing and turned pro in l98l at age 25. Smith lost his first pro fight by TKO to James Broad. But fourteen wins and three years later, Smith earned a world title opportunity against Larry Holmes in November of ’84. Smith lost by TKO to Holmes in the twelfth round. At the end of ’86, Witherspoon received another world title opportunity against WBA champ Tim Witherspoon at Madison Square Garden in New York City. Amazingly, just five years after turning pro, Smith knocked out Witherspoon in the first round to win a World Heavyweight title.
These two examples show that, while it’s certainly anything but easy, it is possible that a grown man without any childhood amateur boxing experience, can turn pro and become a world champion.
I surmise this could never happen – and never will happen – in tennis. There are too many skills to develop for tennis and the massive numbers of the overall tennis player pool all over the globe far outnumbers the number of participants in boxing. Which bolsters the theory, in a way, that tennis is actually harder to become a champion at than boxing.
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gustarhymes · May 18, 2014 at 5:02 pm
Wow, we agree on this one Scoop. I believe Bernard Hopkins started in the fight business late?
I knew a guy in college who was being trained by his Dad who was a former heavyweight fighter. He told me boxing is still about knockout power. If you are blessed with it, you are tough to beat no matter if you start late.
Tennis is tougher than even that. It’s hard to believe unless you hit with a world class player and feel the impact.
gusta
Scoop Malinowski · May 18, 2014 at 8:46 pm
Actually, Hopkins boxed as a kid, then spent some time incarcerated. Though Hopkins did not have any international amateur experience, he did tell me he was in local junior Olympics competitions and one of the kids he beat when he was around twelve bumped into him years later and joked Hopkins only beat him because he had the politics with him. Hopkins also said he used to take whuppings when he was in his teens in the gym to the older guys like Robert Hines who was a solid pro. KO power is important Gustarhymes, but more important is the skills to deliver the power to the target. Plenty of “punchers” but there’s an art to fighting and boxing. The smart talented good boxer will always beat the puncher. I hit with Pierre Duclos and his effortless power made me feel near helpless and weak. It had to be similar feeling to feel Tyson like power in the ring. There’s nothing you can do about it but take the battering.
Abe Froman · May 19, 2014 at 11:11 am
interesting point but there’s no way to truly quantify the main difference between the 2 sports – which is the physical contact of boxing vs the shot mechanics of tennis….they’re completely different elements….boxing may be easier to pick up as it’s more primal and instinctual but the question is what is more difficult to handle…..is it easier to handle a hit or deal with blood in boxing…..or is it easier to handle the cardio burn and shot mechanics of tennis ?..
Bryan · May 19, 2014 at 4:08 pm
I agree the pool of talent in tennis is deeper than boxing so there’s no way a guy is coming off the street to win an ATP tournament, let alone a Masters 1000 or major. It’s extremely hard to rise to a top level in tennis due to the depth in talent and expense of playing on the tour, which is a high barrier to entry.
But I don’t agree that tennis is ‘easier’ than boxing. The physical abuse boxers absorb day to day just getting ready for a fight is brutal. The mental strain of stepping into the ring is one of the most frightening things any athlete can do.
While tennis players are under great pressure, the mental strain of boxing is unlike any other sport. The hour wait in the dressing room before a fight is 10x more stressful than any other sport. Strong men have lost their minds during that hour.