www.mcclorysports.com http://www.mcclorysports.com Tue, 21 Feb 2012 00:00:00 +0000 en hourly 1 The Decline of an International Pastime http://www.mcclorysports.com/2012/02/21/the-decline-of-an-international-pastime/ http://www.mcclorysports.com/2012/02/21/the-decline-of-an-international-pastime/#comments Tue, 21 Feb 2012 00:00:00 +0000 admin http://www.mcclorysports.com/?p=68 While boxing has received more international attention than local, it is still in deep decline.

Believe it or not, there used to be a time when boxing was so popular the world literally stopped and focused on the event. Who could forget the Rumble in the Jungle? On October 30, 1974, in Mai 20 Stadium in Kinshasa, Zaire (now the Democratic Republic of the Congo): world Heavyweight champ George Foreman squared off against former world champ Muhammad Ali. People all over the world watched with rapt anticipation as two champions duked it out in the main event.

Nowadays, boxing doesn’t get nearly the attention it deserves, and you’ll be hard pressed to see more than just a brief television ad whenever some major boxing event takes place. Rarely is it even shown on regular television and usually you have to jump on sites like www.directstartv.com and actually specially order these programs in order to see them.

It seems like, compared to the rest of the mainstream sports out there, boxing has somewhat diminished and that’s unfortunate. While certain naysayers like to downplay boxing, there really has never been a nobler sport. It’s not just about pummeling your opponent with pugilistic punishments and it’s not just about getting hurt. It takes heart, dedication and devotion to be a champ – it’s inspiring and more about hard work than having your picture put on a box of Wheaties.

]]> http://www.mcclorysports.com/2012/02/21/the-decline-of-an-international-pastime/feed/ 0 A LOOK AT THE BOXING ERA OF JACK JOHNSON http://www.mcclorysports.com/2012/01/21/a-look-at-the-boxing-era-of-jack-johnson/ http://www.mcclorysports.com/2012/01/21/a-look-at-the-boxing-era-of-jack-johnson/#comments Sat, 21 Jan 2012 00:00:00 +0000 admin http://www.mcclorysports.com/?p=75 John Arthur (“Jack”) Johnson was born in Galveston, Texas on March 31, 1878. He died on June 10, 1946. Jack was an American boxer nicknamed the “Galveston Giant”. He became the first African American world heavyweight boxing champion. Jack’s championship came at the height of the Jim Crowe era (1908 – 1915).

Jack had a boxing match against Joe Choynski and lost by knock out. Not long after this fight, both men spent time in prison together. Joe taught Jack much about boxing while they were in prison together. Jack developed a distinctive boxing style from the many things Joe had taught him.

He had a more patient approach towards his opponents than it was customary in those days. Jack would carry on conversations with his opponents and bystanders near the ring during the boxing matches. If Jack was annoyed by something his opponent did or said, he would fight to punish his opponent rather than knock him out.

His style was very effective for winning matches. Yet Jack’s style was highly criticized. Many journalists wrote in the press that Jack was cowardly and devious. “Gentleman” Jim Corbett, a world heavyweight champ before Jack was, had used many of the same techniques as Jack. Jim was never criticized for using those techniques. The press had always given Jim Corbett praise for using those techniques.

Jack Johnson had paved the way for African American’s mainly in the boxing ring, but also overall in the sporting world. Jack was an awesome boxer who should never be forgotten.

]]> http://www.mcclorysports.com/2012/01/21/a-look-at-the-boxing-era-of-jack-johnson/feed/ 0 PROFESSIONAL FIGHTERS; ARE THEY PAID TOO MUCH? http://www.mcclorysports.com/2012/01/07/professional-fighters-are-they-paid-too-much/ http://www.mcclorysports.com/2012/01/07/professional-fighters-are-they-paid-too-much/#comments Sat, 07 Jan 2012 00:00:00 +0000 admin http://www.mcclorysports.com/?p=74 When it comes to sports or fighting in particular, a lot of people will say that they get paid too much. Though tho might not really sound like a real problem, it seems like more people should understand how hard it is to be come a professional fighter. Compared to other sports like basketball or football, the chances of being a successful boxer will solely depend on the fighter and not too much on any team or coach. The best fighter in the world today is Manny Pacquiao and he has been able to make millions of dollars simply because he is the best and most entertaining fighter out there today. Does he deserve the millions of dollars? Though many people will say that people like doctors or nurses should get paid more, boxers are simply just more rare and so it takes a lot of hard work to make these fighters who they are. They simply are there to entertain and they are sacrificing their bodies and their health for the sake of entertainment. If there was an athlete that actually deserves to be paid more, it would be the boxer because of the stress and risks that the sport requires.

]]> http://www.mcclorysports.com/2012/01/07/professional-fighters-are-they-paid-too-much/feed/ 0 THE TOP TEN GREATEST BOXERS OF ALL TIME http://www.mcclorysports.com/2011/12/23/the-top-ten-greatest-boxers-of-all-time/ http://www.mcclorysports.com/2011/12/23/the-top-ten-greatest-boxers-of-all-time/#comments Fri, 23 Dec 2011 00:00:00 +0000 admin http://www.mcclorysports.com/&p=70 Since the beginning of the boxing era, boxing has manifested some of the greatest athletes that changed the history of sports and boxing itself. Boxing has become a national sport in some countries and has been more popular than ever in the last couple decades. The number one boxer still that is remembered today by everyone is Muhammad Ali. Muhammad Ali changed the game of boxing for the better and is still remembered as one of the greatest boxers today. Next that stands next to Muhammad Ali is Mike Tyson. Mike Tyson changed the typical image of a common boxer. Mike Tyson’s image was a trained beast; not only in the ring but also outside the ring. Next up to Iron Mike is, Joe Frazier. Frazier went fist to fist with Ali and won, he deserves a honorable mention. Next is Jack Dempsey, created the Dempsey Roll was one of his better creations. Next is a boxer that still remains at the top today, Manny Pacquiao. To just list a few boxers that fits in the list of the greatest boxers of all time: Joe Louis, Sugar Ray Robinson, Jack Johnson, Rocky Marciano, Henry Armstrong Jr and lastly, Wille Pep.

]]> http://www.mcclorysports.com/2011/12/23/the-top-ten-greatest-boxers-of-all-time/feed/ 0 WHO WILL BE THE NEXT ALI? http://www.mcclorysports.com/2011/08/21/who-will-be-the-next-ali/ http://www.mcclorysports.com/2011/08/21/who-will-be-the-next-ali/#comments Sun, 21 Aug 2011 00:00:00 +0000 admin http://www.mcclorysports.com/&p=8 In the world of heavy weight boxing everyone is always trying to figure out who will be the next Ali? The reason for this question is simply the fact that Muhammad Ali is considered to be one of the greatest boxers of all time.

Muhammad was known for speaking to reporters and even spoke out against the Vietnam War. He inspired many people to have hope and courage by letting them know that nothing is impossible, if they are willing to fight for what they believe in.I found some more information here.

Muhammad Ali racked up 56 winning matches with only 5 losing defeats. He won the heavy weight title three times during his career. He set the bar for beating his record extremely high and nearly impossible for even the best fighters in the world.

Opponents typically underestimated Muhammad-s ability to figure out what their specific area of weakness was and how to exploit it in order to win the match. He was known for creating the fighting technique known as the rope a dope and a dance called the Ali shuffle. He often started as an underdog but typically turned it around by staging a great comeback near the end of the match.

]]> http://www.mcclorysports.com/2011/08/21/who-will-be-the-next-ali/feed/ 0 HAS THE WORLD BOXING WORLD BECOME TOO GLAMORIZED? http://www.mcclorysports.com/2011/08/18/has-the-world-boxing-world-become-too-glamorized/ http://www.mcclorysports.com/2011/08/18/has-the-world-boxing-world-become-too-glamorized/#comments Thu, 18 Aug 2011 00:00:00 +0000 admin http://www.mcclorysports.com/&p=7 Has the World Boxing world become too glamorized? This is the question posed by those persons that think that boxing should be banned. They would also say that modern boxing is just overtly glorified violence and that it is not a sport fit for modern civilized society. This is just not true because boxing requires the discipline, keen senses, sound mind and technical skills that surpass the expectations of most other athletic sports. Boxers must develop both tactical thinking and physical skill, but more importantly they have only one thing to rely on themselves with their bodies. Unlike any other sport it is art of pure discipline in combat, not just a game. Banning boxing is not the answer and doing so is most likely going to cause it to go back underground as in decades past. Unregulated boxing was responsible for more violent casualties than the sport as it is today. This is especially true in countries outside of America. As with most issues of violence in society, banning the sport of boxing will not stop violence. Civilized societies must seek out the sources of violent behavior rather than ban easy and unrelated targets. Boxing does not glamorize violence.

]]> http://www.mcclorysports.com/2011/08/18/has-the-world-boxing-world-become-too-glamorized/feed/ 0 A CLOSER LOOK AT THE RENOWNED FREDDIE ROACH http://www.mcclorysports.com/2011/08/14/a-closer-look-at-the-renowned-freddie-roach/ http://www.mcclorysports.com/2011/08/14/a-closer-look-at-the-renowned-freddie-roach/#comments Sun, 14 Aug 2011 00:00:00 +0000 admin http://www.mcclorysports.com/&p=6 Freddy Roach need no introduction to boxing fans. As the trainer for Manny Pacquiao, Georges St. Pierre and Lucia Rijker, his resume speaks for itself. But one must wonder how Freddy Roach gets to work with the best in boxing. To find the answer to that question, one must only look a little closer.

Roach was one of three sons, trained by their father to box. With boxing in his blood from an early age, Roach soon came to dominate amateur ranks as a lightweight. His success caught the eye of boxing legend Eddie Futch, who began to train the up and comer. Under Futch, Roach would fight twice for the World Championship before retiring with a career record of forty wins, thirteen losses and zero draws. Roach also accumulated fifteen knockouts in his career.

Roach-s retirement was hastened by an onset of Parkinson-s disease. Parkinson-s disease is a degenerative disease that attacks the central nervous system and can leave sufferers with problems moving or even lead to dementia. As a trainer, Roach remains active to combat the onset of Parkinson-s and has said that this may hold off the disorder. As a fighter or a trainer, Roach is relentless.

]]> http://www.mcclorysports.com/2011/08/14/a-closer-look-at-the-renowned-freddie-roach/feed/ 0 WHO IS THE NEXT REIGNING BOXING HERO? http://www.mcclorysports.com/2011/08/12/who-is-the-next-reigning-boxing-hero/ http://www.mcclorysports.com/2011/08/12/who-is-the-next-reigning-boxing-hero/#comments Fri, 12 Aug 2011 00:00:00 +0000 admin http://www.mcclorysports.com/&p=5 In professional boxing, one name comes to mind: Manny Pacquiao. The fans love him for three reasons: quickness, endurance and strength. Manny Pacquiao is a skillful boxer; he makes few mistakes. People say he’s the next great boxing hero; his career achievements will go down in history. Oscar De La Hoya–a legendary boxer–loss to Manny Pacquiao on Tuesday, December 6, 2008, in a boxing match. This fight highlighted Manny Pacquiao’s career; his legacy still continues today.

Major World Titles:
53 Wins, 3 Losses, 2 Draws

WBC Super Welterweight World Champion
WBO Welterweight World Champion
The Ring Junior Welterweight World Champion
WBC Lightweight World Champion
The Ring Junior Lightweight World Champion
WBC Super Featherweight World Champion
The Ring Featherweight World Champion
IBF Junior Featherweight World Champion
WBC Flyweight World Champion

Minor World Title:
IBO Junior Welterweight World Champion

Lineal Championship Titles:
Lineal Featherweight World Champion
Lineal Super Featherweight World Champion
Lineal Light Welterweight World Champion

Regional/International Titles:
OPBF Flyweight Champion
WBC Super Bantamweight International Champion
WBC Super Featherweight International Champion

Special Titles:
WBC Emeritus Champion
WBC Diamond Champion
WBO Super Champion

Statistics
Real Name: Emmanuel Dapidran Pacquiao
Nicknames: Pac-Man, The Destroyer, The People’s Champ, The Fighting Congressman
Height: 5 ft 6 12 in
Nationality: Filipino
Born: 12/17/1978
Stance: Southpaw

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