Legendary Boxer Sugar Ray Robinson Honored With A Commemorative Postage Stamp

[Basil]

Oh you mean the fight with Inoki!

I'm actually a big fan of mixed martial arts and I see Inoki's fighters fight all the time, he has a couple of good ones (one outstanding one).

I definitely think that could have effected him, the last interview i remember him having on the subject in the late 90's, he actually said he can still feel Inoki's kicks to that day. But the kicks on someone who doesn't understand the defense, definitely could hurt bad, I've seen guys get stopped from being leg kicked alone.

And I call boxing the most brutal sport in the world based on the number of fatalities. I would say (and I haven't looked this up) that an average of 5 or so people in boxing die a year from injuries suffered in the ring. And its big cards and small cards. A woman died last year from a punch on top of the head in an amateur boxing match. All the way up to Leavander Johnson dying on a ppv card in Vegas last September.

ESPN shows the fights all the time, they've had 2 people die in their fights (Bee Scotland and Bobby Tomasello), FOX had Randie Carver die on their air a few years back and a fighter named Emiliano Valdez.

Its just that way. Getting that much direct punishment, in a sport where the only offensive moves commit damage to your opponent, its bound to happen, and even more than the other combat sports. Boxing is longer, world class kickboxers at the highest level only fight 4 round fights. Mixed martial arts has the wrestling to it, and boxing is just ALL punishment.

Ali was very elusive, but he changed when he got older and his strategy became, I'll sit here and let you beat on me and assume i can take it and block so much of it, then I'll get you. It usually worked, but I think what happen to him in the last Frazier fight, and the Larry Holmes fight just did him in. Even Foreman was tagging him, not clean in the head generally, but in the body, the arms, everything and I'd call Foreman the hardest puncher in boxing history.

[Baba Ahmed]

So that's what its called, Inoki? I do know that bruthas in NYC were trying their best to hip him. Young man was kinda "cocky" too, u kno.

Basil, don't leap on me; but boxing as its called I think is derived from Greece & Rome, mainly. Washington DC used to be loaded with statutes of Greeks. Upper body muscled brutes, with thick thighs. Ever noticed paintings of ancient Kush, etc folk? Especially those called Egyptians and Ethiopians? Lean, graceful looking men and women. Drawings depicting a series of kata like poses. Not to belittle muscular bodies. No. Bruce Lee demonstrated power and grace. But then an old man told my son: if u begin with the "hard" u'll end with the "soft." But Greeks, Romans and now Europeans influenced lifestyles generally manifest brute strength. In boxing, football, basketball even in swimming events. On down to popular spa's.

Lemme end here by saying, I laff sometimes seeing those who "throw iron" with no necks and small heads. Especially football "players." Our youngsters are being turned into gorillas! Not realizing that someone can use their own strength against them in fights. Besides I sat as one of my herbology teachers examined this picture of physical strength. He told'im: u're strong; but your heart is weak. Poor young brutha almost cried. My teacher spoke haulting English; so I rephrased, to the brutha, what teacher man was saying: get some balance in your life. BruthaMan smiled, looked at me (much older than him) and said: pop's, u got dat!!!

Made me feel good.

[Basil]

YEAH MAN! Good story, respect!

I dont really know where boxing came from, its funny, for all of my historical knowledge on the sport, i've only traced it back to a man named James Figg in the 1600's, and he's widely considered the "Father of Boxing". I do know that wrestling originated in ancient Greece. They'd do whats now called the Olympic Games and wrestling was the premier event (of course back then it'd be to the death or all day matches or something like that).

And Inoki has like developed himself into a very big man now. He's one of the most popular people in all of Asia, and its a great deal due to the Ali fight.

oh yeah, in case you're interested this is a hl of his great figher, and he's in the highlight as well

http://video.google.com/videoplay?do...85890746155474