Great "Middle Class" Boxers

Great boxers seemed to be forged from poverty or at the very least a working class background. Some got into boxing for a way out or just to stay of the streets and avoid getting into trouble.

But who are the greats that came from a priviledge background and boxing was their choice not there only choice to make something of themselves.

Barrera was from a middle class background, and I think also Oscar but who else?

Not sure your right about Oscar btw. He was on ringside a few months ago and although he never claimed to be poor he never made out like he was very much working class.

Amir Khan was from a pretty priviledged background. His father is well off.

prettyboykev wrote:Not sure your right about Oscar btw. He was on ringside a few months ago and although he never claimed to be poor he never made out like he was very much working class.

You are probably right, I have heard conflicting stories.

Interesting article. Floyd Mayweather Jnr? His Dad earned decent money in his career and in boxing terms he was very priviledged. His uncle and Father by his sie to train him from a young age.

prettyboy

Why mention him ffs? Are you just looking for another thread to wander into the same drivel?

prettyboykev wrote:Interesting article. Floyd Mayweather Jnr? His Dad earned decent money in his career and in boxing terms he was very priviledged. His uncle and Father by his sie to train him from a young age.

Yes he was not working class, lived in a good neighbourhood, and his family was well off. Not sure he did have another option apart from boxing though but good call.

I think that upper and middle class parents would not be pushing there kids into boxing, when, they can pay for tennis lesssons, golf clubs and have a membership at the country club.


Barrera also had a law degree, so he would have had a big earning career but chose boxing purely because he loves the sport.

Howabout the klitschkos? Wasn't their Dad an airforce pilot or something? They certainly seemed to get a decent education at least.

Benelio wrote:Howabout the klitschkos? Wasn't their Dad an airforce pilot or something? They certainly seemed to get a decent education at least.

Good shout, I think.


What about Carl Froch? He seems to be quite bussiness oreintated behind the scenes and does not need boxing. not sure of his upbringing though?

coxy0001 wrote:prettyboy

Why mention him ffs? Are you just looking for another thread to wander into the same drivel?

Coxy with regards to this thread it was a fair point. Nothing from me taking this off topic. If it's got to the stage we can't mention the top 2 boxers in the sport right now that's very sad.

D4thincarnation wrote:

Benelio wrote:Howabout the klitschkos? Wasn't their Dad an airforce pilot or something? They certainly seemed to get a decent education at least.

Good shout, I think.

Actually looks like he was a 'Soviet Air Force Colonel'. I guess you'd expect a good salary for that in this country... but not sure how that would work in a communist country in the 70s/80s when the klitschkos were growing up.

Benelio wrote:

D4thincarnation wrote:

Benelio wrote:Howabout the klitschkos? Wasn't their Dad an airforce pilot or something? They certainly seemed to get a decent education at least.

Good shout, I think.

Actually looks like he was a 'Soviet Air Force Colonel'. I guess you'd expect a good salary for that in this country... but not sure how that would work in a communist country in the 70s/80s when the klitschkos were growing up.

Well by the looks of them it seems that they were well fed.


It seems to be a struggle to find some middle and upper class boxers. What about Cleverely?

Marco Antionio Barrera had a privileged upbringing

[quote="D4thincarnation"][quote="Benelio"]

D4thincarnation wrote:
It seems to be a struggle to find some middle and upper class boxers. What about Cleverely?

It showed his welsh village on 'Ringside' last Thursday. Don't want to be disrespectful, but didn't look like somewhere I'd like to live (And I live in Croydon).

Oscar was hardly middle class. He carried a food stamp in his wallet for years to remind him of where he came from.

So far we have.

MAB
Floyd Mayweather
V. Klitschko
W. Klitschko
Amir Khan

Anyone else?

Does Barrera really have a law degree?

Considering he turned pro at 15 I find it a bit hard to believe!

D4thincarnation wrote:So far we have.

MAB
Floyd Mayweather
V. Klitschko
W. Klitschko
Amir Khan

Anyone else?

Wouldn't be to sure about the Ks mate they grew up in a communist country in the 80's

wow_junky wrote:Does Barrera really have a law degree?

Considering he turned pro at 15 I find it a bit hard to believe!

http://www.guardian.co.uk/sport/blog/2009/mar/06/marco-antonio-barrera-boxing-law-degree

http://www.guardian.co.uk/sport/blog/2009/mar/06/marco-antonio-barrera-boxing-law-degree


Looks like a good article

Scottrf wrote:Oscar was hardly middle class. He carried a food stamp in his wallet for years to remind him of where he came from.

Very true Scott, I've read his book and i wouldn't say he was middle class at all and far from it.

Ah, starting a law degree when you're a rich and successful athlete doesn't really mean you are from a middle class background!

prettyboykev wrote:

D4thincarnation wrote:So far we have.

MAB
Floyd Mayweather
V. Klitschko
W. Klitschko
Amir Khan

Anyone else?

Wouldn't be to sure about the Ks mate they grew up in a communist country in the 80's

I'm sure they never went hungry, were well educated, had there mother home with them, took part in sporting activites and led a life much better that other boxers from America and Britain.

How do you mesure what "middle class" is?

Barrera was studying law, and wasn't JMM studying to be an accountant?

wow_junky wrote:Ah, starting a law degree when you're a rich and successful athlete doesn't really mean you are from a middle class background!

Yes but having two parents that are doctors might have a bearing.

Didn't Barrera start his law studies at 19-20, his parents were bringing more than him at that time.

BALTIMORA wrote:Barrera was studying law, and wasn't JMM studying to be an accountant?

Right you are, never new that one.

Wasn't sure of their background tbh. Know more about the country they grew up in than their backgrounds. The fact their fathers was in the military would suggest they were in fact middle class.

Would define middle class as a good education, nice home and financial secruity.

Depends on what you mean by middle class. Muhammed Ali was considered middle class relatively speaking when growing up( put it this way, his family were not share croppers and his dad owned his own business).

Which boxers have excelled in education, and have higher education qualifications.


MAB: Law degree
JMM: Accountacy
Cleverely: Pure Maths
Juan Diaz: Law, I think
Jame "Bonecrusher" Smith: Business administration

http://www.guardian.co.uk/sport/blog/2009/mar/06/marco-antonio-barrera-boxing-law-degree

D4, just add this into your other article? It's being discussed there, so don't push other articles further down for a repeat.

Thought you were about to teach us about boxing, I'm disappointed.

Fists of Fury wrote:D4, just add this into your other article? It's being discussed there, so don't push other articles further down for a repeat.

The other article was about class, and this is about education. Some boxer are linked just as class and education are in society, but would like to keep the two subjects seperate.

Lennox Lewis? Don't know much about his early life, other than he moved to Canada and went to a decent School.

Class and education historically go hand in hand...this does not warrant 2 different threads.

Isn't this just a pretty much identical article to your "middle class" boxers thread?

I.e. which ones went to school/uni and got degrees etc?

Mods - Merge the threads?

And apologies, i would have complained in private but some naughty moderator has turned off my alert feature. Can't think why, i thought they loved me messaging them sweet nothings!

D4,

Gotta agree with majority hear mate, i'm gonna merge.

Thanks,

KB

Good shout Az, considering the times and place, i would have to agree with you on Ali, compared to the likes of Frazier anyway.

Sugar Ray Leonard was from a relatively decent background, Commentators/writers often used the angle that Marvin Hagler was a real "blue collar" type of guy unlike SRL.

prettyboykev wrote:

D4thincarnation wrote:So far we have.

MAB
Floyd Mayweather
V. Klitschko
W. Klitschko
Amir Khan

Anyone else?

Wouldn't be to sure about the Ks mate they grew up in a communist country in the 80's

Well military people, along with intellegence and high up government people, where paid the highest in the soviet union. Even more than the most famous stars, not that they had many. The were even given extra wages, in the form of a 13th month pay, if i remember my history lessons well.

DAVE667 wrote:Sugar Ray Leonard was from a relatively decent background, Commentators/writers often used the angle that Marvin Hagler was a real "blue collar" type of guy unlike SRL.

Yeah i'm suprised nobody has mentioned him yet Dave.

From the age of 12, Mike Tyson lived in a mansion with a rich, old white man.

AdZacO wrote:

prettyboykev wrote:

D4thincarnation wrote:So far we have.

MAB
Floyd Mayweather
V. Klitschko
W. Klitschko
Amir Khan

Anyone else?

Wouldn't be to sure about the Ks mate they grew up in a communist country in the 80's

Well military people, along with intellegence and high up government people, where paid the highest in the soviet union. Even more than the most famous stars, not that they had many. The were even given extra wages, in the form of a 13th month pay, if i remember my history lessons well.

I never knew their father was in the military until after that post. I stand corrected. Was the 13th month pay thing not very similar to a christmas bonus that we would get?

Benelio wrote:From the age of 12, Mike Tyson lived in a mansion with a rich, old white man.

So did Macauley Culkin for a while

prettyboykev wrote:

AdZacO wrote:

prettyboykev wrote:

D4thincarnation wrote:So far we have.

MAB
Floyd Mayweather
V. Klitschko
W. Klitschko
Amir Khan

Anyone else?

Wouldn't be to sure about the Ks mate they grew up in a communist country in the 80's

Well military people, along with intellegence and high up government people, where paid the highest in the soviet union. Even more than the most famous stars, not that they had many. The were even given extra wages, in the form of a 13th month pay, if i remember my history lessons well.

I never knew their father was in the military until after that post. I stand corrected. Was the 13th month pay thing not very similar to a christmas bonus that we would get?

Very much like it.

I was always under the impression Gene Tunney was fairly middle class. Could be wrong though, it's happened once or twice before.

Tunney was a bit of a posh boy I think yeah. Well read and socialised with people like Hemingway.

Chavez Jnr. Can't really add anything to that.

I'd imagine Wifredo Vazquez Jnr probably didn't want for much either...

Mr Bounce wrote:I'd imagine Wifredo Vazquez Jnr probably didn't want for much either...

Why, who were his parents..?