When you think of boxing, what comes to mind? For me, I’d always associated boxing with the old-school guys like Ali, Holyfield, Tyson, even Rocky. Matches only on some kind of Pay-Per-View type channel (with the occasional  ESPN or ESPN classic fight). Las Vegas. Don King! I’d seen some fights here and there, but was never really excited by the sport. Never held my attention. Well, a couple weeks ago, I finally attended an actual fight at the UIC Pavilion. And while Showtime’s boxing channel was on hand filming, John Cusak and a badass UFC fighter were within shouting distance, the boxing really blew away my expectations.

I can explain it like this: most people think NASCAR (or any type of racing) is the most boring thing in the world. And despite basically being raised in a garage (planning a post on this), I’ve converted many a girlfriend into thinking racing is exciting. How? Go to a race. It engages all of your senses. Bet you never knew you could smell racing, did you? It’s amazing. You get such a feeling of speed. At NHRA events, you can literally feel the energy from the engines (gives you a subtle vibrating sensation throughout). You see the cars completely differently than on TV. You can see them working. You get a new respect for the show. That’s exactly how boxing is.

Now, I had pretty awesome seats, so I can attribute some of my zeal for boxing to my proximity to the ring. But my girlfriend loved it as well. She wants to go back. I want to go back.

In a way, boxing is kind of like a baseball game, but sped up to a much more enjoyable pace. Each round is like an inning- there are usually some hits, the occasional home run, some strategy and a whole bunch of swinging. Then the round ends, each fighter returns to their corner where they’re showered in water, Gatorade and praise/suggestions to improve. After a short rest, they’re back at it. See, just like baseball

So, I will be back. Soon. Perhaps May 29, the next big event at UIC Pavilion. You should join me. It’s fun

Disclaimer: I received free tickets to this event, courtesy of 8 Count Productions, and I also received a free week membership to Jabb Boxing for attending the fight. That said, I was not required to write a post, nor am I compensated in any way for this post. These are my 100% honest thoughts.

Check out these photos I took from the fight.