Want to start a ten day fight? Then throw this bone into a den of sport fans. What is the toughest, most demanding sport?? Remember now, I'm not talking about thrills or skills. I mean the sport that takes the most out of the participant. Baseball? It's a snap. Except for the pitcher and catcher, everyone stands around waiting for something to happen. It is strictly a skill sport. Basketball? A tough game, but not if you are in shape. There are enough out-of-bounds balls and free throws to give everyone a rest. Soccer? Tennis? Put them in the same class as basketball. Golf? A beautiful game demanding great skill, but about as tough as walking. Football? Now we're getting warm. The contact is tough and you need courage to play. But it still isn't number one in toughness. You can rest after every play and there are time-outs. There are only about 8 minutes of live action in every 60 minute game. Hockey? Another tough, dangerous sport. It's the fastest game on earth. But, like basketball or football, you can always catch a breather, and there are always substitutes going in and out of the game. Track...swimming? Both sports take skill and endurance. But they do not have enough other types of challenges (like body contact and danger) to be called really tough. Lacrosse? It belongs in between soccer and football. A rough, challenging game. Okay, let's get down to the toughest sports. Boxing!! If you have never fought a match in the ring, it is difficult to imagine how tough this sport is. Without long, hard training, you can't go more than a round or two. And a round is only 3 minutes long. Your arms will drop and your legs will feel like rubber. If you have taken a few punches, your face will ache. Still, a well-trained boxer can go 15 rounds. That is why I rate boxing second place to... WRESTLING!! This is a man-to-man combat sport. But your opponent always has his hands, legs and body all over you. He is squeezing, twisting and riding your body. Every part of your body has to be in constant action. Wrestling calls for huge amounts of strength, endurance and speed. It is so tough that matches are limited to 6 minutes (JV matches are 4-1/2 minutes)...and when it is over, the wrestler is completely worn out. There is no way a wrestler can go 32 or 40 minutes in a match like basketball or football players do. After 6 minutes, the wrestler has had it for the day. TENNIS ANYONE??????? |