We sized them up. We measured them, top to bottom. We've done our own Tale of the Tape, and we've come to a surprising conclusion. Pound for pound, the toughest sport in the world is . . .
Boxing.
The Sweet Science.
That's the sport that demands the most from the athletes who compete in it. It's harder than football, harder than baseball, harder than basketball, harder than hockey or soccer or cycling or skiing or fishing or billiards or any other of the 60 sports we rated.
In Page 2's Ultimate Degree of Difficulty Grid, boxing scores higher than them all.
| SPORTSNATION: DO YOU AGREE? |
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But don't take our word for it. Take the word of our panel of experts, a group made up of sports scientists from the United States Olympic Committee, of academicians who study the science of muscles and movement, of a star two-sport athlete, and of journalists who spend their professional lives watching athletes succeed and fail.
They're the ones who told us that boxing is the most demanding sport -- and that fishing is the least demanding sport.
We identified 10 categories, or skills, that go into athleticism, and then asked our eight panelists to assign a number from 1 to 10 to the demands each sport makes of each of those 10 skills. By totalling and averaging their responses, we arrived at a degree-of-difficulty number for each sport on a 1 to 100 scale. That number places the difficulty of performing each sport in context with the other sports we rated.
On the grid below, click on each sortable category to find out how our 60 sports rank in each skill. A glossary key is included at the bottom of the grid that explains each category.
So put on the gloves, get in the ring and let the roundhouse hooks begin.
| Degree of Difficulty: Sport Rankings | ||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| SPORT | END | STR | PWR | SPD | AGI | FLX | NER | DUR | HAN | ANA | TOTAL | RANK |
| Boxing | 8.63 | 8.13 | 8.63 | 6.38 | 6.25 | 4.38 | 8.88 | 8.50 | 7.00 | 5.63 | 72.375 | 1 |
| Ice Hockey | 7.25 | 7.13 | 7.88 | 7.75 | 7.63 | 4.88 | 6.00 | 8.25 | 7.50 | 7.50 | 71.750 | 2 |
| Football | 5.38 | 8.63 | 8.13 | 7.13 | 6.38 | 4.38 | 7.25 | 8.50 | 5.50 | 7.13 | 68.375 | 3 |
| Basketball | 7.38 | 6.25 | 6.50 | 7.25 | 8.13 | 5.63 | 4.13 | 7.75 | 7.50 | 7.38 | 67.875 | 4 |
| Wrestling | 6.63 | 8.38 | 7.13 | 5.13 | 6.38 | 7.50 | 5.00 | 6.75 | 4.25 | 6.38 | 63.500 | 5 |
| Martial Arts | 5.00 | 5.88 | 7.75 | 6.38 | 6.00 | 7.00 | 6.63 | 5.88 | 6.00 | 6.88 | 63.375 | 6 |
| Tennis | 7.25 | 5.13 | 7.13 | 6.75 | 7.75 | 5.63 | 3.00 | 5.00 | 8.38 | 6.75 | 62.750 | 7 |
| Gymnastics | 5.38 | 6.13 | 6.63 | 5.00 | 6.38 | 10.00 | 7.50 | 6.88 | 4.50 | 4.13 | 62.500 | 8 |
| Baseball/Softball | 4.63 | 5.75 | 7.63 | 6.50 | 6.75 | 4.75 | 5.13 | 5.63 | 9.25 | 6.25 | 62.250 | 9 |
| Soccer | 7.75 | 4.50 | 5.13 | 7.25 | 8.25 | 4.75 | 3.63 | 6.25 | 6.50 | 7.50 | 61.500 | 10 |
| Skiing: Alpine | 5.13 | 5.25 | 6.00 | 7.38 | 6.13 | 5.63 | 8.38 | 6.00 | 5.13 | 5.63 | 60.625 | 11 |
| Water Polo | 7.88 | 6.63 | 6.88 | 5.38 | 6.38 | 5.00 | 4.25 | 6.38 | 6.25 | 5.63 | 60.625 | 11 |
| Rugby | 6.75 | 7.00 | 6.38 | 5.88 | 6.00 | 4.13 | 6.50 | 7.88 | 4.38 | 5.63 | 60.500 | 13 |
| Lacrosse | 6.63 | 5.13 | 5.75 | 7.00 | 6.63 | 4.75 | 4.38 | 6.13 | 7.13 | 6.88 | 60.375 | 14 |
| Rodeo: Steer Wrestling | 4.00 | 7.00 | 7.88 | 3.88 | 4.88 | 5.00 | 7.88 | 6.88 | 5.13 | 4.00 | 56.500 | 15 |
| SPORT | END | STR | PWR | SPD | AGI | FLX | NER | DUR | HAN | ANA | TOTAL | RANK |
| Track and Field: Pole Vault | 3.38 | 6.88 | 7.25 | 6.13 | 5.38 | 7.00 | 6.63 | 4.25 | 5.25 | 3.75 | 55.875 | 16 |
| Field Hockey | 6.75 | 4.50 | 5.38 | 6.00 | 5.75 | 4.63 | 3.75 | 5.00 | 6.63 | 6.50 | 54.875 | 17 |
| Speed Skating | 7.63 | 7.25 | 7.38 | 8.88 | 4.00 | 4.25 | 4.50 | 4.63 | 2.88 | 3.50 | 54.875 | 17 |
| Figure Skating | 6.38 | 5.25 | 6.63 | 5.13 | 6.88 | 8.25 | 4.88 | 4.00 | 3.13 | 4.25 | 54.750 | 19 |
| Cycling: Distance | 9.63 | 6.38 | 6.25 | 5.13 | 3.75 | 2.63 | 5.88 | 6.88 | 3.00 | 4.88 | 54.375 | 20 |
| Volleyball | 5.13 | 4.88 | 6.63 | 5.00 | 7.00 | 5.13 | 2.88 | 4.63 | 7.25 | 5.88 | 54.375 | 20 |
| Racquetball/Squash | 6.13 | 3.75 | 5.00 | 5.50 | 7.25 | 5.88 | 2.38 | 2.88 | 8.38 | 6.50 | 53.625 | 22 |
| Surfing | 4.63 | 5.00 | 4.13 | 4.25 | 6.63 | 5.50 | 8.25 | 5.50 | 4.38 | 4.88 | 53.125 | 23 |
| Fencing | 4.63 | 3.75 | 4.25 | 5.13 | 6.13 | 5.63 | 4.88 | 4.25 | 7.25 | 6.88 | 52.750 | 24 |
| Skiing: Freestyle | 4.13 | 5.13 | 4.88 | 5.13 | 6.63 | 6.88 | 6.63 | 5.13 | 4.13 | 3.88 | 52.500 | 25 |
| Team Handball | 4.88 | 3.88 | 5.38 | 5.50 | 6.00 | 4.50 | 3.00 | 3.88 | 7.88 | 5.88 | 50.750 | 26 |
| Cycling: Sprints | 4.25 | 6.13 | 7.88 | 7.50 | 4.00 | 2.88 | 4.75 | 4.50 | 3.63 | 4.50 | 50.000 | 27 |
| Bobsledding/Luge | 3.50 | 5.50 | 6.50 | 6.75 | 4.13 | 3.25 | 7.75 | 3.50 | 4.13 | 4.25 | 49.250 | 28 |
| Ski Jumping | 3.50 | 4.50 | 5.75 | 4.63 | 4.00 | 5.00 | 9.00 | 4.63 | 4.38 | 3.50 | 48.875 | 29 |
| Badminton | 5.25 | 3.25 | 4.00 | 5.63 | 7.38 | 5.25 | 1.25 | 2.63 | 7.25 | 6.13 | 48.000 | 30 |
| SPORT | END | STR | PWR | SPD | AGI | FLX | NER | DUR | HAN | ANA | TOTAL | RANK |
| Skiing: Nordic | 9.00 | 5.75 | 4.38 | 5.13 | 4.00 | 4.00 | 2.75 | 5.50 | 3.63 | 3.88 | 48.000 | 30 |
| Auto Racing | 5.88 | 3.50 | 2.63 | 1.63 | 2.75 | 1.75 | 9.88 | 4.38 | 8.00 | 7.50 | 47.875 | 32 |
| Track and Field: High Jump | 3.00 | 6.00 | 7.00 | 6.13 | 5.63 | 6.63 | 3.50 | 3.50 | 3.50 | 2.88 | 47.750 | 33 |
| Track and Field: Long, Triple jumps | 4.00 | 5.63 | 7.13 | 6.75 | 5.00 | 5.75 | 2.75 | 3.25 | 4.00 | 3.13 | 47.375 | 34 |
| Diving | 2.88 | 5.13 | 4.63 | 3.00 | 3.50 | 8.50 | 8.38 | 5.00 | 3.00 | 3.00 | 47.000 | 35 |
| Swimming (all strokes): Distance | 9.25 | 5.25 | 4.63 | 5.50 | 3.63 | 5.50 | 2.63 | 4.63 | 2.88 | 3.00 | 46.875 | 36 |
| Skateboarding | 4.13 | 3.75 | 3.75 | 4.13 | 6.13 | 5.13 | 6.50 | 5.25 | 4.88 | 3.13 | 46.750 | 37 |
| Track and Field: Sprints | 3.50 | 5.13 | 7.25 | 9.88 | 4.63 | 5.13 | 2.00 | 4.13 | 2.63 | 2.38 | 46.625 | 38 |
| Rowing | 8.13 | 7.75 | 7.13 | 4.00 | 2.50 | 4.00 | 1.75 | 4.38 | 2.88 | 3.63 | 46.125 | 39 |
| Rodeo: Calf Roping | 3.13 | 5.38 | 5.00 | 4.25 | 5.63 | 3.88 | 4.88 | 3.75 | 6.38 | 3.75 | 46.000 | 40 |
| Track and Field: Distance | 9.63 | 5.25 | 3.75 | 6.00 | 3.25 | 4.38 | 2.00 | 5.75 | 1.88 | 4.13 | 46.000 | 40 |
| Rodeo: Bull/Bareback/Bronc Riding | 3.25 | 5.38 | 4.00 | 1.75 | 3.63 | 4.25 | 9.50 | 7.38 | 3.63 | 3.13 | 45.875 | 42 |
| Track and Field: Middle Distance | 6.00 | 5.13 | 5.13 | 7.75 | 4.00 | 4.88 | 2.00 | 4.75 | 2.13 | 3.75 | 45.500 | 43 |
| Weight-Lifting | 4.13 | 9.25 | 9.75 | 2.63 | 2.50 | 3.38 | 4.00 | 4.75 | 2.25 | 2.38 | 45.000 | 44 |
| Swimming (all strokes): Sprints | 4.13 | 5.25 | 6.25 | 7.88 | 3.63 | 5.50 | 2.50 | 3.25 | 2.75 | 3.00 | 44.125 | 45 |
| SPORT | END | STR | PWR | SPD | AGI | FLX | NER | DUR | HAN | ANA | TOTAL | RANK |
| Water Skiing | 4.63 | 5.00 | 4.50 | 3.00 | 4.25 | 4.75 | 5.88 | 4.63 | 4.13 | 3.25 | 44.000 | 46 |
| Table Tennis | 3.50 | 2.50 | 4.63 | 4.13 | 5.88 | 4.25 | 1.38 | 1.88 | 8.88 | 6.00 | 43.000 | 47 |
| Track and Field: Weights | 3.25 | 7.88 | 9.13 | 3.00 | 3.13 | 3.00 | 2.25 | 3.63 | 4.00 | 2.88 | 42.125 | 48 |
| Canoe/Kayak | 6.75 | 5.25 | 5.63 | 3.50 | 2.75 | 3.88 | 3.63 | 3.25 | 3.13 | 4.25 | 42.000 | 49 |
| Horse Racing | 4.00 | 3.88 | 2.88 | 1.38 | 2.88 | 3.75 | 8.00 | 4.50 | 3.88 | 6.50 | 41.625 | 50 |
| Golf | 3.25 | 3.88 | 6.13 | 1.63 | 1.75 | 4.00 | 2.50 | 2.38 | 6.00 | 6.38 | 37.875 | 51 |
| Cheerleading | 3.63 | 3.63 | 3.38 | 2.25 | 4.13 | 7.50 | 3.63 | 3.38 | 2.50 | 2.25 | 36.250 | 52 |
| Roller Skating | 4.75 | 3.38 | 4.00 | 5.13 | 4.00 | 3.50 | 2.63 | 3.38 | 2.88 | 2.63 | 36.250 | 52 |
| Equestrian | 3.38 | 3.25 | 1.75 | 1.25 | 2.50 | 2.88 | 6.00 | 2.75 | 2.88 | 5.13 | 31.750 | 54 |
| Archery | 2.88 | 4.50 | 3.13 | 1.13 | 1.63 | 2.63 | 2.75 | 2.13 | 6.63 | 3.25 | 30.625 | 55 |
| Curling | 2.25 | 2.63 | 2.50 | 1.50 | 2.25 | 2.63 | 1.75 | 1.50 | 4.88 | 5.63 | 27.500 | 56 |
| Bowling | 2.25 | 2.75 | 3.38 | 1.00 | 1.88 | 2.38 | 1.63 | 1.25 | 4.75 | 4.13 | 25.375 | 57 |
| Shooting | 2.25 | 2.50 | 1.38 | 0.88 | 1.13 | 1.75 | 2.38 | 1.88 | 6.75 | 4.00 | 24.875 | 58 |
| Billiards | 1.00 | 1.00 | 1.75 | 0.75 | 1.00 | 2.63 | 1.63 | 0.75 | 5.25 | 5.75 | 21.500 | 59 |
| Fishing | 1.38 | 1.63 | 1.25 | 0.63 | 1.50 | 1.13 | 0.88 | 0.88 | 2.38 | 2.88 | 14.500 | 60 |
| Key |
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| ENDURANCE: The ability to continue to perform a skill or action for long periods of time. Example: Lance Armstrong STRENGTH: The ability to produce force. Example: NFL linebackers. POWER: The ability to produce strength in the shortest possible time. Example: Barry Bonds. SPEED: The ability to move quickly. Example: Marion Jones, Maurice Green. AGILITY: The ability to change direction quickly. Example: Derek Jeter, Mia Hamm. FLEXIBILITY: The ability to stretch the joints across a large range of motion. Example: Gymnasts, divers. NERVE: The ability to overcome fear. Example: High-board divers, race-car drivers, ski jumpers. DURABILITY: The ability to withstand physical punishment over a long period of time. Example: NBA/NHL players. HAND-EYE COORDINATION: The ability to react quickly to sensory perception. Example: A hitter reacting to a breaking pitch; a drag racer timing acceleration to the green light. ANALYTIC APTITUDE: The ability to evaluate and react appropriately to strategic situations. Example: Joe Montana reading a defense; basketball point guard on a fast break. |
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