The threads in the BW section say it all, the time has come. The real world has come barging into this virtual world of StarCraft and plucked the biggest and brightest star. In the back of our minds we all knew the day would come, but as the years rolled by and we clung to the faint hope that the inevitable could be put off forever.
Boxer announced at the MSL group draws that he had recieved his draft letter from the government, and would be entering the air force by the end of the year. This makes the MSL the final major tournament for Boxer. Although he may return after his two years of service, a realistic perspective is needed. I don't doubt he will return, but I do doubt it will be as a player.
Boxer is not only the best gamer, he is one of the oldest. He has played professionally since 1.07, and has managed to stay competitive by constantly changing his style. His influence is so great that when Boxer changes his own style, the entire game is changed. He is the all-time leader in games played and wins. He is a two time OSL champion, MSL champion, two time WCG champion, and leader of the SK Telecom team. His eye for talent is unparalleled, as he drew Iloveoov from the amateur ranks. His Team has been untouchable in ProLeague play under his guidance.
Boxer and his team at their headquarters.
Boxer is not just a gamer, he is the premier figure in this sport. He has pioneered not only the game, but the industry as well. He was the first to attract the giant contracts, and the corporate sponsors. He has played StarCraft with blind boys and Prime Ministers. He has entered the mainstream of Korean culture and brought StarCraft along for the ride. Always the consumate professional, I can think of no better ambassador for the e-sports industry.
Boxer's only equal.
For years I have always anticipated his games, staying up all night for the chance to watch him play live. I have marvelled at his ingenuity and suffered in his defeats. I wish him nothing but the best in the sevice of his country and hope to see him back in the future.
ill never forget boxer, his were the first games i ever saw of a progamer, and it made me switch entirely from fast map / bgh to regular maps. boxer's legend will never die in the bw world.
I've spent hundreds of hours watching is awesome games. I bought the DVD set. Damn, I even have the t-shirt. I'll miss yohwan. There'll always be something missing, not just to the BW world, but to pro-gaming in general.
It's cool that he was able to stave off the mandatory military service for so long.
(Reader for years, first time poster. Felt like this deserved a post.)
Boxer is the only reason I still play starcraft. The limited single player / 3v3 games pretty much did it for me back in the day, and without having heard of boxer many years ago, I would not have had further interest in the game. I'm not even a Terran player, but not a Boxer game goes by where I don't 100% cheer for him. Every single loss of his upsets me; I'm the kind of person that refuses to admit that Boxer isn't the best any more, I'm stuck thinking that he's just in a bit of a lull right now.
Boxer = Starcraft, he is synonymous with Starcraft progaming. No matter how hard I try, I cannot cheer for another player like I do for Boxer.
Here's to hoping he returns to BW, in whatever capacity!
TL.net should organise some sort of fairwell gift or banner that could be presented to him live on his last match or something. Just to show him that fans outside of korea also cares for him.
I remember buying brood war (I usually played SC orignal for the first two years) only to be able to see this famous "SlayerS_`BoxeR`". As soon as I got the brood war cd I dl:ed Tillermans boxer collection of replays and I was friggin amazed. He was also the one I based my play on from the beginning, hence his mainrace was terran, which was mine too, I always copied his builds and tried to play like him. I could micro my 2 tanks and my dropship on a cliff against a protoss exp for minutes and then realize I had 1k minerals and no expo going back at my main, thinking "SHIT how does he do it?!"
First VOD I ever saw was a BoxeR vod First BW replay I ever saw was a BoxeR replay First TvP BO I ever used was a BoxeR BO Frist TvT BO I ever used was a BoxeR BO First TvZ BO I ever used was a BoxeR BO etc....
Wow, just... omg he has a tough group too... going up against Ra, Silver and Pusan...
The golden mouse has eluded the emperor.. this truely is a sad day....
Ive never really been a boxer fan, not untill he beat pusan in SO1 (omg i was so heartbroken)... since then ive been on the boxer bandwagon... he will be sorely missed
I was about 10 when I learned about pro gaming. Boxer was the first pro I ever heard of. He inspired me to be a pro gamer, today that is still my aspiration in life, to go pro. But now with his carrer coming to a close, poker looks alot more lucritive.
If anyone is going to post that they dislike boxer, or even hate him... I humbly ask that you don't post anything like that....
I mean first of all I don't see how you could ever hate boxer.... He created the path for every single progamer that will ever come forth. I don't know how anyone could hate this man.
A while ago I said I would quit following starcraft progaming once boxer retired and I think I'm gonna keep to my word. Before I loved starcraft, I loved to watch Boxer play and I feel like I am one of the many people who believe Boxer is not only a great player but a great man in life. Some say he will be old and grow and have nothing to fall back on because he wasted his life in gaming, but I disagree. I feel like Boxer is such a deep person, his concentration is unparalleled that he can succeed in anything he wishes to do.
I'm so glad I got to watch him play live, get his autograph, and SPEAK to the man after following him for so many years.
I remeber seeing Slayers_`BoxeR` vs Yell0w on Blade Storm. 9vs6 Aclock I belive. Boxer did a failed SCV rush and then just outplayed(Micro) Yell0w to death. I was like "omfg". Greatest gamer ever.
Nooo! Boxer was the only liquibet I never thought twice about... I've never voted against him, and he have always been my favourite players since I started playing starcraft. I just hope he will come back to the game some day. I'd really love to see him as a commentator together with Garimto, that would be awsome.
Everyone that has ever played Terran at a high level has done so because or thanks to Boxer.
But he is more than that. He is probably the first progamer you ever hear of...the first inspiration, no matter what your race - a legend that transcends race and age. No one else comes close. So sad that he has to go now T_T
I think the reason that the terran players do so well is because they had boxer as their innovator (and teacher). Besides maybe rA (protoss) I can't think of anyone else that came EVEN close to the same level of innovation... and I don't mean that JUST in terms of B.O. but map use and timing!
wow good luck to him in the airforce and hoope he comes back even though i'd rather have any of my zerg idols win but still boxer is like part of the whole SC shit!!! :O
I'm not that big of a BoxeR fan. I always preferred YellOw. However, I still go for BoxeR if he's not playing a KTF player, and he is unquestionably one of the best.
he's my hero The only reason I'm still playing, the one I look up to. (not that i'm even close to his level.) This game will lost some magic when he is not around.
he'll go down as not only the biggest, but also the best and most revolutionary progamer ever. your fans and your haters will miss you, but we'll never forget you.
now i really wish he had of qualified for this OSL so he'd have a chance at the golden mouse =(
OMGGG so that news is correct. I don't think I would enjoy programming or even Starcraft as I did any longer. Have been following programming for almost 3 years with ~100GB of VODs just because of him.
On August 17 2006 19:57 Vo- wrote: Good Luck, Have Fun
I don't think there will be much fun. AFAIK Army service in Korea is pretty tough, sometimes even horrible.
Goodluck Boxer. And as someone said, come back when Starcraft 2 is out. You promised to be the first 3x programmer remember?
damn, indeed a sad new for BoxeR's fans. The emperor turns into a civilan for 2 years. I hope he gets recruited in the intellengence army, go micro wtih skills.
Choi, you must be the pillar of support for T1. (simlar quote from Prince of Tennis)
Hey for those ppl who has been collecting Boxer's vod, mind making a big pack for all of us to download? For refreshing memories and... when he's gone who the hell are we going to watch?
when i read this, i was sad as hell. i've started the progame scene like many others with BOXER. everything i did terran was because of boxer. i'm sadden to say, i think this will cause me to quit playing sc as well, because he was such an inspiration to me. to be the oldest giving the younger players a run for their money...to be so innovative that no one can BM him. especially on TV games. i hope he finishes the progame scene strong and then can go to the military with no regrets.... leaving on the top of his game---even though its forced.
I remember the first replay I saw of boxer. It was him (orange at 9 on LT) vs a brown terran (brown at 3 on LT). Apparently zodiac. This was his "BC Lockdown" pimp game. My god, what a fucking shock to me after playing fastest.
That is still my favorite replay of all time. Just such fucking good play.
Like many others that have posted, the first VOD I saw was of Boxer, the first pro rep I ever saw was Boxer v ElkY 2001 WCG finals or semi-finals (can't recall which it was), and Boxer always has been my favorite player. If it wasn't for him I would never have gained a remote interest in SC. It's a sad day for SC, and progaming in general to see it's greatest star be plucked out of the sky.
I've hated Boxer on occasion, but I've never stopped loving him. The man is a maestro, even when you're rooting against him. He is the man. THE man. Nothing more needs to be said on that note. There is nothing more to say. He is the man.
On another note, though, I hope that this doesn't lead to a decline or end of interest and growth in progaming. It's a little sad to come in here and see all these people going "Well, I'm going to quit playing/quit following pro games once Boxer is gone." A huge part of what made Boxer the man is how he interacted with his peers - the age old rivalry with Yellow, taking Oov under his wing, helping out all of SKT1, being the opponent that the younger Starleaguers have to go through... Boxer may be leaving, but the people he played with and the game he made is still there.
On August 17 2006 12:25 EvilTeletubby wrote: Makes me thankful, that, despite all the bad things you can say about the US Military, at least it's voluntary.
Yeah, I agree completely.
Man, I'm kinda misty eyed cause of this, I want to watch a match of him live before he retires (but I have faith that he can come back).
Best of luck to him, whatever he does, forever. Thanks for making BW beautiful.
EDIT: Btw, I wasn't even around when boxer was GOD, but the current was still strong when I started playing and I just went along with it, he amazed me many times even when he wasn't the undisputed number 1.
The first time, I heard (read) of Boxer was in 1999, or probably early 2000. At that time, Grrrr... was the No. 1 in Starcraft. Korn, a famous german player at that time (the one running a poker site now), flew to Korea to attend in some big event (can't remember). He was visiting one of the PC Bangs together with Grrrr..., where Grrrr... played games against an upcoming korean terra player named 'Slayers_Boxer' Korn was good with words and he described a much better than I could ever do. To put it in a nutshell: Grrrr... had no chance against Boxer (at least on LT) losing 5:1 or even 5:0. Since then, I cared. And I still do.
Sad day indeed. Although i liked Nada more back in the days its Boxer that made our game the way it is. Wonder if in 2 years time i will be still playing the game and be here to witness the Emperors Come back. I sure hope so.
I`ll always miss how Boxer would face someone that would seem better skilled(speed and such) and just outplay the hell out of them with some incredible buildorder or strategy.
Nooooo!!!.....oooooo!!...oooooooo! i'll put up a fan picture of boxer beside the goathead on my sacrifice altar... hes the real lord and emperor of my 2nd religion.
There are a few things to say: 1.st remmber him when he comes back (he ll be 28, if he can regain his skill, ill be waiting for him) 2.nd he has been with no doubt the ruler in pimpest plays since always, and many of those became regular tactics, saem as for all modern terran playing. 3.rd he has teached the MONSTER terran, who know leads worldwide. 4.th HE iS NoT Going to take a battlecrusier to fight some far away zerg, hell be in AIR FORCE (imagine boxer in a F15, or wahtever they use in korea), he might get time to play, might get back as a player, hope if u wish, be negative, but never forget BW is like ridding a bike, u cant really forget it.
On August 18 2006 16:32 Drowsy wrote: God, I wish some stupid fuck that nobody likes like Nal_Ra would have to go to the air force in Boxer's place. The scene won't be the same without him
On August 18 2006 16:32 Drowsy wrote: God, I wish some stupid fuck that nobody likes like Nal_Ra would have to go to the air force in Boxer's place. The scene won't be the same without him
poor boxie......i know for a fact that korean army service is much tougher and less forgiving than, say, a US service. Korea has a long history of violence [mostly from China, Japan, and Stalin] and koreans are known as anti-foreigners, with 46% or so admitting they are atheists [becuz fate has not been kind, so to speak]. In your mandatory service, your superiors have strict orders to be STRICT with you, even if you do your exercises perfectly....i am not kidding, officers there are expected to [and do] swear and shout and BEAT the living crap out of you. You know that the US SEALS go through a so-called 'hell week' as soon as they join, right? Well, the 'hell' in Korean service goes on for about 1/2 a year or so. After that, YOU become the guy who swears, shouts, and beats the living shit out of new recruits.
how do i know this? cuz i am a friggin korean. Just ask any korean in their mid-20s or older. Kim "somebody call for a fat exterminator?" Jong IL is not croaking any time soon.
.....btw, 'africanboy,' nobody comes out of DPRK in a sane mind, let alone posting in this blog
Damn, he's gonna be gone for a while. "Military service varies according to branch: 24 months for the Army and Marine Corps, 26 months for the Navy and 28 months for the Air Force. Recently, however, there has been significant pressure from the public demanding either a shortening of the term or a switch to voluntary military service." From http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Military_of_South_Korea
Boxer was definitely the most innovative player ever. Just check out PP for any year.
On August 19 2006 00:17 laesperanzapaz wrote: poor boxie......i know for a fact that korean army service is much tougher and less forgiving than, say, a US service. Korea has a long history of violence [mostly from China, Japan, and Stalin] and koreans are known as anti-foreigners, with 46% or so admitting they are atheists [becuz fate has not been kind, so to speak]. In your mandatory service, your superiors have strict orders to be STRICT with you, even if you do your exercises perfectly....i am not kidding, officers there are expected to [and do] swear and shout and BEAT the living crap out of you. You know that the US SEALS go through a so-called 'hell week' as soon as they join, right? Well, the 'hell' in Korean service goes on for about 1/2 a year or so. After that, YOU become the guy who swears, shouts, and beats the living shit out of new recruits.
how do i know this? cuz i am a friggin korean. Just ask any korean in their mid-20s or older. Kim "somebody call for a fat exterminator?" Jong IL is not croaking any time soon.
.....btw, 'africanboy,' nobody comes out of DPRK in a sane mind, let alone posting in this blog
...Wrong Korea, sir. Kim Jong is N. Korea, not S. Korea.
On August 19 2006 10:24 Dendra wrote: he will come back,maybe not in form of progamer,but he'll come back,they all do
It won't be the same if he comes back as a non-player.
The army yes... I still remember some nice sterotype quotes from the military service. One of the best I heard during exercise from the guy in charge of us (we were worked pretty hard and by the time we felt like falling to the ground at a nice random location) was:
"Pain is weakness leaving your body!".
We obviously weren't done yet...
But I don't think it's a particularly good idea to have people do military service past 20-something.
On August 19 2006 00:17 laesperanzapaz wrote: poor boxie......i know for a fact that korean army service is much tougher and less forgiving than, say, a US service. Korea has a long history of violence [mostly from China, Japan, and Stalin] and koreans are known as anti-foreigners, with 46% or so admitting they are atheists [becuz fate has not been kind, so to speak]. In your mandatory service, your superiors have strict orders to be STRICT with you, even if you do your exercises perfectly....i am not kidding, officers there are expected to [and do] swear and shout and BEAT the living crap out of you. You know that the US SEALS go through a so-called 'hell week' as soon as they join, right? Well, the 'hell' in Korean service goes on for about 1/2 a year or so. After that, YOU become the guy who swears, shouts, and beats the living shit out of new recruits.
how do i know this? cuz i am a friggin korean. Just ask any korean in their mid-20s or older. Kim "somebody call for a fat exterminator?" Jong IL is not croaking any time soon.
.....btw, 'africanboy,' nobody comes out of DPRK in a sane mind, let alone posting in this blog
...Wrong Korea, sir. Kim Jong is N. Korea, not S. Korea.
I think he is saying that b/c Jong IL of N.Korea isnt going to die anytime soon, the threat of the North will persist over S.Korea, and thus S.Koreans will have to continue with thier military service for the forseeable future.
Watching BoxeR in the first pimpest plays was the only reason I started playing melee maps more often, and watching his insane moves inspired me to become a better player. Without him, I wouldnt have discovered TL or the progaming world of BW.
On August 17 2006 17:13 RseniC wrote: ill never forget boxer, his were the first games i ever saw of a progamer, and it made me switch entirely from fast map / bgh to regular maps. boxer's legend will never die in the bw world.
I haven't posted here for a long time as RL took me away from SC:BW. For me Boxer will always be The Terran Emperor. I lived with his games in my heart and mind for my 7 years in BW. I am sorry to see him leave but I also understand that everything that has a beginning has an end.
Lim Yohwan I wish u the best of luck in ur life, I followed ur career with pleasure and I consider u to be a great sportsman, fun gamer and a cool guy. May ur life be as inovative as ur playstyle and may no common rule hold u back from creating new possibilities and new ways of doing things. Think outside the box forever because that is what is to be Lim Yohwan.
Reach, Yell0w, Nal_Ra and couple other progamers need to goto army together. (They have to serve anytime soon anyway) This way, Boxer gets his practice partners. Once he gets back, his reign will continue for another decade and forevermore~!!!
being an atheist isn't something to admit, it's something to announce regularly and be proud of. unlike being gay.
boxer leaving is indeed sad, it would be ideal to see him come back as a gamer but I don't know if that will happen, seeing him come back as a commentator would be still be amazing though
boxer greatest gamer ever, his micro, timing just perfect never forget 1st time i saw a replay of him microeing with dropships vs nazgul wish him best luck in air force !
WCS
the end of the year. This makes the MSL the final major tournament for Boxer. Although he may return after his two years of service, a realistic perspective is needed. I don't doubt he will return, but I do doubt it will be as a player.![[image loading]](http://www.teamliquid.net/staff/Manifesto7/skteam.jpg)
![[image loading]](http://www.teamliquid.net/staff/Manifesto7/boxershadow.jpg)
![[image loading]](http://www.teamliquid.net/staff/Manifesto7/boxernum1.jpg)
![[image loading]](http://www.orisp.net/images/sad_face.jpg)
![[image loading]](http://i100.photobucket.com/albums/m27/oshibori_probe/boxer.jpg)
![[image loading]](http://i100.photobucket.com/albums/m27/oshibori_probe/boxer2.jpg)
