Please also include how you weight the following criteria:

- reliance on team (or lack thereof)

- skill difficulty

- athleticism demanded

- real world benefits (Anderson Silva will never lose a street fight, but Jordan Spieth could get the shit beaten out of him; LeBron will be good at virtually anything athletic IRL, whereas Tom Brady probably wouldn't be)

- money and lifestyle afforded

My criteria are something like this in importance:

- reliance on team: 8/10

- skill difficulty: 7/10

- athleticism demanded: 9/10

- real world benefits: 9/10

- money and lifestyle afforded: 2/10

I'm going with one of these:

- Swimming: no team reliance, very high level of athleticism demanded

- Tennis: extremely high skill difficulty, decently high athleticism demanded, decent lifestyle, no team reliance

- Boxing/MMA: extremely high skill difficulty, extremely high athleticism demanded, no team reliance, excellent real world benefit, particularly great lifestyle w/boxing

- Basketball: High skill difficulty, moderately high athleticism demanded, great real world benefits (good hand/eye coordination and athleticism), nice lifestyle

- Water polo: unbelievable athleticism demanded, high skill difficulty, decent real world benefits (primarily due to being incredibly well rounded athletically)

- Gymnastics: very high levels of skill difficulty and athleticism, decent real world benefits due to athleticism and cool factor, no reliance on team

Would probably choose Boxing/MMA.

(http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=3805543&forum_id=2#34746344)

but gymnasts are fucking tiny, like 5'5"

that would be killself territory out in the real world

(http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=3805543&forum_id=2#34746381)

(http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=3805543&forum_id=2#34746426)

(http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=3805543&forum_id=2#34746607)

It's two completely distinct sports. Boxing has a rich history and is a sport for gentleman. MMA is for retards.

(http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=3805543&forum_id=2#34746615)

If you're actually arguing that Brazilian Jiu Jitsu and Muay Thai (currently the most influential martial arts in MMA) require no skill, then this is a pointless argument. If you're arguing that the combined practice of those and other martial arts is useless, that's inane. If you're arguing that an MMA fighter wouldn't destroy a boxer in a fight outside a ring, you're deluding yourself.

If prizefighting is supposed to measure skill through ability to incapacitate your opponent (which is the principle boxing is based on), how is MMA not a more complete measure of skill?

(http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=3805543&forum_id=2#34747206)

I'm not 100% convinced that MMA fighters univeresally would annihilate boxers in a no rules street fight. For defensive boxers, this is probably true, but what about a fucker like Roberto Duran? Roy Jones? MMA fighters study boxing and striking too. Many of them, were they elite level punchers or boxers would have gone that route, as there is more money to be made.

Prizefighting is supposed to measure skill through the ability to hit and not get hit within the Marquess of Queensberry rules. That is what makes is an art, a chess match if you will. Each fighter's will and strategy tested as the fight unfolds over 12 rounds is what makes the sport appealing.

Not to take anything away from MMA, but it is crude and often unpleasant to watch.

(http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=3805543&forum_id=2#34747283)

Messi and Ronaldo are international icons and superstars in a way that no other athlete in any other sport is.

(http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=3805543&forum_id=2#34746659)

Golf, you can play at at elite level and earn for going on 40 years.

(http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=3805543&forum_id=2#34746677)

I also think being the best skier in the world is underrated. Those guys are unbelievable athletes, no team reliance, pretty good real world attributes, etc. The money is not quite as good as other sports though.

(http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=3805543&forum_id=2#34747261)