What is the 'hardest' sport at the professional level?

Good question but it is crossfit. Crossfit is very hard much harder than running. It takes much muscle and much dedication.

boxing

you have someone trying to beat the living shit out of you

even if you win, you lose

of course wrote:

Soccer, hands down. Literally billions play the game, unlike any of the other sports mentioned. Those who rise to the highest levels have outcompeted far more challengers, by orders of magnitude.

By this logic I might go basketball. Way bigger than soccer in the world's two most influential countries.

But also while less people play it, there are less roster spots available in pro basketball then there is in soccer. Just in America, there are more players in the MLS than the NBA. Bring that to Europe, and the difference is even greater. So while there is less competition, there is less open spots.

I still maintain that being a WWE superstar is the "hardest". Though it all depends on how you define hard.

Poker. Sitting all day inhaling second hand smoke.

i troll the forums because i have begun to love running. running seems pretty damn hard because, like soccer, millions play the sport and it takes grit to get to the top. ok, maybe soccer has an even larger amateur base, but as a pro, you are part of a team, not your own entire act like you are with running.

on pro level?

Ice Hockey

side to side. On 1/4 inch of steel.

Limited field, makes the best in the world, not just the U.S.

Top 2:

Hooker - no less of a sport than cheerleading

Boxing - paid to get the f*ck beat out of you

Biathlon. The skiing requires extreme physical condition and the shooting requires being able to shoot with a high heart rate and fatigue.

It's also one of the most relevant to the real world if you live somewhere cold like Saskatchewan the Russians invade during the winter.

pro cycling

individual- tennis

BOXING

snet.tri wrote:

MLB baseball.

I agree with this.

And I got reminded of it when I went to a batting cage once over the summer.

I'm surprised gymnastics has not been mentioned. Those guys/gals are some well rounded athletes.

Rugby football should be in the discussion.

Is soccer. Soccer is a much harder sport than any listed above.

NFL? Of the 4 major US sports, NFL has the shortest avg career length at about 3.5 years. (It's a little longer if a player makes the opening day roster.)

MLB? Hitting a MLB pitch is tough stuff.

NBA? Smallest roster. Stiff competition for those few playing spots.

Gotta be Professional Jousting. Very few long careers.

Buckeye Bandman wrote:

on pro level?

Ice Hockey

side to side. On 1/4 inch of steel.

Limited field, makes the best in the world, not just the U.S.

Ice Hockey does not even make the list. It is a white mans game played in only a few areas where it is cold enough to have ice. Mostly an upper class white boys game, not even close to the best athletes in the world play it. I do respect the guys who play it, played myself way back, great game. But, too limited worldwide and even in the US too be considered to attract top level athletes.

Baseball is a skill game, it takes great skill, but not great athletes. Look at some of the fatties PLAYING at the highest level.

Football is tough, very tough. But, for the most part an american game, doesn't get the worlds best participating. Certainly the most physically damaging game out there.

Based on worldwide participation and no limits due to financial constraints it has to be between running and soccer. More people worldwide have the opportunity to participate in the these two sports than all the others combined.

It's all been done wrote:

Either baseball or cycling.

Hitting a major league curve is no joke. Neither is a elite training schedule.

.

How many runners(out of millions) can run 5k in 13:00?!

I would say some sort of fighting whether it's martial arts, boxing, wrestling or w/e else you can think of. It may not look like it but that stuff is extremely tiring and just a few losses can knock you back into the amateur game