P4P Top 10 Cowardliest Boxers of All Time

atsch

Oy. Just......wow.

 

thats your retort? guess i win this one.

 

No. You don't. What other retort could one use? You're not worth the time, kid.

 

there isnt a retort you can use, because youve lost, youve realized that youve been an idiot defending some strawman agument that we are some how calling all boxers cowards, and now you only retort is to insult me.

 

I was going to say Floyd, but he just fights guys he ain't afraid of.

 

Holmes-during second figth with Shavers. Don't get me wrong, I love Holmes, but FFS he turned his back and ran at times.

 

well, i'm happy enough to carry the "chicken****" and "keyboard warrior" labels if that's what it costs to point out the ****ing obvious re: Bruce Seldon et al.

sorry, the truth is that Bruce Seldon (who was collecting $5 MILLION to face Tyson) took the cowards way out.

You know it, I know it, the whole boxing world knows it.

yeah, and i respect every fighter as long as they put in the work.
I don't expect every fighter to fight to the last drop, or be willing to die or suffer serious injury.
BUT
for me, diving down without getting hit, or quitting because someone pulled a face at you , don't meet the minimum standards. this is especially true when guys are getting paid more money for that one event than most honest men can hope to make in a life time.

i agree that boxing is a tough game and that deserves respect. but i've known lots of everyday men who risk their lives in other professions every day for a paltry salary. I'm sure we all do

 

Judging by some of the reactions to this thread, i'm guessing all boxers should get a 10/10 simply for stepping through the ropes.

And anyone who hasn't been in the ring with a world-class pro boxer hasn't even got a right to assess whether fighters are brave or not ....

...... and that includes the soldier who sacrifices himself for his comrades, the firemen who run in to burning buildings, the mothers who die and suffer for their children, the man who dives into the rapids to save a drowning friend ... and all the other mere mortal ordinary folk who have never done anything quite as heroic or brave as climb through the ring ropes

 

Poor thread and the whole ranking bravery out of 10 is laughable. Some people should try sparing sometime with someone who's far better than them. Boxers are only human after all covering up or "running" is just something that happens sometimes. It's easy to make fun of a boxer when your not the one taking the punches, or its easy to say i would of done this, i would never of done that.

 

I think by definition, NO boxer is a coward, to even get in the ring to spar takes balls...to fight publicly, to risk pain and the potential humiliation of being shown to be inferior to another man in the most basic, primeval form, takes MASSIVE courage.

I was not scared of the physical pain of being punched, but the thought of being knocked out and therefore humiliated in front of friends terrified me.

However, having said that no boxer is a coward there are varying degrees of bravery displayed, from fighter to fighter, often within the same fighter.

For example, at one end of the spectrum, you have the insane bravery shown by Smokin' Joe, at the other end of the spectrum you have Audley, who at times seemed to physically freeze with fear.

Then, for example, how can you reconcile Nigel Benn's defeat to Michael Watson, when he was floored and kayoued by a jab, to the level of "Frazier-esque" bravery he displayed against McLellan?

I do feel though, that a top 10 list of the "cowardliest" boxers is probably not in the best possible taste.

 

Bruce Sheldon
Audley Harrison
Kermit Cintron

 

It seems a bit unseemly to use this word "coward" so cavalierly..a poor choice of words, as obviously, as it's been noted already, to climb through the ropes in front of a crowd to face a man in gloved combat is something that should disqualify a man from the charge of "coward". There are rather, those fighters that failed miserably in controlling their fear, as in Seldon, many of Louis's bum of the month opponents, and others mentioned here as well. Certain fighters, like Resto and Butler, to name but a few, can qualify as cowards not for any lack of cojones insofar as their willingness to step through the ropes and fight, but for their dastardly actions that brought them shame..and as for naming Duran..man, that one is really out off line...the No Mas thing revealed a shortcoming regarding his temperment as a fighter for sure, but "coward"...****, no one, even on his worst day would have the balls to say that to his face..so , who would be the real coward then? That word, it turns out, is a two edged sword.

 

"Duran deserves a mention" is a well-known phrase here on the classic.
I didn't expect it to be taken so seriously.

It seems that people have a real problem with the word "coward". i don't like it either, but there's no point being phobic about it. Cowardice is a human trait, i bet we've all been guilty of cowardice at some point in our lives.
that doesn't mean some people should be called cowards per se. but we are all capable of being cowards at some times, just as we are all capable of heroism.

and, yes, i do believe cowardice can be shown inside the boxing ring. Take the Seldon example again .... surely a man being paid 5 million dollars has a duty to perform through his fear, to control it to the extent that he at least puts up something that could pass for fighting back. I'm sure if Tyson had been attacking his wife or kids he would have fought back. for 5 million dollars he could at least muster a fraction of that. Seldon had the physical equipment to fight, its not like he was some poor weak guy off the street.
a man who neglects his basic duty and takes the easy way out because of fear is displaying cowardice. Seldon took the easy way out.

Tyson showed cowardice against Holyfield in the 2nd fight. he wanted to be DQ'd and claim himself the "victim", he didn't want to solve the puzzle or take a beating again, he didn't want to face the uncertainty of a regular fight or the uncertainty of a regular career. Biting the ear and causing a **** storm was the way he coped with it - he made himself the centre of attention, the "spoilt brat/problem child". It was an easier way out for him and his ego.

 

We rarely agree , but we do here.

It ill becomes anyone who is a "civilian," to call a boxer a coward.:nono

 

Charlie Zelenoff.

Otherwise, I agree with everybody criticizing this thread.