Cowards in the ring

Fair enough. I don’t call any fighter cowardly lightly. No sane person should. But if there’s been cowardice on battlefields (& there has been), it’s happened in a Boxing ring, too.

 

I'm not banning anyone from talking about anything.

I'm just saying that calling professional boxers cowards is inaccurate based on normal conventions about the meanings of words.

But yeah, if you're in a profession where you're expected to be really brave -- and you don't act that way -- then you deserve to be criticized.

 

Yes, and I agree that some of it is situational, too. Brave people can do cowardly things.

 

100%. For those of us who think Spinks lost his nerve completely against Tyson, we would still acknowledge he was never a fighter prior to that who showed to be lacking in spine. People are complicated, no one is all good or all evil, no one is all coward or all brave.

 

Wouldn't it depend on the culture though? People in Mexico have to deal with barbaric cartels that murder, torture innocent people on a daily basis. Someone who has had friends/family murdered by cartels might not find Tyson very threatening. He's a lot less brutal than cartel hitmen they deal with on a daily basis.

 

Yes. And the same could be said if we look at these questions over time. A young 16th century nobleman who fights in duels wouldn't find Tyson quite as intimidating either.

But our forum population mostly seems to be people from wealthy countries who aren't combat veterans, prison inmates in rough prisons, police in high crime areas, or even professional combat sport athletes.

 

Luis Santana for working those fight endings with Terry Norris seemed rather cowardly. Worse, it worked and he got three payouts for his flopping.

 

McCall was embarrassing for the whole sport.

 

Mike Tyson for biting Holyfield.

he claimed he blacked out and was mad, but after he bit evander mills Lane walked up to him after he sent evander to the corner and Mills said «that will cost you 1 point» Mike said «he keeps butting me»

after Mills saw the bite Mills said «he bit him» mikes response was «it was a punch»

So while Mike was mad about the headbutt, he wasnt completly blacked out, if he was, the riot would happened after the first bite

 

I would'nt call Buster Douglas a coward at all; but he clearly quit vs Holyfield.

Not fear, more like he didnt give a fudge.

 

See, this is the kind of thing I'm talking about. McCall very likely had a mental breakdown in the ring. You're calling a person with mental health issues (at least then) a coward?

Wow.

 

This.

 

To be honest that was awesome.

 

Pretty much yeah, I think he thought if the win came it came but it probably won’t - no fuss when you’re millions of dollars richer, totally disinterested in the fight.

 

Apparently you dont know the definition of coward so here it is - a person who lacks the courage to do or endure dangerous things-
So yes by definition McCall was a coward that night.
Im not going to make excuses for him like you. I could care less about why he broke down the fact remains it was embarrassing for the sport.