I don't have a problem with fighters making excuses when they are doing an immediate interview in the ring right after they just fought. I accept that they just spent themselves giving everything they had and I don't think it is really fair to interview someone at that point. Not only have they not had a chance to review the fight, they are also physically spent and just took a lot of punches to the head. The guy is literally still trying to process what just happened. When you have someone making excuses well after that, then I feel like it shows some weakness or doubt in a fighter. Keith Thurman recently used a "I had a 22 month layoff before fighting Pacquiao" which is not only factually wrong, it's lame. He fought Josecito and it wasn't like he blew him out in 1 round...he had 12 rounds to figure out if he was ready to step up and an additional 3 or 4 more months before he signed to fight Pac.
Beoncey 'Suit of Sauron' Windy Miller, the undisputed, unified Heavyweight Champion of total, complete and UTTER BOLLOCKS excuses........the end.
That's why I respect Joshua so much. Not a shred of an excuse. Just owned up to the loss, went back to the grindstone and avenged his defeat.
He didn't really get the credit for that he deserved. Especially as it did look as if there was something amiss, although what that was, including the medical issue Hearn alluded to, is unclear. Regardless, he did the right thing taking it on the chin and getting his head down to put it right. Compare and contrast with the man of a thousand excuses.
He did definitely make a bunch of cryptic excuses for the Ruiz loss he just waited until the post-fight interview of the rematch to give them.
I have much respect for athletes that lose gracefully. In that moment, as a competitor it has to be very difficult when the interviewers often throw questions at you basically saying "Why did you lose?"
There’s acceptable excuses at times. Kell brook pulling out against Spence after suffering the same injury he got against ggg but on the other side. He was told by the doctors he risked going blind and permanently damaging his facial structure. No fight Is worth your sight, and is a credible excuse as to why he lost the fight, as he was fighting in even terms. Then on the flip side there’s Crawford v khan. And wilder obviously
Joshua is a class act. And it honestly looked to me that he did have a bad night. But no excuse made. Cooney made some damn good/bad excuses. "If the better man would have won, I would be fine, but that is not what happened. I was buffaloed by the press into thinking that I could knock him out early." And... "I was emotionally flat." Priceless.
Not even a shred ... Anthony Joshua 'had health issue' before first Andy Ruiz fight https://www.bbc.com/sport/boxing/50704532 "I had some issue with my health which I was going through for a long time." " I felt so tired and drained and thought it must be down to training." "In the changing room before the fight I got a bucket of ice and was putting my head in it thinking 'why do I feel so tired?' "The responsibilities of being world champion are difficult. All that stuff, dealing with obligations." "After my check-ups it showed what the problem was and this is what you have to get sorted." The two-time world heavyweight champion also said he learned a valuable lesson not to accept opponents at short notice.
Every boxer who ever lost had an excuse. People just ignore some excuses and elevate others all out of proportion. Ali was going to crawl across the ring and kiss Frazier's feet if he lost. After Frazier won, Ali blamed his layoff and then just said the judges were wrong. After he lost to Norton, he said it was because he broke his jaw in the first or second round. Norton and most believe it ocurred in the last round when Ali was already behind. When Ali lost to Holmes, it was the diet pills he was taking and he'd have beaten Holmes without them. Roberto Duran had stomach cramps. Hearns came in too light. Curry came in too light. De La Hoya lost too much weight. Buster Douglas and Andy Ruiz came in too heavy. Eubank lost to Collins because Collins was hypnotized. Froch lost to Kessley because that volcano erupted. Cotto didn't actually lose to Margarito because Magarito got caught loading his gloves in an entirely different fight with Mosley. Willard lost because Dempsey had plaster on his hands. George Foreman was drugged by his trainer. Jack Dempsey lost because of a long count. Mike Tyson lost because of a long count, because he was headbutted, because he was drugged and every other thing. Jack Johnson wasn't beaten, he purposely took a "dive" in the 26th round. Sonny Liston had a hurt shoulder. Floyd Patterson had back spasms. Leon Spinks was confused because too many people were talking in the corner. Tim Witherspoon was never knocked out - he took a dive every time. Pinklon Thomas, Michael Dokes, Greg Page, Tony Tubbs, Tony Tucker and every other 80s heavyweight lost a bunch of times not because of anything they did wrong ... it was Don King's fault ... even when King wasn't promoting them ... they lost because of Don King. David Haye broke his toe. Wlad Klitschko didn't get knocked out by Brewster, his trainer rubbed Vaseline on his legs that somehow made his legs weak (how much does Vaseline weigh?). Lennox Lewis didn't lose because he ate a monster right hand, he lost because he arrived in South Africa late after filming a movie and didn't have time to acclimate. Read Tim Witherspoon's autobiography. The entire book is one long excuse. They all do it. Even the best. Because, if you believe the guy is better than you, you can't win. That's why, particularly the top fighters, ALL rationalize their losses away. You don't usually get the truth until they're retired.
Most athletes haven't been punched in the head for the better part of an hour when they are interviewed after a loss in a sporting event. I think it's bizarre when fans expect fighters to act like a proper gentleman after fighting for his life moments before.
When Joshua does it it's an "explanation for a loss." I do wish they'd stop interviewing guys who've just been KOed.
