Boxers Showing Mercy

Jones did this a lot, knowing full well his opponents were completely outmatched before entering the ring.

 

Obviously not a 'classic' fight by any stretch of the imagination but Calzaghe clearly put the brakes on in the Jones Jr. fight. It even seemed in the last few rounds when Jones Jr. landed a punch Calzaghe would congratulate him like a father would congratulate his son by skimming a rock along the lake. "That's the spirit."

 

Valuev against Holyfield. Also, Valuev against a lot of fighters. He'd have a 100% knockout ratio if he weren't interested in Buddhism. He prefers to sweetly outbox as opposed to the vicious knockouts he is capable of. This isn't always wise. The opposite of his intentions against Bergeron who shouldn't have remained on his feet and took far worse punishment by not getting knocked out. Shame. I hear sometimes, these days, Bergeron will hear the phone ring and he will start weeping and punch his nurse. It was a delayed reaction. Nobody knew how bad it was untill Bergeron fought Guinn.

 

Recently, Guerrero-Casamayor & Mayweather-Marquez

 

Armstrong against Barney Ross

 

Willie Pep vs. Fabela Chavez. Pep had him stunned in the 5th or 6th and kept telling the ref that Chavez couldnt see his punches coming and to stop the fight. He spoke to the ref about 4 times but Chavez would throw back so the ref let it go.

 

An act of mercy was when Joe Louis, gave his good friend LH champ John Henry Lewis
a match when John Henry had fery little eyesight left..Joe Louis sailed into his friend JHL
and kod him him in the first round...And JHLewis got a big payday for his last fight..
Another act of "mercy" was at MSG that I saw in 1943 when the prime Ray Robinson
carried the past prime Henry Armstrong in 10 rds...The crowd knew it, but Ray put on
a good show to not embarass his idol, Hammerin Hank...Mercy...

 

Zab Judah had Cory Spinks out on his feet in the 2nd fight and told the ref so before gving him some more beatings from post to post.

 

They say that Larry Holmes was 'merciful' to Ali.

Also, if I remember correctly Dempsey gave a chance - read a big payday - to a sick & dying fighter and was supposed to have not carried his trademark ferocity into the ring in this bout. I can't immediately recall the fighter's name but I am sure many on this forum will.

 

Billy Miske, who was dying from " Bright's Disease ",and was looking for his last "payday ", for his family. The year was 1920,Benton Harbor, Mich.

 

holmes said he didn't want to hit Ali in the body because he remembered Ali pissing blood after sparring matches when Holmes was just one of his sparring partners.

 

If Holmes was indeed "merciful" to Ali, then he surely killed him with kindness, IMO.

 

S.O.G. vs. Pudwill