Well boxing is an individual sport, in a team sport its beneficial to replace an injured player, if it was tag team boxing it would be be of benefit to tag out the dazed/injured boxer. But its an individual sport. A large part of boxing is dealing with adversity/pain, if a boxer can't do that he might be better of in 1 of the none violent team games The 'putting his life in jeopardy' line is overstated, the amount of deaths in the ring are statistically low, probably lower than motor racing
It's a little exaggerated only because the authorities have taken many measures to help ensure the safety of boxers, but i'd still go as far to say that i agree, because one ring tragedy is one too many, and they've still been occurring. Boxing is THE sport, forever and a day.
Yes I agree to some extent. Its much easier to not give your best and be covered up by your teamates as opposed to boxing where when you do quit its fairly obvious. I will say quitting in boxing has become a little more acceptable in recent times. On a side note there was an interesting piece on HBO Real Sports last night about the long term affects of concussions in the NFL. Players that suffered more than three concussions were more likely to early alsheimers severe depression and dimentia. Some guys in their early 40's already had toasted minds with little to no short term memory left. They did studies on players who had died and their 40 year old brains were the equivilant to 80 year olds. Interesting story..
Yes with 9 guys on base ball diamond and 11 on a football field it is easy to hide let the rest of your team do it for you. In the ring its you and him. Nobody to hide behind and no slacking. Every team has that weak link but they still win. No boxer is ever champion with weak links in his game.
Additionally, the purpose of the sport is to break your man, make him quit, make him unconcious, injure him so he cannot continue. If you have to leave the field in rugby, you haven't lost. You can still win. The fighter has to fight.
No. A golfer who injures his hand and quits is not a coward. The fighter will have this accusation lowered against him. Tennis, snooker, all non-combat sports are the same. You haven't been beaten if you retire injured. A guy can be bleeding from five cuts and behind on all cards and there's still that well of dissappointment inside when he quits.
Reminds me of that great quote from Tex Cobb "If you screw things up in tennis, it's 15-love. If you screw up in boxing, it's your ass."
It all depends who's quitting. If a fighter quits on his stool he will be called a gutless coward, if a fighter runs he will be called a gutless coward, if a Tyson opponent acts more hurt than he actually is through fear he's a gutless coward. If Mayweather plays it overly safe he's a gutless coward. If Duran quits in the middle of a fight because he is being outclassed, he's weight drained as well as blown up, past his prime, didn't train for it, was strategically asked to fight at an incovenient time in his life, he is completely forgiven, still God and the greatest fighter ever because he went 2-1 with De Jesus, nutshotted Buchanan in one and beat some other guys at LW
I think thats why we all love boxing. If you want to win a premiership join Man U or Chelsea, I'm sure the there are heaps of guys out there that have a Superbowl ring that did F**k all to win it for the team. There are plently of players that are made to look better than they are because their teammates, In lauege when you're 20 meters out of the opposing team try line area, a thousand players looking to take the ball up, but how many are going to take the ball up ten meters from your own try line?