Most Shameful Ducks In Boxing History

I agree, money does talk.

At the very least, we might qualify that fighter X was ducked for more $$$ with less evidence to say he was ducked due to the higher risk factor he presented. Still fits under the category of or spectrum for a duck, imo.

Suffice to say, a Champ and/or his manager always have the option to do “the right thing”.

The irony re Foreman vs Norton was that they received even less money than expected due to the Venezuelan Government reneging on its original undertaking/agreement to not apply taxes.

So we know that $$$ can in part or whole corrupt due process - fans can contribute to the problem indirectly per the fights they WANT to see as opposed to the fights that should be made in all fairness.

The way it can work sometimes is that you can have a guy like Quarry taking care of risky guys like the Shavers and Lyles - guys Frazier never happened to face - but then Joe faces Quarry again, limiting his own coverage of other fighters - beats Quarry again, thereby maintaining or improving his own higher rating.

Boxing’s infrastructure “should” ensure equality and due reward for eligibility - but of course we know it doesn’t due to myriad factors, including $$$ - and even the “as and when” ratings we point to might’ve been fiddled with anyway in order to justify an upcoming match.

It makes me wonder which other sports are so badly corrupted by $$$ matches being made in lieu of deserved matches, deserved matches as per a solid rating process and matches being made in timely fashion due to fairly established eligibility.

Imagine if the elimination process in Wimbledon saw the # 1 knocked out in an early round - circumventing the much desired and anticipated match up between # 1 and # 2 in the final.

Then, some much lesser favoured/desired player makes his way to final vs # 2.

Everyone says, both officials and fans alike: - , -

“Well, **** that!, re-instate # 1 and put him in the final instead. That’s the match we WANT to see”

- sounds crazy but the processes in boxing can come off as being just as lawless at times.

I guess that’s one reason why people often say that boxing isn’t like tennis.

Oh, and plus the fact that tennis involves hitting balls with racquets, not heads with fists.