Should people be less harsh on fighters who decide to quit in a fight on their own volition?

I have no problems with a fighter choosing not to go on if he is getting badly hurt and beaten up. It's not in my view a cowardly thing at all, they already stepped into the ring. He has his life, family and ongoing career to think of. The "fans" who call these types out as cowards and quitters are mostly armchair critics and, frankly, scum. Kell Brook for e.g, completely understand why he quit against Spence. No criticism. He couldn't see, maybe though his sight was on the line.

However....when someone just quits because it 'aint happening for them or they are getting frustrated - Nicolas Walters, Rigondeau for eg against Loma - that is different and they should expect criticism. Perhaps even part of their pay deducted in extreme circumstances. Neither of these guys was even close to hurt, they were just getting schooled and though "nah, f*ck it"

 

I feel like there is a big difference between quitting when it gets tough, which for good reason is frowned upon, and knowing when enough is enough and you are risking serious injury. In a lot of cases fighters are too brave for their own good, that is why a trainer that really knows and cares about his fighter is so important. No fighter wants to be seen as quitting so a codeword between fighter and trainer that things aren't okay would be a good idea, let the trainer stop it without the fighter "looking bad".

 

It's mostly the board douchebags who have likely never been in a fight in their life that talk that sh*t.

 

The huge question is determining (IF)...

Their choice, but the question as stated before is (IF)....then sometimes we see them un-retire as if the injury miraculously healed. Think Ray Leonard and his eye. Think Andre Dirrell

Another gr8 point that shows how difficult it is to determine what is inside that fighter's heart.


displays of toughness I saw was on the NFL football field. Name John Jerkovic. Many felt the Dallas Cowboys did an illegal move to injure him. But unlike every player before him who was carted off the field...he pushed his team mates and limped off.
Point: Who are we to determine he should've been humble and got carried off? That's his inner being.
How do we tell QB's you can't do what Brett Favre did & play hurt. It's not quitting, its called knowing when enough is enough.

Every athlete has an inner voice they respond to. Some voices give in a little quicker, others prefer to die doing what they love best.

In conclusion that means if a fighter quits over an injury. I won't call them a quitter, but if I remember someone else who fought through it and succeeded, then I'm not going to rank them in the same category.
& Fear can overtake anyone in any field @ anytime. I understand, but I won't forget it either.

quoting this to highlight the different reasons why someone might quit. This is legit. Makes me think of Morales 3rd fight with Pac. Now that was not an injury quit. I'm getting fatigued and can't breath no more quit- IMO that was flat out ..It aint happening quit. Fortunate for EL Terrible, this was at the end of his career. He proved his worth, so I didn't label him. But I didn't 4get either!

 

No not really. If their corner is not protecting them then they have to help themselves.

The quitting aspect is not big deal to me. I don't judge fighters for quitting. Who can. If a fighter has to quit then I see the corner as responsible. The corner has to see things and stop fights and not be too brave with their man. I wish corners would stop fights quicker at times so the fighters do not have to quit in the ring and then be insulted or seen as a quitter.

Even McClelland when he took a knee against Benn, the commentator mentioned he was quitting. Obviously the referee is responsible and should be, but if the ref does not stop it or the corner. What can the fighter do? Can you imagine being hit clean and not wanting to quit but taking punches and the agony of that. You need someone on your side..

If a fight is stopped too soon then the ref is booed. If he stops it too late he is insulted. There is never a perfect time to stop a fight. This is why most referees only have a certain length of career. Once they have had a few controversial stoppages their reputation is under the microscope and then they seem to say screw it I am not going to ref anymore. The scrutiny gets to them.

 

Erik Morales can get an easy pass from me. He has a legendary career, gone through some brutal fights and is one tough man. The 3rd Manny fight he clearly was getting beat up at that point and knew it.

 

Yeah, his look is still in my memory. Sitting on his butt, squinting as if to say "man, F this...I'm done"

 

It all depends on how beloved a fighter is. SRR and Cassius Clay both quit in shame on their stools, and boxing historians have given them a pass and made every excuse in the book for them.

I stopped questioning a fighters decision to quit after Levander Johnson fought Jesus Chavez to the death in 2006. A fighter knows if someting isnt right inside.

You brought up Golota vs Tyson and that's an excellent example....didn't golota have a small bone go into his brain or something?

Another thing, I rarely hear other fighters criticize each other for quitting. Its almost always just boxing journalists or boxing fans who DKSAB and never themselves laced up a day in their life

 

You box. Sometimes you can't win.

No problem whatsoever with a fighter quitting in any circumstance. I've worn the gloves before plenty.

 

I just posted in the other thread: those who have recently called Dubois a quitter and then dropped in to say RIP to Kotari and Urakawa have to look hard in mirror. We just don't want these guys going out on their shields.

 

I consider it a KO loss (or, if you prefer, a TKO loss), and I weigh it no differently than any other KO/TKO loss. For whatever reason, the boxer who gave up was beaten, whether out cold, waved off by the referee, stopped on advice of attending physician, stopped by the corner, or stopped by the boxer.

 

This is why the refs job is so goshdarm important. Take the decision out of the fighters and their connections hands. Make this "culture" irelevant. Let the fans and the fighters poop on the ref for ruining the fun. Who cares in the scheme of things that should be part of being a ref.

 

Non fighting ass people arguing on the internet should be less critical of FIGHTERS in general…