Proven (during the fight) injury. And it's reversed in the rematch. There are no other excuses that are acceptable, especially outside the ring issues. There isn't a fighter alive that doesn't have bad camps, bad relationships, legal problems etc.
That’s a great one. Up there with Kermit Cintron’s “I got messed up by the fumes from Sergio Martinez’s hairspray” and George Foreman’s “I was about to knock Ali out but I got distracted by my friend in the audience rooting for Ali”
Yeah I saw that too, but what would he say, I put a guy in the ring that wasn't ready? He made weight for that fight, and that was all.
While you are right, then don't expect to be hailed as great, a fighters own fault for greed if he loses, I don't want to hear excuses or claims that the fighter who lost like Marvelous Marvin Hagler won. the judges say he lost, an opinion like yours or mine does not matter on the ring record. A smart intelligent fighter has a good shrewd manager who puts money away for his fighter from each fight so that when their fighter retires he does not have to worry about that Bag Of Groceries to come back and look like a Complete Fool. If I were a great fighter and knew when to walk away like a winner and a great legacy, I would have with all my earnings salted away for that rainy day or to later enjoy without the desperate need to return, only to get beat by someone who could have not carried my Jockstrap in my heyday. Practical Thinking.
If you were a great fighter, you probably don’t have the background to know how to manage money and plan for the future. History shows us that. A boxing manager does not manage a boxer’s money, unless the boxer has him do so … and in most cases boxing managers don’t have the kind of background to know how to do that well. A few bad investments and it’s the manager’s fault that the fighter is broke. Or the boxer trusts a crooked manager and he siphons off all that money for himself. You could say go find a financial planner, but easier said than done — many of them aren’t qualified, and many are also crooked. It’s a minefield in a swamp filled with alligators and snakes. If you’ve got money, you’re going to run into all kinds of con men (and some of them are very good at it) who will try to convince you of all the things they can do for you with their money. And just like non-boxers, many of them are gullible enough to listen. As for being hailed as great … like I said, that doesn’t buy groceries. If someone waved a $20M check in front of you for one night’s work, money that takes care of you for the rest of your life if you don’t **** it away, then you’d be a fool not to take it on the grounds that some future person on a message board will say you’re not great. Hagler lost to Leonard. The judges said so and I also scored it in Ray’s favor. But that fight doesn’t make Hagler not great. Even if he lost in his prime to another great fighter, that doesn’t make him not great. Almost every fighter loses at some point. So what? They gave us a great night of competitive sport and entertainment that will live on forever and is still being discussed and debated to this day. I’m glad they fought.
That is why you just don't just have to just a great fighter, how about a great fighter being a mart human being or athlete? And No, I would not take the bait of a $20 Million Dollar check if I had all my earnings salted away by a very shrewd manager, Sugar Ray Leonard was not another prime fighter when he defeated Hagler for the title. For Christ's sake, that guy had been out of pro boxing for almost 4 years, that is embarrassing to lose to an inactive fighter. I am a very prideful individual, sometimes dignity is more important than some green, you take dignity to your grave, you cannot take your money, sometimes you leave it to someone who underneath it all will soon forget you as soon as they have finished spending what you have left them. Legacy is more important. Look at people like Carlos Monzon and Rocky Marciano, both retired as World Champions, both were offered a lot of cash to come back, both were set financially, they had shrewd managers who put money away from their ring earnings, both never came back, only the fools who had managers who had poop for brains came back because they had to or were very greedy, when you are financially set you don't need to come back to buy those groceries, a Fool would have to. It is not about the fans or what they think, it is about your legacy and what is best for you. What if someone offered you $20 Million to commit a homicide, would you? That cash could buy you a lot of groceries, I certainly would not. Money isn't everything, only if you are desperate or greedy. I would not be either. Take some pride, I may not be wealthy but I am wealthy in other things, a great family , peace of mind, happiness, those qualities are more important. Monzon and Marciano were great but they also had their dignity, you cant' take cash to your grave, the worms will eat that green paper with presidents on them, and where you might go, you cannot spend it.
So Monzon is a dignified man because he wouldn’t take money for a comeback; someone willing to murder someone for $20M is bad … yet Monzon, the dignified champion, murdered a woman for free? That’s messed up. Of course I wouldn’t kill someone for money. But if my job is boxing, I’d do my job for a lot of money. If I thought my health was at risk — say I’ve lost my reflexes and they want to put me in with a (pardon the expression) killer … no, my long term health is not worth the money. That wasn’t the case with Hagler fighting Leonard. He didn’t lose his dignity. He didn’t lose his health. He lost a decision. If you look down upon him for losing a fight, that isn’t a reflection on him. If he could look himself in the mirror and feel good about his career choices, that’s all that matters. (And that $20M doesn’t hurt when it comes time to buy those groceries, haha.)
You do as you like saintpat, you go get your money, I will take my dignity any day of the week. If you did not handle your money right or had a dopey manager, it is on you. Monzon is better than Hagler anyday in my opinion, 14 title defenses, 82 bout unbeaten streak, 7 year reign as champion, retired as World Middleweight Champion, Hagler did not, he whined every time a decision went against him or when he drew with Vito Antuofermo. Go ahead and call Monzon a murder, Hagler was a cry baby, They're Always Against Me, Wah Wah. Now go ahead and get mad at me, put me on ignore. I learned how to debate on the Lounge. Ha Ha
Why would I be mad, lol? Monzon took the life of another human being. Hagler whined about a decision in a boxing match. Debate in the lounge all you like but there’s no way those two things are in any way comparable.
Well fans will champion one line while critics will champion the other. Kooooool Kev had some good comments and quotes going years ago per the critical side.
