Why did Walters and Rigo quit?

Good post. Juan was a real competitor, one of the fiercest I've ever seen.

It's within any fighter's rights to quit a fight, but they have to realise that it might count significantly against them in assessments of their overall fighting aptitude, depending on the circumstances and what else they've done in their career. When Cotto took the knee and appeared to surrender, he'd given as close to a full account of himself as anyone needed to see. Duran's quit is largely mitigated by what came before and after in his career. Rigo staying on the stool was a different matter entirely.

 

I love how the ESPN presenter pointed out how at first how Rigo was complaining about his right hand to the corner ( &the corner was treating the right hand). But at the post-fight Rigo was acting like a truck ran over his left hand.

Hes really looking like an idiot now

 

Considering that it would require a good set of boxing skills to "push him and keep the pressure" with a great enough degree of success to establish a clear scorecard victory, that description more than qualifies as outboxing. You can outbox someone while coming forward with a high degree of aggressive industry. Duran and Chavez made careers of it. On a lower level and more recently, so did Golovkin and Salido.

Stylists, more than styles per se, make fights. Lomachenko can be beaten in a mid to long-range fight, but a guy to do it may well not be around at 130 at present. We aren't exactly in an era of strength in depth in boxing.

 

They don't quit in Mayweather fights because although they get hit clean, Mayweather throws about a 1/10th of what Loma throws. They get hit with everything Mayweather throws but its about 6 punches a round

 

I agree with neither guy getting beaten up. Walters quit because after almost a year on the shelf, he had really just shown up to get a pay check. People forget that when he refused the low purse initially, that Arum sat him on the shelf, and didn't get him any fights. He didn't even put in an honest effort. Rigondeaux claims he injured his hand in round 2 and aggravated more in round three. It's possible, it did look like he punched Loma's elbow a couple times when going to the body. If it's actually fractured, I'll cut him a little slack. He was three inches shorter, and probably about 12 pounds lighter, against a fast younger, stronger opponent. His left is his main weapon, he was slipping most of Lomachenko's shots, but if his hand was indeed hurt, he had no way to counter from his defensive postures, he doesn't use his right hand like that. Out of bad habits over the years he's turned into a left hand dominant fighter.

 

But Cuba is one of those regions

 

Imagine being better than 99.9999% of the people on earth at something and then you meet someone who is so much better than you that after 15 minutes nothing you do has any affect and you continue to get beat up. The fans are ooing and ahhing for your opponent like you're the bull and he's the matador. Imagine what that does to the human psyche.

Now imagine that you get 400,00 dollars regardless if you win or lose. Quitting seems like a sweet relief.

 

dude can roll .. what do you want? .. he can fight

 

They realized nothing was going to change, regardless of the number of rounds they went. Rigo was embarrassed when a point was taken for holding. He knew in order to stay in the fight at all he was going to have to hold when he chose, but the ref took that option away. Giving that up meant he was going to have to exchange more with Loma and that would have spelled disaster. He probably would have been KO'd if he tried to go the distance, and he knew it, just like Walters did.