Why is “Quitting” looked down upon

It depends on the amount of punishment a fighter takes, how much effort the fighter puts up, or if the fighter is too mentally weak to continue. Quitting can be seen as a negative because the people that paid to watch the fight expect the fight to go on much longer. However, most people don’t even understand exactly what these fighters go through and there can be varying factors to it. Guys like Morales and Arguello have been dropped and decided to not continue because they knew they would get more punishment from Pryor/Pac. When Golota quit against Tyson people booed him out but had no idea that he had a life threatening injury.
Quitting shouldn’t be looked down upon if it means preserving someone’s health. However, if a fighter quits without taking much punishment and giving a low effort in the ring then that’s when a fighter should be criticized, much like Rigondeaux.

 

I think cornermen should step in before a fighter has to decide whether to quit or not. A good corner would throw in the towel to save their fighter from taking a beating at a time when they are unable to make a wise decision for themselves.

 

Anytime a fighter quits his corner has usually already failed him. Guys that quit like rigo and Walters did against Loma however get zero respect from me

 

• 
  
  

  ---

  
  

  Click here to register a FREE forum account and REMOVE ADS

  
  
  

When you only have one way out you come from privilege

 

Depends.

If you are getting hurt and beat up, fair enough. Kell Brook against Spence is a good example. Kell has a big heart, but did exactly the right smart thing. Anyone who calls these guys a quitter is a d*ck.

If it's what Rigondeux and Nicholas Walters did against Loma for example, which is to just to lose interest because you are losing and just not bother continuing when getting paid so much, then that's different. That's unprofessional and cheating the fans.

 

Certainly not, a brave boxer who doesn't stop trying despite being battered should be admired (and their corner looked down on if they haven't done their job.) Someone who is fighting a losing battle and getting hammered should be under no obligation to continue to just get a pasting.

How people can expect boxers to risk their livelihoods just so they get another few rounds of one sided action is beyond me. The same people who criticize quitters aren't going to be the ones wiping the boxers arses in 20 years time and reminding them of their name.

 

It's look down upon because a fighter quitting is a cardinal sin.

The vast vast majority of boxing fans and even casuals understand that it should never come down to a fighter having to quit to protect his health. If the beating is truly bad enough the referee is the first line of defense to wave off the fight. The next line of defense is the corner understanding this is a life/career altering beating and they throw in the towel.

Victor Ortiz quit. Nicolas Walters quit. Rigo quit. People know a quit job when they see it.

Nobody blamed Nacho for doing the right thing in the DLH v. Pac fight.

Fans are the lifeblood of the sport and they buy tickets/PPV's/tune in to see a fight. They don't want to be cheated out of what they believe they are paying for. Promoters and networks get it. If you quit you're banned.

 

The corner can't get it right in every scenario but they should always have their fighter's health as their number 1 priority.

 

Because of what what see a ‘fighter’ as. We see it as someone who will fight until their body has no fight left. They’re a warrior who stands until their legs have diminished, a thinker who will plot until his brain has eroded and ultimately men who battle with unremitting bravery. Not everyone is cut from that cloth. And that’s fine. But when we see it happen, when we see a boxer quit it destroys the image of what we think a fighter is. It’s a stark reminder of how human some of them are and it feels like a code is being broken. Especially when their pay check comes from our funding.

Realistically it isn’t always a bad thing. But we have machismo about us that won’t let us accept that. Quitting because you’ve got an injury that - if it gets worse - could affect your earnings down the line isn’t a bad thing. It’s now cowardice either. But some of us have difficulty professing that because of the simian drive of some of our impulses. Even so, understanding that doesn’t make it not a quit either. A quit is a quit is a quit.