This :deal Especially if the champion has home advantage! People need to understand Boxing isn't a normal black and white sport. Boxing is a grey sport and that's what attracts me to it.:bbb
It's a stupid stupid saying. Whoever wins the damn fight...wins the damn fight. The champ gets a handicap? Stupid. I've never regarded it as anything more than that.
I can't believe how many people are defending this notion? The only way "you have to take it from the champ" should apply is in the event of a draw. Not applicable to even or close rounds, that's bull ****. You score each round fairly and if you come out with a draw then the champ retains the title, otherwise the deserving boxer should win. I say "should" win as we all now how judging / backing / being the draw tend to affect fair results.
I'm pretty sure this line of wisdom is to be enforced when you can't decide who won the round. Rarely is a round truly "even", the more inexperienced judges tend to score more even rounds than a veteran judge. When in doubt the champ should get the nod, but if boxer a clearly wins a round then he should obviously be scored the winner of that round otherwise a challenger can only win if he knocks the champ out.
close fights and rounds should go to the champ. very hard to give a contender a draw or the nod in a close fight, in those situations the champ should get the nod and give a rematch if the public demands it.
No I don't agree, when the first bell goes technically neither is champ as they are both now fighting for the belt and rounds are scored for whoever wins them. Whether you started the fight as the champion should have no bearing on scoring individual rounds.
I grew up adhering this mentality as it was that of my father, uncles and their friends. Seemed to be a mantra from boxing fans of a different era. In time, especially after boxing myself, i came to realize it was wrong. Every judge sees things a little different, but the guy who has done the most deseves the nod no matter if he is challenger or champion. Would we deny an olympic sprinter a win because he only beat the reigning record holder by .001of a second? Would we deny a team in the NFL a win over the defending super bowl champ because the only won by a field goal in overtime? Bottom line is the end of ANY contest its the man or team thats done the most that desrves the win. It doesnt have to translate on the stat sheets, only the score cards. This of course is all providing everything is on the up and up.
No I think this is wrong. Just think what happens if the fight is declared a no contest. The champ retains the belt, it's not declared vacant.
Yeah I didn't mean it literally becomes vacant when the first bell rings I just meant in terms of how it should be scored.
Maybe back in the 50s when a world title actually meant something, but nowadays there's about 250 "world champs" in boxing. I think a fight should be scored fairly, doesn't matter if it's a 4 rounder or a world championship fight. Really not a fan of this adage.
Yeah, I gotcha. As I said, I believe that if one fighter clearly wins a round they absolutely should be scored the winner of the round. It's when there is a perceived even round, ( witch I think rarely actually happens ) that's when I think it should go to the champ. Challengers need to step up and win in no uncertain terms. I can definitely see how some would disagree with this line of logic.
You think its ok that a hometown fighter gets close rounds, simply because hes fighting at home? Surely thats the kind of thing that we as fans should be trying to push out, not condone
The thing is those sports are cut and dry. Boxing isn't, there is a bit of inherent subjectivity with the scoring system. This is unique sport with a unique method of deciding who the winner is. Winning the fight and winning the match are totally different things in my opinion as well. Hell I could beat the absolute **** out of someone for 5/12 rounds and barely lose 7/12 rounds. The winner of the bout will be the guy who won more rounds even though most would say I won the "fight".