Who Deserves More Respect - The Fighter or the Trainer?

[FlatLine]

I often get the impression that certain trainers get put on a pedestal, as if they're somehow superior individuals to the actual fighters they train.

A fighter pays a trainer for his services, not the other way around. If you're a trainer, your role is to pass information on to a fighter so that the fighter can improve his skills and techniques. However, that information and those skills are the subjective opinion of the trainer - they don't always get it right, and they don't always benefit the boxer as each fight transpires, as we've seen in many cases over the years - McGirt and Malignaggi, Steward and Taylor, Roach and Khan, Hatton and Graham to name a few prolific examples.

The fighter is the one who performs all the real work, putting themselves through rigorous training, often spending weeks away from family in seclusion, and finally putting themselves at risk by entering the ring to face the opponent.

But that's my own opinion. Who do you think deserves more respect, the fighter or the trainer?

[WolfGirl]

Originally Posted by FlatLine

I often get the impression that certain trainers get put on a pedestal, as if they're somehow superior individuals to the actual fighters they train.

A fighter pays a trainer for his services, not the other way around. If you're a trainer, your role is to pass information on to a fighter so that the fighter can improve his skills and techniques. However, that information and those skills are the subjective opinion of the trainer - they don't always get it right, and they don't always benefit the boxer as each fight transpires, as we've seen in many cases over the years - McGirt and Malignaggi, Steward and Taylor, Roach and Khan, Hatton and Graham to name a few prolific examples.

The fighter is the one who performs all the real work, putting themselves through rigorous training, often spending weeks away from family in seclusion, and finally putting themselves at risk by entering the ring to face the opponent.

But that's my own opinion. Who do you think deserves more respect, the fighter or the trainer?

If Wladimir had dropped Steward and went with Roach after Brewster, he would have retired after being brutally knocked out a fourth time by Samuel Peter.

In some cases the trainer is definitely EQUAL to the fighter in terms of credit/importance.

[YDKSAB]

The fighter.

I don't care if the trainer's game plan or words is what won the fight, the fighter is the one getting punched in the face.

[mannyman]

The fighter.

No doubt the trainer deserves credit for teaching the skills and offering mental support, in some cases trainers are like father figures to fighters as in the case with Andre Ward / Virgil Hunter.

But when it comes down to it, its the fighter who gets punched and puts his body through hell.

[P4P_No1]

In most cases the fighters deserve more respect.

But there are certain cases where a trainer deserves at least equal amount of respect. Steward and Hearns and Dundee and Ali are two that stick out in my head.

[Juof]

Equal IMO you can't tell me Tyson would of had the same boxing style had he been trained by someone else. The trainer moulds the fighter into what they are. And the fighter uses the skills learnt in the ring. But as for legacy the fighter deserves more respect obviously and that's the reason people tend to remember the fighter rather than the trainer who gave the fighter the skills to become great.

[WolfGirl]

Wait.

The thread is misleading. Your poll ask who deserve more respect, but the way you wrote out the opening statement make it seem like you are asking who deserves more credit?

Obviously the fighter deserves more respect, it's common sense. But not all fighters deserve more 'credit'.

A better question will be who deserves more credit

[FlatLine]

Originally Posted by WolfGirl

Wait.

The thread is misleading. Your poll ask who deserve more respect, but the way you wrote out the opening statement make it seem like you are asking who deserves more credit?

Obviously the fighter deserves more respect, it's common sense. But not all fighters deserve more 'credit'.

A better question will be who deserves more credit

Semantics. Credit, respect, accolades, acclaim, recognition..etc.. the terms are interchangeable in the context I've described.