Boxing Fans and the Degrading and Disrespect of "The Contender"

[-PBP-]

"Who has he beat?"

"He's beaten nothing but bums"

"He needs to fight somebody"

"Boxing needs to get back to the days where the best fight the best"


These are comments that you see a lot when criticizing today's fighters. But are these criticisms justified when these fighters are beating top 10 contenders in their division? And I am not talking about sanctioning body rankings. We have several legit ratings sites that are pretty consistent in establishing who the top 10 fighters are in each division (even if the order may be off here and there).

The fighters you reminisce over in the past weren't fighting hall of famers and all time greats night after night. They were winning championships and making defenses against top 10 contenders. If they weren't yet champions then they fought top contenders and earned their right to get to the champion. That's how boxing is supposed to work.

A hall of fame resume may have a handful of gems on it. But the meat and backbone of a hall of fame caliber boxing resume is ranked contenders/title defenses/unifications. Mayweather, Hopkins, Hearns, Hagler, Pep, Robinson, Armstrong, Greb, Whitaker, Duran...you name it. A handful of great wins that are supported by a full body of work of beating tough, rugged ranked contenders.

So my question is, when did boxing fans get this idea that top 10 contenders (even the 2,3,4,5 ranked guys at times) are bums and trashmen? When your favorite fighter from the past built his career of this caliber of opposition?

[NEETzsche]

the problem is proliferation. just as there are 4x as many champions now as there was in the past, there can be up to 4x as many contenders too (although probably more like 2x when you take ABC overlap into account)

so these "contenders" are frequently not actually true top 10s, but closer to 20 or 30, potentially all the way down to 60

[-PBP-]

the problem is proliferation. just as there are 4x as many champions now as there was in the past, there can be up to 4x as many contenders too (although probably more like 2x when you take ABC overlap into account)

so these "contenders" are frequently not actually true top 10s, but closer to 20 or 30, potentially all the way down to 60

But I'm talking about Ring/TBRB/ESPN etc. Their top 10s are usually solid even if the order might be off they usually got the 10 best guys.

[IMDAZED]

I agree. And I think it's even deeper than that. But it really depends on who the contender is. In today's era of a gajillion champs, yesterday's "solid contender" is now a beltholder. The ranked contender pool has been diluted.

I remember when Angel Manfredy was climbing through the ranks. He passed the eyeball test with flying colors (IMO) and beat a slew of fringe contenders handily, solidifying himself as a true contender. I was excited for him to get an opportunity against Arturo Gatti because I was convinced he'd win. And he did.

Part of the problem now is that a lot of fighters just aren't as well-schooled as those of years past, giving them a low ceiling. Ray Mercer was a notch below the heavyweights of his time but can you imagine a prime, motivated version today? Who is Oba Carr today? I wish we had more of those kind of contenders today to give today's young elite the kind of trial by fire that's missing.

[zerosixthree]

There's few things in boxing I hate more than the word "bum". I mean, how many other sports do competitors receive such abuse for having the temerity of competing while not being as good as those at the top from those who claim to be the sports biggest fans?

[Irony123]

i agree with you. you'll never ever hear me say that a fighter is trash or a can or a bum... (i don't think I've ever said it before). The fighters who enter the ring are 10 times the warriors the posters on this website are and they deserve respect.

I also find it strange that boxing fans come on here and call a top 10 in the world fighter a nobody... if you are top 10 in the world at anything then you are doing something right.

I believe after 800 some posts you can tell i am a GGG fan and i confront that argument regularly, but this problem was always there obviously. Floyd has encountered it and a few others as well, and usually it happens when one talent is above the rest. Every time he climbs a mountain and it looks easy, the fans want him to climb a bigger one and anything less doesn't seem to be acceptable.

[IMDAZED]

i agree with you. you'll never ever hear me say that a fighter is trash or can or a bum... (i don't think I've ever said it before). The fighters who enter the ring are 10 times the warriors the posters on this website is and they deserve respect.

I also find it strange that boxing fans come on here and call a top 10 in the world fighter a nobody... if you are top 10 in the world at anything then you are doing something right.

I believe after 800 some posts you can tell i am a GGG fan and i confront that argument regularly, but this problem was always there obviously. Floyd has encountered it and a few others as well, and usually it happens when one talent is above the rest. Every time he climbs a mountain and it looks easy, the fans want him to climb a bigger one and anything less doesn't seem to be acceptable.

I agree that fans should choose their words carefully. I hate the word "bum." But we don't need to sugarcoat either. If someone is facing "nondescript" or "mediocre" opposition relative to their stature, they should be called out for it.

[FeFist]

A lot of the people who comment on boxing are full of shit. The other day I saw some cruff, Weebler I believe, talking about McGregor and Rousey losing because the best fight the best in MMA. Boxers do not get that recognition or respect for going through comparable opponents; instead, they get torn to shred for losing or struggling against actual champions.

[-PBP-]

I agree. And I think it's even deeper than that. But it really depends on who the contender is. In today's era of a gajillion champs, yesterday's "solid contender" is now a beltholder. The ranked contender pool has been diluted.

I remember when Angel Manfredy was climbing through the ranks. He passed the eyeball test with flying colors (IMO) and beat a slew of fringe contenders handily, solidifying himself as a true contender. I was excited for him to get an opportunity against Arturo Gatti because I was convinced he'd win. And he did.

Part of the problem now is that a lot of fighters just aren't as well-schooled as those of years past, giving them a low ceiling. Ray Mercer was a notch below the heavyweights of his time but can you imagine a prime, motivated version today? Who is Oba Carr today? I wish we had more of those kind of contenders today to give today's young elite the kind of trial by fire that's missing.

They still exist. You still got guys like Shawn Porter, Austin Trout, Robert Guerrero, Martin Murray, Vanes, Mauricio Herrera, Lamont Peterson, etc. But these guys get shyt on constantly when they are making competitive fights with the best in their divisions.

[IMDAZED]

They still exist. You still got guys like Shawn Porter, Austin Trout, Robert Guerrero, Martin Murray, Vanes, Mauricio Herrera, Lamont Peterson, etc. But these guys get shyt on constantly when they are making competitive fights with the best in their divisions.

Point taken.