Do you let a boxer's life outside the ring influence your opinion of him?

I think a lot of you let what a boxer does outside the ring influence whether or not you like them. Guys, we're boxing fans, not PEOPLE fans. What a guy does outside the ring should in no way determine whether or not you appreciate him as a fighter or think he's trash. I let what a fighter does in the ring determine my opinion of him. For example: Roy ducked big names in the sport for a long time = Roy is a coward Barrera is a great personality outside of the ring, but he gets dirty in a close fight, so I consider him a dirty fighter unworthy of my respect. I'll be the first to admit my five favorite fighters are also probably the FIVE BIGGEST ASSHOLES in the sport. Toney, Corrales, Judah, Mayweather, Tarver... these guys have done horrible things in the past and are just arrogant bastards a lot of the time. even though I think Corrales has turned his life around, those others are pretty much still jerks, but why should I let that influence my opinion of them? even in basketball, I know my favorite players are terrible people. Allen Iverson and Kobe Bryant? biggest jerks you'll ever hear of. But great ball players. Stop letting something James Toney said to offend you get in the way of your appreciation for his skills. Stop praying to see Judah or Mayweather get KO'ed because they say they're the best out there. Stop wishing bad things for Corrales because he beat his wife years ago. Does it make you cry that Corrales beat his wife up? :rolleyes: I hate reality TV and I don't read People Magazine because I am not a fan of PEOPLE. I love boxing, so I watch what goes on in the ring and don't really care about anything else.

Comments (20)

TheEvilSaint

honestly, mine dont. i dont look down on diego for his domestic disputes, i dont look down on gatti for his past alcoholism, i dont look down on tyson for... do i really need to finish that sentence? i dont look down on floyds legal problems. the only guy whos "outside life" influences my view of him is lennox lewis. hes an asshole in the ring, hes an asshole outside the ring.

20y ago

_AIHolmes

A boxer's personal life does not influence me in any way. It's not like I'm waiting for a fight between a felon against an all around nice guy to duke it out.

20y ago

MetalVomit

The real people who are assholes are you guys for judging people you have no right to judge. Go take a look in the mirror you might see the real Jerk, asshole, prick. Appreciate these people who entertain us by risking their lives in the ring and stop looking at their life outside of it because we don’t live with them day to day and don’t see what’s really going on with them. Now do we? Funny how DiegoFuego tries to call me out, then when I respond, he's got nothing to say :rolleyes: (<---just returning the favor). It's true, the saying, "who are we to judge them", but when following sports, and the insane media coverage behind them, it's almost impossible to not hear about what athletes get in trouble for. True I dont live with them day to day, but I cannot help but lose respect for a MAN that BEATS a WOMAN.

20y ago

TheBlackWallStreet

"Mayweather went to trial for a domestic violence charge, facing a minimum of one year in prison if he were convicted. Mayweather had been accused of violence against his former girlfriend, Josie Harris. Harris had claimed that Mayweather had punched and kicked her during an argument in Mayweather's Bentley, outside a Las Vegas nightclub in 2003. During the trial, however, Harris admitted that she had lied on the initial police report, and testified that Mayweather never hit her. The jury acquitted Mayweather" The real people who are assholes are you guys for judging people you have no right to judge. Go take a look in the mirror you might see the real Jerk, asshole, prick. Appreciate these people who entertain us by risking their lives in the ring and stop looking at their life outside of it because we don’t live with them day to day and don’t see what’s really going on with them. Now do we?

20y ago

MetalVomit

LOL, now you fight. All I gotta do is let everybody know what's up, and the little tough guy comes running, guns blazing. :rolleyes: There's two sides you can take on the issue and you took neither. I'm telling you to take one. 1. You lose respect for fighters based on what they do outside the ring. 2. You care about the boxing and judge them by that. Which is it? For the record, I gave you bad karma for the post of you calling me a hypocrite, not a boxing related post. The line can blur, it doesnt have to be "Diego beat the shit out of his wife so I hate him and will never cheer for him or watch him fight again". The man's a human being, we all make mistakes. Do I think less of him for hitting his wife? Yes. Do I still respect his skills and enjoy his fights? Yes. I can't just cancel him out because he made a mistake, but I can think less of him. It doesnt have to just be one or the other. Also, my apologies for not responding immediately after you post, I'm trying to do laundry, clean the house, and what not on my day off. Pardon me for not rushing to my computer every 45 seconds to see if someone replied to a post I've made.

20y ago

DiegoFuego

20y ago

MetalVomit

I just wanna thank GodzHand for giving me bad karma as opposed to arguing with me like a man. Mad props, bro. :rolleyes: Oh, no. Don't worry, I gave you bad karma, and responded. What's the matter? Didnt get what you wanted for Christmas? Let's keep this about boxing.

20y ago

MetalVomit

Then next time read the original post before chiming in, k? You're not allowed at the adult table anymore. Go back to the little kids' table until you learn that life lesson. This whole thread has to do with your respect for a fighter based on his in-ring accomplishments. The purpose is to point out the people that hate a fighter based on something he does outside the ring that isn't boxing related. You said you lost respect for Corrales and Mayweather but still like to watch them. I asked if their wife-beating incidents made you not like them anymore, but you said you like to watch them. 1.WELL, THEN, OBVIOUSLY THOSE INCIDENTS DIDN'T CHANGE YOUR LIKING OF THEM, NOW DID IT? I clearly said I had no opinion on what Corrales did to his wife because I only know him as a boxer and that's all I'm ever meant to know him as. 1. Just because they've done what I'm against, doesnt mean I'm going to "go against" them. I lost respect, but at the same time, still like to watch them fight. Relax. When did I say I dont watch them, because they've beaten their women. I lost respect for them, because I'm truly against beating women, but I still watch them fight. You're reading way too much into this. I responded to the title of the thread, not your post. Don't go so far out of your way to ATTEMPT to put me on blast. For the last time. I lose respect for any man that beats a women, but in Floyd, and Corrales' cases, I still watch them fight, I dont just automatically HATE them because they've beaten women, I simply think less of them, that's it, and that's all. OK? Still :mad: @ me?

20y ago

DiegoFuego

I just wanna thank GodzHand for giving me bad karma as opposed to arguing with me like a man. Mad props, bro. :rolleyes:

20y ago

DiegoFuego

Hopkins' life outside the ring was a history of juvenile delinquency and a prison sentence. I don't care about any of that. But complaining you were screwed in a close fight and saying, "Whoever lands the most punches and does the most damage" wins the fight is grounds for a loss of respect. To think, this guy was undefeated for 12 years and didn't even know the rules! LOL!!

20y ago

DiegoFuego

This comment makes me laugh.... The entire reason you no longer like B-Hop you said is because he complained outside the ring about the decision in Taylor/Hopkins 1... He complained in the ring now didn't he? :D This is strictly non-boxing things the fighters do if you are unclear about that. I hate Wladimir Klitschko for choosing to duke it out in the courtroom rather than rematch TOS because he knew TOS would KO him.

20y ago

Dirt_E_Gomez

Hypocrite. :rolleyes: This comment makes me laugh.... The entire reason you no longer like B-Hop you said is because he complained outside the ring about the decision in Taylor/Hopkins 1...

20y ago

DiegoFuego

Like I said, I still respect Floyd's skills, and I like to watch Chico fight, but I lose respect for a man that beats a woman, not completely, but to a certain degree. That doesnt keep me from watching them fight though. Then next time read the original post before chiming in, k? You're not allowed at the adult table anymore. Go back to the little kids' table until you learn that life lesson. This whole thread has to do with your respect for a fighter based on his in-ring accomplishments. The purpose is to point out the people that hate a fighter based on something he does outside the ring that isn't boxing related. You said you lost respect for Corrales and Mayweather but still like to watch them. I asked if their wife-beating incidents made you not like them anymore, but you said you like to watch them. WELL, THEN, OBVIOUSLY THOSE INCIDENTS DIDN'T CHANGE YOUR LIKING OF THEM, NOW DID IT? I clearly said I had no opinion on what Corrales did to his wife because I only know him as a boxer and that's all I'm ever meant to know him as.

20y ago

MetalVomit

They both beat their "girlfriends". Why would you care what they're doing behind the doors as long as their not killing or raping or molesting a child? We all make mistakes and thats why I refuse to play the morality card with boxers. Like I said, I still respect Floyd's skills, and I like to watch Chico fight, but I lose respect for a man that beats a woman, not completely, but to a certain degree. That doesnt keep me from watching them fight though.

20y ago

BLOODSHED

Totally agree. I respect the boxers, but as people I don't care to respect them. They put on their pant legs one at a time and as much as I loved boxing, boxing isn't the civil rights movement nor the presidency of a country. Positions and events that truly require respect. You have Klitschko nuthuggers who talk about how pure, sinless and honest the Klitschkos are. Good for them doesn't make me a fun of them. And people talking about Jones not doing drugs or drinking. I have to doubt that when Roy has a song called "I smoke, I drank". :rolleyes: It's hyopcrisy that bothers me though with Holyfield who talks about his Lord and savior, but doesn't live his life according to what he preaches on TV. That's my problem. Floyd, Chico, Tyson and many other fighters never claimed to be angels, why would I expect them to? I don't like wife-beaters or abusive men in general...don't respect em. I'm not an expert on every boxers personal life but usually their personal life doesn't sway me. I don't respect Corrales personally, but I respect what he does in the ring. Toney is a very personable guy in real life. I've been around him or have spoken to him on three occasions...very nice to me and my father. One of my favorite fighters ever was an ass and let drugs ruin his life, but I just lloved how he fought so much it didn't matter. I guess it's situational for me then.

20y ago

MetalVomit

Hypocrite. :rolleyes: I have never beaten a woman, so how am I a hypocrite?

20y ago

oldgringo

I don't like wife-beaters or abusive men in general...don't respect em. I'm not an expert on every boxers personal life but usually their personal life doesn't sway me. I don't respect Corrales personally, but I respect what he does in the ring. Toney is a very personable guy in real life. I've been around him or have spoken to him on three occasions...very nice to me and my father. One of my favorite fighters ever was an ass and let drugs ruin his life, but I just lloved how he fought so much it didn't matter. I guess it's situational for me then.

20y ago

BLOODSHED

They both beat their "girlfriends". Why would you care what they're doing behind the doors as long as their not killing or raping or molesting a child? We all make mistakes and thats why I refuse to play the morality card with boxers. I am not a Mayweather fan, but I respect his skills. I like Diego more than Floyd, but I lost some respect for both for beating their women. I dont know who I'll be rooting for during the Mayweather/Judah fight, I just want to watch it.

20y ago

DiegoFuego

I am not a Mayweather fan, but I respect his skills. I like Diego more than Floyd, but I lost some respect for both for beating their women. I dont know who I'll be rooting for during the Mayweather/Judah fight, I just want to watch it. Hypocrite. :rolleyes:

20y ago

BLOODSHED

Nope, not at all. I like Holyfield, Tyson, Mayweather, Chico and have no obvious problems with their outside lives.

20y ago