Do boxers OWE US their LIVES?

People seem to be skewing towards two extremes in this thread, "Yes, fighters owe us everything" and "No, **** off silly fans". Both sides are wrong and the question being asked by the TS is loaded, pushing for these irrational and quite frankly, stupid remarks. I know this is motivated by the recent Matthysse fight, which in itself was not life or death. In the fighter's own words, he was not hurt and could have continued but felt that his eye was going to give out and feared long term injury in that regard. I fully expect guys to carry on and not quit in such a situation. Having said that, in far more brutal bouts, say Benn v McClellan or Ali v Frazier 1 and 3 or any of the Barrera and Morales bouts, to name a few, I would not complain if a fighter was either pulled out (as Frazier was) or decided not to come back for the next round. These fights were brutal affairs between guys with serious punching power (let's not forget Morale's pop or how bad the G Man was). I would never condone a senseless act in such affairs or be regarded as a fan thirsty for more blood. No sport should include death. Ever. But, going back to Matthysse, as the TS said, it inspired this whole discussion, he was someone who could have continued, yes he was losing the fight but Postol is a monstrous puncher, not had Matthysse taken huge amounts of punishment. He was hurt by shap, accurate counter punches and down on the cards. Postol didn't break Matthysse physically, he broke him mentally. Matthysse owed me and more importantly, the PAYING fans, a true fight. Not a poor excuse for a finale. But no fighter, none-what-so-ever, owe us their lives. Then again, that is rarely in the hands of the fighters themselves, in most cases, it is the referee or the chief second who must command a fighter to stop fighting. It's why their jobs are so important and so scrutinised. From your statement I take it that you don't believe Matthysse was actually hurt. Can I ask why? It's obvious his eye was injured, what about his behavior or performance gave you the impression that he didn't really think he was injured? For the record, I don't think fighters owe us their health, just an honest effort.

I think they owe their lives to their trainers. Many boxers are taken off the street from a life of poverty and given riches because of their trainer.

they OWE you their lives????? fighters don't owe you ****!!! ..............:boxing: People seem to be skewing towards two extremes in this thread, "Yes, fighters owe us everything" and "No, **** off silly fans". Both sides are wrong and the question being asked by the TS is loaded, pushing for these irrational and quite frankly, stupid remarks. I know this is motivated by the recent Matthysse fight, which in itself was not life or death. In the fighter's own words, he was not hurt and could have continued but felt that his eye was going to give out and feared long term injury in that regard. I fully expect guys to carry on and not quit in such a situation. Having said that, in far more brutal bouts, say Benn v McClellan or Ali v Frazier 1 and 3 or any of the Barrera and Morales bouts, to name a few, I would not complain if a fighter was either pulled out (as Frazier was) or decided not to come back for the next round. These fights were brutal affairs between guys with serious punching power (let's not forget Morale's pop or how bad the G Man was). I would never condone a senseless act in such affairs or be regarded as a fan thirsty for more blood. No sport should include death. Ever. But, going back to Matthysse, as the TS said, it inspired this whole discussion, he was someone who could have continued, yes he was losing the fight but Postol is a monstrous puncher, not had Matthysse taken huge amounts of punishment. He was hurt by shap, accurate counter punches and down on the cards. Postol didn't break Matthysse physically, he broke him mentally. Matthysse owed me and more importantly, the PAYING fans, a true fight. Not a poor excuse for a finale. But no fighter, none-what-so-ever, owe us their lives. Then again, that is rarely in the hands of the fighters themselves, in most cases, it is the referee or the chief second who must command a fighter to stop fighting. It's why their jobs are so important and so scrutinised.

:boxing::boxing: I really don't care. If Im at an arena, I dont care about your life story, entertain me, I get my excitement, grab my things and head back home entertained. I seriously would have loved to watch that LIVE. I wish time travel was an option, that is definitely one of the things I would love to witness live AND at the coliseum... imagine the experience. Watching a Golovkin type gladiator END another gladiator, just a savage brutal display. Id go berserk, I cant even imagine the adrenaline rush Id get watching that. Not suprised that a lame comment like this would be coming from you. This whole thread is Ret.arded, I think the fact most boxers leave the game with permanent mental and physical disabilities is enough to ask from these fighters. If watching another man die is your idea of entertainment go watch faces of death , boxing is a sport do you expect any other athlete /entertainer to die for you to be satisfied. grow some stones and stop living vicariously through your heroes and do the act yourself but I have a feeling your a punk so that's probably not happening.

Well, it's like going to a strip club. You don't care about the strippers life or struggles... you are there to get entertained and then bounce. Fighters today fight another sort of slavery.. fight to feed yourself and your kids or struggle and starve in our capitalist system. They fight for economic freedom. Never had a stripper die for a dollar bill :luvbed: but you said they made millions, thus they owe us their lives. Are they really struggling if they make millions? Or are you now equating this great question to the boxers that make nothing that fight in places you've probably never heard of? I still don't get your stance even more now. You just said they fight to feed themselves and their family. Or the struggle, but if they fight to the death, that broke ass family will have no one to support them.. so which is it? Do they still owe us their lives or not?

so you're all for slavery as long as it's entertaining? gotcha.. eh, I still vote no. You didn't quite give a good argument. Maybe next quote. Well, it's like going to a strip club. You don't care about the strippers life or struggles... you are there to get entertained and then bounce. Fighters today fight another sort of slavery.. fight to feed yourself and your kids or struggle and starve in our capitalist system. They fight for economic freedom.

they fought tigers. thats cool as ****. id pay for that. hey, give me a chariot race while you'er at it.

:boxing::boxing: I really don't care. If Im at an arena, I dont care about your life story, entertain me, I get my excitement, grab my things and head back home entertained. so you're all for slavery as long as it's entertaining? gotcha.. eh, I still vote no. You didn't quite give a good argument. Maybe next quote.

Fight til the death :boxing: :boxing::boxing: You find people being slaved, put in an arena, fighting til the death in hopes of gaining freedom as entertaining? You know they didn't earn a penny. I really don't care. If Im at an arena, I dont care about your life story, entertain me, I get my excitement, grab my things and head back home entertained. they fought tigers. thats cool as ****. id pay for that. I seriously would have loved to watch that LIVE. I wish time travel was an option, that is definitely one of the things I would love to witness live AND at the coliseum... imagine the experience. Watching a Golovkin type gladiator END another gladiator, just a savage brutal display. Id go berserk, I cant even imagine the adrenaline rush Id get watching that.

You find people being slaved, put in an arena, fighting til the death in hopes of gaining freedom as entertaining? You know they didn't earn a penny. they fought tigers. thats cool as ****. id pay for that.

yes. they get that cash money from me. now get to work

Very disappointed by the results. Back in the gladiator era fighting to the death was entertainment. I find excitement and thrill in that, I find it fascinating reading about those times. Guess I'm one of the very few old school heads left around. You find people being slaved, put in an arena, fighting til the death in hopes of gaining freedom as entertaining? You know they didn't earn a penny.

Very disappointed by the results. Back in the gladiator era fighting to the death was entertainment. I find excitement and thrill in that, I find it fascinating reading about those times. Guess I'm one of the very few old school heads left around. Fight til the death :boxing:

Very disappointed by the results. Back in the gladiator era fighting to the death was entertainment. I find excitement and thrill in that, I find it fascinating reading about those times. Guess I'm one of the very few old school heads left around.

Very disappointed by the results. Back in the gladiator era fighting to the death was entertainment. I find excitement and thrill in that, I find it fascinating reading about those times. Guess I'm one of the very few old school heads left around.

Fighters don't owe fans anything - it's consumer choice whether to support them in the future if we don't like what they're doing. Case in point - Andre Ward's 325k viewer rating with 50% comp'd attendance.

There are two lives here. You can't be concerned with just the life of a Haymon fighter. What about the Salkas of the world? Do their lives mean nothing?

Because If he doesn't nobody is going to give a **** about him, he is being paid by the paying fans and he's ripping us off If he cares so much about health he should become a doctor. that's not true not everybody buys fight for the same reason

No, but I don't want to hear hypocrites pontificate about how they are concerned about these boxers' lives, that they should be tolerated taking on easy fights and all that crap. That right there is stupid and you might as well say you're only concerned on Haymon fighters' lives and their safety, when you clearly don't give a rat's ass about the safety of Salka and other cab drivers.

boxers dont owe us ****. if u dont like a boxer dont support them. the problem with boxing fans they think if they have spared a couple times or gotten in bunch fights in their life that they know what its like. We are all guilty of it calling boxers quiters saying they dont care enough not enough effort etc. I mean im not even going to pretend im above it im the same way we love blood we love to see fighter concussed we want to see them take the most dangerous fights even if it could perminently destroy them. There is no question that no matter how you look at it boxing fans are by far the most selfish sports fans in the world. We brush fighters out with the trash even when we think we are respecting them. The thing is its a necessary evil for the sport and its just the way it will always be. At the end of the day no one is making fighters fight and no one is making boxers fans watch. Its just the way it is. There is no real way to make boxing politically correct in a real way without completely gutting the sport its just the way it is