Warriors thread: Winning despite horrible injuries

[Anthony342]

I remember James Toney winning a fight on HBO after there was a threat of a stoppage due to a bad cut over one eye but he was winning and went out there and got the TKO win.

[Scott9945]

I remember James Toney winning a fight on HBO after there was a threat of a stoppage due to a bad cut over one eye but he was winning and went out there and got the TKO win.

I'm pretty sure that was the Tim Littles fight.

[TBear]

I'm pretty sure that was the Tim Littles fight.

That is right. I believe Carbajal was in a similar situation as well. I think it was the night he showed up wearing a Mohawk.

[- Ram Raid -]

Was gonna play but the Abraham gif has made me feel queasy. . . . . . Anyone for tennis? What, what!

[scartissue]

1) Alan Minter against Sugar Ray Seales - Minter's forehead started swelling like a balloon. Don't know if there was a broken vessel or what. Still remember the British commentator saying, "Look at his head, it's extraordinary!" anyway, he caught Seales in the 5th and took him out.

2) Bobby Chacon had severe cuts over both eyes in the 2nd Boza Edwards fight. If it was stopped I wouldn't have batted an eye but he pulled out the decision.

3) Gene Fullmer broke an arm against Forentino Fernandez and won the decision. He thought it was just his funny bone stinging.

[GeneralZod]

Marciano over Charles with that nasty nose slit.
I believe Bradley clocked in with a concussion and presumably at least 32 other brain injuries during the Ruslan fight.

[Anthony342]

Yeah Marciano-Charles is another good one. And I believe Gatti got a left hook KO with swollen eyes in one fight too. But if you're going to do a warriors thread, might as well make it about general ring warriors, guys that fought their heart out and fought all the best, not just to make money and do enough to win decisions most of the time, like a Hagler, Hearns, Cotto, Chavez Sr., Gatti, younger Barrera, Holyfield, guys like that. Speaking of injuries, didn't Rahman's forehead get a huge lump from a Holyfield headbutt?

[Mugwump]

In the same ballpark and perhaps doing one better is Danny Williams who despite a dislocated right shoulder and only being able to use the left, went on to KO Mark Potter for the British title.

This begs a fascinating question which almost everyone I know thinks is a) pretty dumb, b) easy and c) requires little to no further elaboration.

Imagine for a moment you are Danny Williams being told he can either be "One more in a long and illustrious line of British Heavyweight Champions" or "The fighter who, despite being down a ton of points and protecting a fully dislocated and excruciatingly painful shoulder, managed to hold off his opponent for several unbelievable rounds before baiting him onto the mother of all one-punch table-turning KTFO whilst an astonished crowd could only applaud" - which choice would appeal most to you?

My friends always answer without hesitation. To them success can only be measured in cold hard bling around a fighter's waist and talk to the contrary is sacrilege.

But stories, legends and myths have value of another kind entirely. And they endure. A thousand years ago kids sat mesmerised listening to Alexander the Great going toe-to-toe with the city guards of Multan and taking an arrow to the chest, or Julius Caesar turning full-on Gladiator near the Rhine fighting two barbarian armies at once - or those peerless bad-asses, the Spartans, giving Gyllippus the trivial task of defeating the entire Greek Sicilian expedition single-handedly.

Even terrible stories can often live beyond decades. I'm sure we can all point to a relative or friend who's been regurgitating his awful sporting exploits of yesteryear for so long you know the words by rote.

So, are you more into achievements, records, Rankings, P4P, ATG, HOF, titles and/or cold hard statistics - or do you find epic tales of boxing heroism, balls-to-the-wall bravery, I-Love-It-When-A-Plan-Comes-Together high-fiving or the ever popular Triumph of the Human Spirit, more affecting?

[king4oranges]

Marquez over Pacman with his nose broke

[#1Assassin]

hearns with a broken right hand against benitez.

now i know what people are thinking, broken hands happen all the time. whats the big deal?

well, im thinking more of the strategical disadvantage. here you have hearns who is thought of as the puncher, right hand puncher to be exact. squaring off against a master boxer in benitez. hearns breaks his hand losing much of his right hand power and combination punching, yet manages to outbox the boxer with just one hand.

its not the most gruesome injury someone ever overcame, but imo its one of the most difficult ones. having to switch up your game like that early in the fight and beat a truly great fighter, in his prime, at is own game, over 15 rounds and with one hand.


mayweather beating castillo with one arm after suffering a torn rotator cuff in the last week of training has to be up there. the mere fact that he was willing to fight with one arm as he was moving up in weight to challenge a champion is impressive in its own right.