"He's Ruining His Legacy By Fighting On Too Long!"

[oldgringo]

Their legacies and standings as ATGs were already established, no matter how overdue their retirements were when they finally happened.

Yep, the minority is the fellas who knew when to hang em up like Lennox, Hagler, Ricardo Lopez and Eder Jofre (for the old guys). Most guys can't give up the spotlight. They are too competitive to let it go.

Tommy Hearns
Erik Morales
MSM (not an all-time great maybe, but a HOF example)
Emile Griffith
Bob Foster
Larry Holmes


and the list goes on.

[Jim Jeffries]

Yep, the minority is the fellas who knew when to hang em up like Lennox, Hagler, Ricardo Lopez and Eder Jofre (for the old guys). Most guys can't give up the spotlight. They are too competitive to let it go.

Tommy Hearns
Erik Morales
MSM (not an all-time great maybe, but a HOF example)
Emile Griffith
Bob Foster
Larry Holmes


and the list goes on.

Ali, SRR, even SRL stayed around too long. But they are still remembered as greats (as they should be.)

[niceguy45]

tito trinidad
evander holyfiled can relate to that

[niceguy45]

tito trinidad
evander holyfiled can relate to that

[Thread Stealer]

Would Rocky Marciano be half as great if he had just 1 more fight, but lost it?

Legacies can only really be ruined if it was questionable in the first place, but an undefeated record is something every man who holds should be proud of, and if an undefeated fighter plans 1 more fight and loses it, it damages his legacy beyond repair.

A lot of people underrate and bash Marciano anyway for his relatively weak opposition.

Marciano's legacy really shouldn't have been that much in question anyway. He did beat a good number of the top HWs around at the time, although he missed a couple (Valdez, Baker for instance). On most lists, Marciano isn't ranked higher than Holmes who got to 48-0 and then lost and fought on until he was in his 50s. Holmes did have more title fights, but unlike Marciano, didn't rematch those guys who gave him hell.

[Miburo]

Yep, the minority is the fellas who knew when to hang em up like Lennox, Hagler, Ricardo Lopez and Eder Jofre (for the old guys). Most guys can't give up the spotlight. They are too competitive to let it go.

Tommy Hearns
Erik Morales
MSM (not an all-time great maybe, but a HOF example)
Emile Griffith
Bob Foster
Larry Holmes


and the list goes on.

Jofre actually made a compelling comeback years after retirement, going undefeated and picking up the featherweight title.

[!! Shawn]

This is nonsense. You don't ruin your legacy or even seriously damage it by fighting on too long. You just become like most fighters.

Agreed, just look at Thomas Hearns and Roberto Duran.

[squealpiggy]

LOL SRR is a BMU he loosed to STAN HARRINGTON who I sawewd on BOXREC

I jest of course.

[abadger]

I don't agree with the thread starter on this. For me every fight and every succes and failure a boxer has all add up to the legacy he leaves behind him at the end of his career.

Roy Jones is an excellent example, the shocking manner of his losses turned a practically invulnerable fighter almost into a joke. No way is Roy seen the same now as he was then.

[hello2007]

it only ruins your legacy if your perfect. Like what the guy said if roy retired after tarver 1 people would look at him like he was the best of the best but now it doesn't matter how long he fights because whatever could have been exposed of him has already been exposed. Same with holyfield.