Money vs. Legacy

[sandyvahra]

I've read a lot of posts on here supporting money decisions over legacy decisions, rightfully so. That's if your a come up fighter making a few k a fight. When you're in a position to actually build a legacy, you've already got the money. A couple million here or there doesn't effect the food on your families plate. If you can't survive with a 5 million purse you're not going to survive with a 10 million purse. If you can't manage money it doesn't matter how much you have.

The point being people that support fighters decisions that are only financially rewarding, that's fine, it shows you don't really care about the sport. But what does that really show about the fighter? I think it shows greed, selfishness, & a clear disregard for the fans who are the reason you're making the big money to begin with. I mean when you're making 8 figure paydays, WTF is a million or two here or there really going to do? Above all it shows the neglect & disrespect for the sport itself. One that was pioneered by greats, fighting other greats, multiple times if need be, their passion and desire to be the best stood out. The hunger, the drive to be called THE best and leave no doubt. Every other professional sport forces you to play the best to determine who is the best. Boxing never needed this in the past because if you believed you were the best, you would go out and prove it & we saw the big fights.

The moral of the story is when you have the money, and you still go after it without showing much regard for legacy, that says as much about you as a person and as a fighter. Fighters like these won't be talked about 50 years down the road. Most fighters are in boxing because they truly love boxing & every aspect of it coupled with that competetive spirit. It really is sad to see some of the very best fighters show no regard for this and forget about once they see money.

[THe TRiNiTY]

At the end of the day, though, look at who brings in the most money, OVERALL.

For Mayweather, for example, it's Pacquiao, Cotto and Mosley. In that order, most likely.

When/if he beat them, he'd get legacy and money. GENERALLY if you fight for money exclusively, legacy follows. It happens the other way around. You chase a legacy, you usually get paid more and more the closer you get.

Mayweather will leave a very solid resume when he's done, he just has to continue what he's doing. He's being smart and careful. Too careful for some fans? Sure. But, their' buying his fights and he's adding solid names to the record.

If he fought two of the three names I mentioned after Marquez and won, he'd continue to.

[sandyvahra]

At the end of the day, though, look at who brings in the most money, OVERALL.

For Mayweather, for example, it's Pacquiao, Cotto and Mosley. In that order, most likely.

When/if he beat them, he'd get legacy and money. GENERALLY if you fight for money exclusively, legacy follows. It happens the other way around. You chase a legacy, you usually get paid more and more the closer you get.

Mayweather will leave a very solid resume when he's done, he just has to continue what he's doing. He's being smart and careful. Too careful for some fans? Sure. But, their' buying his fights and he's adding solid names to the record.

If he fought two of the three names I mentioned after Marquez and won, he'd continue to.

I wasn't actually singling out floyd, there's been other fighters who also made the best financial decisions. but since we're on floyd, he's not just a guy who can have his legacy. he's already a top 50 atg. he's a multimillionaire. the difference with him imo is that he had an opportunity to carry the torch in his prime and he backed away from that. he has the opporunity with his talent to be mentioned with some of the greatest of all time, but he's refusing to do so. Point is if you don't get there, no big deal - it's not easy and it's very rare. but what if you do?

[potatoes]

Money disappears very quickly. What you think a fighter is getting paid is not what ends up in his bank account. It is easy to throw around a lot of theories when you have had no experience in the business of boxing. Legacy is about rhetoric, money is about reality.

[THe TRiNiTY]

I wasn't actually singling out floyd, there's been other fighters who also made the best financial decisions. but since we're on floyd, he's not just a guy who can have his legacy. he's already a top 50 atg. he's a multimillionaire. the difference with him imo is that he had an opportunity to carry the torch in his prime and he backed away from that. he has the opporunity with his talent to be mentioned with some of the greatest of all time, but he's refusing to do so. Point is if you don't get there, no big deal - it's not easy and it's very rare. but what if you do?

I didn't know if you were singling him out or not, but he's a good example. I can think of others. You can go straight to Cotto. Cotto can fight Mosley again, Mayweather and Manny and that will help him with legacy and money. It works that way for most fighters.

I get what you're saying, he could do even MORE. However, with that in mind, only a fighter knows where his body and mind are at. Perhaps he knows what he'll be able to carry out. If he can't beat those three, plus Williams, Margarito, Hatton and De La Hoya again, and Victor Ortiz and maybe a built up Amir Khan, without losing his zero, that could take AWAY from the type of legacy he wants.

You can have a perfectly crafted undefeated record and reasonably fight the best, or you can take the chance and bite off more than you can chew. Fans typically like the latter, but I can't hate on a fighter for preferring the former.

[sandyvahra]

Money disappears very quickly. What you think a fighter is getting paid is not what ends up in his bank account. It is easy to throw around a lot of theories when you have had no experience in the business of boxing. Legacy is about rhetoric, money is about reality.

I know it's a helluva lot more than common folk make. I also know common folk have a roof, food on the table, vehicles, clothes, take vacations etc. I dont care how much a fighter takes home, if he's living in a mansion, a driveway full of cars, a closet the size of a master bedroom etc, he has enough money. And if he doesn't, he never will. If he's ****** enough to let it just disappear without investing or putting it away he probably deserves to lose it. If he isn't smart enough to pay an accountant to look after some, well that speaks for itself. Other pro sports offer programs, counseling, guidance on money management etc.

[wmute]

I've read a lot of posts on here supporting money decisions over legacy decisions, rightfully so. That's if your a come up fighter making a few k a fight. When you're in a position to actually build a legacy, you've already got the money. A couple million here or there doesn't effect the food on your families plate. If you can't survive with a 5 million purse you're not going to survive with a 10 million purse. If you can't manage money it doesn't matter how much you have.

The point being people that support fighters decisions that are only financially rewarding, that's fine, it shows you don't really care about the sport. But what does that really show about the fighter? I think it shows greed, selfishness, & a clear disregard for the fans who are the reason you're making the big money to begin with. I mean when you're making 8 figure paydays, WTF is a million or two here or there really going to do? Above all it shows the neglect & disrespect for the sport itself. One that was pioneered by greats, fighting other greats, multiple times if need be, their passion and desire to be the best stood out. The hunger, the drive to be called THE best and leave no doubt. Every other professional sport forces you to play the best to determine who is the best. Boxing never needed this in the past because if you believed you were the best, you would go out and prove it & we saw the big fights.

The moral of the story is when you have the money, and you still go after it without showing much regard for legacy, that says as much about you as a person and as a fighter. Fighters like these won't be talked about 50 years down the road. Most fighters are in boxing because they truly love boxing & every aspect of it coupled with that competetive spirit. It really is sad to see some of the very best fighters show no regard for this and forget about once they see money.

You mean like Jack Johnson, Jack Dempsey, Ray Robinson or Ray Leonard?

[sandyvahra]

I didn't know if you were singling him out or not, but he's a good example. I can think of others. You can go straight to Cotto. Cotto can fight Mosley again, Mayweather and Manny and that will help him with legacy and money. It works that way for most fighters.

I get what you're saying, he could do even MORE. However, with that in mind, only a fighter knows where his body and mind are at. Perhaps he knows what he'll be able to carry out. If he can't beat those three, plus Williams, Margarito, Hatton and De La Hoya again, and Victor Ortiz and maybe a built up Amir Khan, without losing his zero, that could take AWAY from the type of legacy he wants.

You can have a perfectly crafted undefeated record and reasonably fight the best, or you can take the chance and bite off more than you can chew. Fans typically like the latter, but I can't hate on a fighter for preferring the former.

Bingo, can't hate a fighter for the former, but can't give him the same respect or hold him in as high a regard as the latter.

[sandyvahra]

You mean like Jack Johnson, Jack Dempsey, Ray Robinson or Ray Leonard?

I might be wrong, but I'm sure these fighters fought the best as well. I don't really hear people saying these fighters should have fought so & so or so & so.

[wmute]

I might be wrong, but I'm sure these fighters fought the best as well. I don't really hear people saying these fighters should have fought so & so or so & so.

Given that the amount of bitching boxing fans and scribes is amplified exponentially by the internet, the magnitude of complaints is actually different.

Because of this, I am not surprised that you didn't know this.