Originally posted by Munn
So, imagine having a full tear & having already gone through several rounds with it & facing the prospect of having to go through a couple-few more with it against another world class pugilist intent on taking your head off.
Hey, I wasn't too pleased with Vitali's decision back then myself. But, now in retrospect, especially how we've seen him respond in other adverse situations since, I feel comfortable with his explaination that he just could not continue.
I think a lot of the trouble with people's inability to accept his retiring in that contest was the fact that he did it in such a stoic manner. He displayed very little of the pain that he was in, therefore it came as a shock when he stayed in his corner. I think many of the people that criticize him so vehemently for it, would be a lot more forgiving if he'd outwardly displayed his pain & discomfort more.
Look at what I see as a REAL quitjob in Sharma Mitchell's retirement against Kostya Tszyu in their first fight.
It's clearly displayed on the video & audio that he's begging his corner to stop the fight for him, but then, during the post fight interviews he claimed that he wanted to continue & that his corner wouldn't allow him to blah, blah, blah...
Yet Mitchell doesn't get NEARLY as much flack as Klitschko does for retiring in his corner because Sharmba put on such a big display with his pain, writhing & moaning & crying & all that.

Comment