Whose responsibility is it to make a fight - Champion or Challenger??

[dancerwitgloves]

I have seen a lot of fights recently in both the UFC and in boxing, where the fight has been pretty dull and a non starter. I completely understand that opponents have the up most respect for each other and their opponent’s attributes but in the good old days you would have fighters come out regardless of respect and swing for the fences. The likes of Tyson for example would either knock out or be knocked out and that is what made combat sports the best in the world, but recently it is not happening. Take for example the Johnson v Klitschko fight last week in which the challenger never once tried to make it a fight, instead choosing to run away and stay unhurt. Now again I understand the sweet science aspect of hitting and not being hit, and it can work take Haye v Valuev but was it really exiting. So whose objective is it to make it a fight – the champion or the challenger? There are two ways of looking at it – that the champion has the responsibility to make it an entertaining fight as he is the champion, or is it solely down to the opponent to try and beat the champion and take the fight to him. Personally I think it is down to the opponent to try and beat the champion. It is interesting because there was a lot of people whom I speak to who love boxing who say that in their eyes David Haye lost against Valuev because he failed to take the fight to him and convincingly damage the champion, instead he merely made a smash and grab choosing to avoid a fight – which in boxing you can not avoid forever which is why the fighters that come forward and look to fight are huge draws – Hatton, Pacman, Duran, Tyson and in recent times Khan and why fighting as an entity seems to have lost appeal especially in the heavyweights where Vitali and Wladimir seem content to use their skills to avoid a brawl. Some may see that as boxing and the entire objective, but I would prefer to see a good old tussle in which a champion is made rather than a champion being give the title for some nice footwork. So for me it is down to the challenger to make the fight happen and the fireworks to explode, atlease if he comes forward and gets KO'd or stopped then atleast you can say they had a go and come up short in the end - hence Hatton in his losses and that to me would earn alot more respect in the boxong world.

[bojangles1987]

It isn't a responsibility. If both fighters want to stink it up because that's how they think the will win, they can, but they better not expect to be very popular or make much money.

[ThePunchingBag]

Both. It's a fight sport. Emphasis on fight.

No one wants to see 2 guys in a ring actively avoiding each other.

[cooper5]

Tua made almost every fight he was ever in. If the guy who made the fight always won he'd be undefeated.

[Rockin']

Exciting is all in the eye of the beholder. As a fighter, making it exciting just so the crowd gets to yell can be painfull. Boxing is part brute force but it is also....... well boxing. That being to hit dont be hit The masses love seeing somebody crumble to the canvas, it can be a pure hot of adrenaline. And whether or not your brawling the crowd will yell. Inbetween all of the bombs and big shots there is a struggle of minds going on. In fractions of a second numerous decisions are made, punches are thrown, slipping the shot and taking the side.

I agree that 2 slugs trying to box it out will be boring. But two technicians trying to find the opening and dropping that bomb is good with me.................Rockin

[Spray_resistant]

It isn't a responsibility. If both fighters want to stink it up because that's how they think the will win, they can, but they better not expect to be very popular or make much money.

Yes, this is real life not WWE where the two fighters can really be blamed for not entertaining. Sometimes styles don't work out in a way where there is excitement for most fans.