The new "no mas" = no big deal?

[NiGe2011]

When Duran quit against Sugar Ray the boxing world was ready to implode upon itself with shock. Everybody was so suprised that a warrior like that would just quit the fight. But in this past year or so of boxing we have seen many warriors do just that. This weekend Mike Tyson was the high profile case of a gladiator refusing to go out on his shield, but he was not even the only case. Against Cotto on HBO we saw Mohamad Abdullaev wave to the ref to stop the action, granted his eye was in rough shape, but it was he who initiated the stop to the action. This is only about a week after pound for pound idol Kostya Tszyu refused to come out of his corner for the final round against Ricky Hatton. And back in august we had the trend starter as Acelino Freitas called a stop to the action after hitting the canvas three times against Diego Corrales. The question which begs to be asked is whether or not this habit of giving up in a fight is something that is going to become common place in the sport. Do fighters of this generation really just not view it as being the crime that fighters of the last did? As Mike Tyson was uttering an apology to his fans he also slipped in that he really "did not care" about the fact that he may of not put on that good a show by quitting. And as selfish as that may sound, perhaps it is actually fair. Is it not the fans who are behaving selfishly when they ask a fighter who knows he just does not have it on that night to stay in there until he has to be carried out rather then walk out of the ring? Do the fighters ultimately have the justification to choose when they want to fight and when they don't? Or do they owe it to the fans to fight until they can't fight anymore? Is it a travesty of the sport to quit, or today is it just no big deal? Sound off...

[dogtown123]

Its really not for all the fights that go on were somebody doesnt quit it really makes up for the ones were they do. I bet many people have stayed down for 10 counts were they just wanted to quit. By staying down noone says anything about them being quitters yet they quit the same as someone quitting after the round. Id rather see a fighter have an illustrious career with a quit thrown in than to have a fighter get seriously injured or die just because he didnt want to cloud his name by quitting. It is solely up to the fighter and as long as there isnt a seperate stat for quits than its just a knockout really not a big deal its part of the sport now and it always will be.

[TONYCASH]

yeah man it sucks pretty much specialy if the one who quits is your favorite. now, the cuestion is: where the warriors heart at?

[Truth]

No big deal, didn't Tyszu just quit last week?

[dogtown123]

What if frankie campbell had quit against max baer we would look at himas a disgrace for quitting but instead he got killed. When is it worth quitting when its risking your life or risking your image.

[Manny_P]

quiting is OK, if yer old, and the fight is yer last fight and you got no chance to win and will get big pay day. At least to Tszyu and Tyson.

[dogtown123]

which klitschko u like manny p

[Manny_P]

which klitschko u like manny p

Vitali. I dont think any of the belt holders out there will beat him. I don't think any styles of top contenders will also bother him becuz of his size and how he uses it!

[dogtown123]

yea i like klitschko too i wanna see him beat byrds ass i hate that guy he lost to jameel mccline

[cupcrazy01]

This is definitely a controversial subject, and no clear answer. Duran's reputation as a warrior combined with the mega fight stage provided the shock value in his quitting. Tszyu had a reputation as a warrior, and many were shocked he quit not only due to that rep, but also because he only had one round left. Tyson quitting is by far the least shocking and least significant. He basically quit vs. Williams last year already and if you paid for that fight, you got what you paid for with Mike Tyson.

Freitas quiting vs. Corrales was much more shocking than Tyson but less than Tszyu. However, he was winning that fight until the knockdowns and at the first sign of trouble, he bailed. Alot of people equate that to Tyson, but Tyson didn't quit vs. Douglas, Holyfield in the first fight, or Lewis. Not only is it case-by-case for each fighter, but also as a subcategory, fight-by-fight for those fighters, Tyson being the epitome of this.

Adbullaev quiting is a different story, he could not see and I don't blame him at all for not wanting to get KTFO with one eye when he has at least a half a career left.

Of course the fighter has the right to quit, anyone in a free country has the right to quit their jobs, when you quit an office job you are letting down your employer; when you quit as a fighter during a fight you are letting down your fans. But it is your life and your body and your health, how can you argue with that? Legacy in the sport, that's one thing, but being able to live a life without brain damage or other impairment is quite another.

No one on these boards had to go out and fight 3 minutes with Hatton after fighting your heart out for 33 minutes in a hostile environment. No one here had to fight Danny Williams with a blown-out knee. No one here had to fight a ferocious young light welterweight prospect with one eye. No one except those fighters. If they choose not to, why damn them? Let he who hasn't sinned cast the first stone. I agree that we can all be shocked and disappointed, but you cannot rip a man for quitting unless you can argue that there was no danger had he continued.

It's a case-by-case basis, IMO. Tyson quitting was the worst, by far, of these recent incidents. He was just tired and didn't want it anymore. Well damn, alot of people paid to see it, don't take their money and quit!

Tszyu was physically and mentally drained, and hurting a hell of a lot more than Tyson, and knew he couldn't get a decision in Manchester, and knew Hatton was walking through his right hand. The fans there actually loved that he quit, obviously. Had Hatton quit on his stool there he would have been destroyed by debris thrown by the fans. But that is an abberation. No one WANTED Tszyu to quit.

Abdullaev knew he couldn't beat Cotto with one eye, who could possibly do that?

Klitschko quitting vs. Byrd was bad, but with only one arm against an elite fighter, that isn't an easy decision to make. I dislike Vitali but I don't damn him forever as a quitter.

There is the argument for making the corner "save" the fighter by quitting for him, but the fighter will always have the last say.

Sorry this was so long. Hope SOMEONE read it.