What's MOST DAMAGING to a fighter?

[B.U.R.N.E.R]

Wear and Tear for the win.

[And Still]

Where's the "Signing with Don King" option?

Or the modern equivalent, being the topic of "Golden Boy Promotions' big announcement"....

[Heeb]

Age:Look at Sergio Martinez, George Foreman, Vitali
Inactivity:Take a tune-up fight...your good to go.
Personal Problems:Look at Buster Douglar(mother died-beat Tyson), Devon Alexander(father died-beat his opponet), Shane Mosley(Jin left him-beat Margarito)
Weight gains-Hurt, but they don't forever ruin your career if you can get back on track
Drug Use:Edwin Valero was still great
Injury: Depends on the injury...although it isn't nesescarily a career breaker. There's a Wild Card prospect who fights with bullets still lodged in his body.

I give it to wear and tear...it's inevitable and you can't come back from it.

[broxi51]

punching yourself tyson fury style

[Chip2006uk]

Good poll, definately a tough question

Age - By age 35 Id say the majority of fighters are past peak, but that doesnt mean they cant put on a good performance

Inactivity - Can be devastating for the older fighters but no so much for younger fighters

Wear and Tear - Probably the most damaging, going through wars takes it out of you, going through wars for your entire career is bad bad ****

Personal problems - Can be pretty damaging but some fighters bounce back stronger or take out their frustration on their opponants (Berto for example)

Weight Gain - I honestly feel that by the time Hatton fought Mayweather and Pacquiao, his body was so ravaged from the constant binging that he lost something he had in his earlier career

Drug use - Pretty damaging but I dont know many fighters who have had drug problems (cept Valero RIP, but he had a whole host of other problems aswell)

Injury - Can be pretty damaging, some fighters never recover or look the same after a serious injury, other fighters recover no problem

punching yourself tyson fury style

Lol damaging to the ego definately

[And Still]

I gotta admit, I did not anticipate this type of runaway.

[geribeetus]

all it takes is 36 minutes of trading punches and you can see a change in a fighter the next time he steps in the ring. most of the rest are prolonged damage that can be reversed somewhat.

[Njord777]

That's a list full of things every fighter needs to avoid. All of those choices really contribute to the premature end, if not the eventual one, of a fighter's career.

I know men can learn to box in a way that handicaps for an injury, or fight while high on crack- in some ways this might help- I know that some guys can come back from inactivity or go through turbulent personal problems and perform in ring.

I have to say, though, I rarely see a fighter take several severe beatings and come back to a level that rivals what he was prior to those tough physical tests. I mean, I think this happened to Jermain Taylor, in great part mentally due to his losses...

I think the most interesting thing about this poll is, if correct, I think it spells the end for Miguel Cotto- who I'm hoping can get almost back to form at junior middleweight.

I mean, his beatdown from Margarito and Pacquiao are two classic examples of a fighter taking 'damage' in the form of hard, repeated punishment in those later rounds, and then the mental and physical anguish of a KO.

80% think Miguel Cotto's best days are over.

Hmm.

[Uturn]

Wear & Tear, it does take it's toll on you eventually. We have seen that throughout boxing for many fighters, after a couple of beatings they seem to lose it. Taylor/Cotto/Roy

[Flawless*]

Wear and Tear: If you have taken beatings or KO's, you are damaged