Something that shortens fighters career that nobody talks about....

[Pin Galarga]

You right. But **** if you get your azz handed to you in sparring we wouldn't know until after the fight. People would think they are just saying they had a bad camp to throw the opposition off.

I see your point, but Sparring should be healthy for a boxer if you hire the right people. When a boxer agrees to help get some one ready for a fight they know they are not there to "test" the fighter unless He's asked to do so.
A sparring man knows He's there to do a job and the job is not to beat up the fighter they are helping to train.

If they don't know that, then they usually get fired.

[ferocity]

Sparring is definetly needed and it is like a real fight at times, but difference is you hold back as soon as you see you really hurt your opponet. Im sure we've seen many top fighters get handed in sparring yet look good in a contested match. Only fighter i know of that stopped sparring is Danny Romero, from New Mexico. He was a baddass, i think his dad also his trainer worried about long term health risk and so Romero didn't sparr no mor, hbo did a small piece before one of Romeros fights. Some boxers just dont' know how to sparr, but you are supposed to go tough in sparring just know how to do it and when to back off your sparring partner.