Is it OK to quit during a fight?

[LuKahnLi]

quitting maybe bad for a fighter's reputation, but sometimes it's the smart thing to do.

I am not denying that.
A corner throwing in the towel SAVES a fighter's reputation, and gets him out of the fight. THIS is SMARTER.

[JaNnO]

I am not denying that.
A corner throwing in the towel SAVES a fighter's reputation, and gets him out of the fight. THIS is SMARTER.

i meant the same thing in boxing whether it's the fighter or his team that quits.

[Kimmy]

I think there are two reasons for quiting:

1. There is injury, where you are enduring endless amounts of pain and the injury could end your career if it worsened by continued action. This i think applied to Vitali Klitscko in the Byrd fight with his shoulder injury.

2. There is the 'i`m not gonna win this fight' syndrome where a fighter realizes that it is pointless continuing because they are being outclassed. In hindsight we can this unexceptable and unbrave however there is a subplot. In big fights some fighters put up to 10 weeks of intense training. Imagine how disheartining it must be to put your heart and soul into preparation then realize half way through the fight that your not having any effect. Remember also that boxing is very much a mental aspect and losing the conifidence in your ability to compete on the same level as your opponent can take everything out of you. You feel the punches more so, you lack the spark to fire back at the opponent. This itself can be as hindering as an injury. However, some can point at boxers like Evander Holyfield who despite on occassion was clearly losing a battle never threw the towel in because they thought that as long as the match continued they had a chance of victory.
I think the fact that the money today in boxing is so much win or lose the option to continue becomes more apealing, your still being paid. An example is Juilo Caser Chavez. In the De La Hoya fight Chavez gave it a go, when he realized he wasn`t gonna win he quit. He also knew that win or lose he retained his number one ranking with the WBC at light welterweight ( the Chavez Vs Oscar rematch was for the WBC welterweight title ). He knew he had a few more paydays and could lose the fight and not worry about it effecting his next check. Smart business? Yes! Never say die warrior? NO!

[ispayder]

Correct, live today to fight tomorrow! Or, why don't they devise something to protect the fighters dignity and save him humillation, like the fighter giving secret signal to his handlers to throw in the towel then pretend he still want to fight!He he he.

[Kimmy]

I think that probably has been done. We don`t know of it of course but i bet it has happend.

[LuKahnLi]

i meant the same thing in boxing whether it's the fighter or his team that quits.

I don't believe so. The fighter could always say "it wasn't my idea" when the corner does it. This is the most politically saavy thing to do.

[obaioghill]

I do think it is fine to quite in really dire straites - but who are the boxers we really respect? If Ali would have quite versus Norton would we have thought as much of him? Broken jaw seems lagit excuse - rounds and rounds of rope-a-dope taking a beating - but the fact he went on endured him more. It was this tough guy way though that led to his parkinsons. What a price.

[jack_the_rippuh]

Trinidad's daddy made Tito quit against Hopkins...
I loved that fight..It showed the talent of Bernard Hopkins..

[Ranger2408]

Helps too that you hate tito.

[paulmmv]

it shows terrible heart when a boxer quits a fight and could ruin that boxers career