Comments Thread For: My Fighter of The Year For 2013

[BIGPOPPAPUMP]

By Thomas Gerbasi - 2013 was a great year for boxing, one with memorable fights, stirring performances, and efforts that could have earned any of a number of boxers a Fighter of the Year nod. But this isn’t about Floyd Mayweather, Timothy Bradley, Danny Garcia, Gennady Golovkin, Adonis Stevenson, or Sergey Kovalev.

No, my Fighter of the Year didn’t even step through the ropes once in 2013. Yet last year, Gary Stark Jr. did the toughest thing a boxer can do. He didn’t go 12 hard rounds with an opponent intent on separating his head from his shoulders; he didn’t rise from the canvas to win a championship fight in the final round or move up in weight to take on the sport’s latest hot prospect.

Instead, he walked away. At 33, about to start a comeback, he decided that his time in the sport as an active fighter was done. [Click Here To Read More]

[HebrewHammer]

What a great read. Wow. Agree 100%

[LoadedWraps]

Good article, I agree with the decision.

[sugarsmosley]

refreshing article to see here thanks much.... great read.

[AgainstTheRopes]

I have so much respect for boxers. It pisses me off when people have the nerve to call them cowards. Total lack of respect for the sport.

[HardSciFi]

I don't think it was a bad article, but I disagree with it in general.

What I would call fighter of the year material is if one of these fighters with a history of brain injuries decides to call it quits. We see too many of those guys keep fighting, and unfortunately one of them died this year.

While I think the fighter in this article is a good story, being 33 years old and not a top fighter, hanging it up to maximize the amount of years you have left with your family... I don't think it's fighter of the year material as a life piece. Good story, but just a tad bit blown up for my tastes.

[edgarg]

I don't think it was a bad article, but I disagree with it in general.

What I would call fighter of the year material is if one of these fighters with a history of brain injuries decides to call it quits. We see too many of those guys keep fighting, and unfortunately one of them died this year.

While I think the fighter in this article is a good story, being 33 years old and not a top fighter, hanging it up to maximize the amount of years you have left with your family... I don't think it's fighter of the year material as a life piece. Good story, but just a tad bit blown up for my tastes.

I don't think there are "fighters with a history of brain injuries" nowadays. Just one brain injury is all it takes. Except "Rocky".

[JosephVelder]

I think Brandon Rios is the next brain injury victim. I swear there is something not right with him already, his mental aptitude seems that of a jr high school kid.
someone needs to seriously tell him it's time to stop taking head shots before he ends up in a coma or worse.

[MindBat]

Trainers should start implementing more upper body defense for fighters prone to be face first, crowd pleasing, brawlers.

It may not prevent KO's but will certainly reduce the chances of fighters getting caught too often and suffering the consequences later.

After all, are the blood and knockout thirsty fans going to pay their medical bills until they recover?

[Rockin']

Finely written article and the gesture is noble and insightful. But the fighter of the year award should go to the fighter who has thrived in whatever way, not walked away from the sport.

As an ex-fighter, I would feel offended and rather upset with a leading boxing web site if I had put in that year of intense work, that is the sport, only to be dismissed for a guy who hadn't even fought a round in 2013 and who had furthermore walked away the year before.

Being an ex I also completely understand walking away. I did it much earlier in my 'career' but we did it for the same reason. I saw and knew just as he saw and knew what this sport can do to you. True, walking away is hard but it can not be compared to the daily grind and war fare; mind, body and spirit, that is professional boxing.

Again, nice read with stolid reasoning to back it all up. But this award should be given in honor of accomplishments in the ring not the walking away from it.

If self preservation wins boxings fighter of the year award than I may have been the fighter of the year for 1992. I had alot of potential, already fighting at the Palace on Tv and such with Jackie Kallen looking after me. I had it all lined up and was ready to blast off. A string of events occured and even with the obvious potential and talent I walked away with self preservation being the main reason.

Just sayin'................... Rockin'