I hate the phrase "boxers risk their lives for our entertainment!"

[Deevel916]

No they do not! They do so for a paycheck. Plain and simple! Sure u have some boxers who just have a passion for the sport and want to prove themselves in the ring but even those types of fighters wouldn't be doing so if there wasn't some sort of monetary reward. If tomorrow you were to tell every pro boxer "from this point on you will fight only for bragging rights". See how many would be interested in "entertaining" us fans for free.

[oc9979]

This is so true. They fight because of money.

[SthPaw]

Money is a huge factor of it, legacy and status too a degree for a lot of guys...
The health concerns are a risky tie-in that is hand in hand with partaking in the sport, not the reason these guys do it, so I guess in a way you are right.
That being said I wouldn't personally take away from the fact that health risks are very real in this game, people have died/been permanently damaged after all.

[Freelancer]

Yeah, it's more of a balance between the two, money and status. But if you're to take away the money, well that'll leave us watching bar fights. And that's perfectly normal, high risk, high reward. If I'm training like a madman, puking my guts out and then go and get hit in the head I expect to get paid handsomely.

I certainly don't agree with turning boxers into victims. It's a choice they made. Still, the vast majority of pro's can't really live off their boxing income.

[DeadLikeMe]

I agree. They know what they're getting into. Same as calling people in the military heroes even if all they did was shovel snow in Buffalo, NY.

[PainfromUkraine]

You get money just for turning up, clearly there is the element within the fighter that makes the fighter, you want to win for yourself, for your fans/loved ones, and most won't quit for this reason...even if they are in risk of serious or permanent injury. This all includes entertaining the fans too. The more fans you have, generally the more money you make...so of course you want to entertain. Clearly, a motivation of prize fighting in itself is money. But you can't discount most fighters' souls either.

[The Problem Child]

I agree with your sentiments on this statement, it irks me too. They do it for a paycheck and for the fame, which are both personal reasons for their own benefit. If there wasn't money involved they wouldn't take punishment to entertain a bunch of screaming psychos.

[jqSide]

I'll equate it with men and women in the military. They're always hailed as heroes. In reality, most of them can't find regular jobs. They're heroes to me if they're doing it for free.

[FrankieClutch]

I kind of agree, but they have to make a living. You can't expect someone to dedicate so much time to a craft (that CAN get them killed) and not make money.

[Twako]

sure they'r doing for it the money. but there's a high risk involved, compared to other sports or professions. it's not that they're playing chess here.