When did it become alright for fighters to duck each other.

[mike1010011]

In recent years,its seems that fighters are becoming more and more creative,when it comes to excuses for not fighting another fighter that would pose a challenge. We've heard them all.

different promoters
purse splits
opponent lacks fan base
opponent isnt entertaining enough
A side/b side debate
catchweight requirements
fighter refuses to fight out of hometown
fighter prices themselves out

Now i know that this isnt new in boxing,and has been going on for years. But when did it start,who have been the biggest duckers so far,why has it become acceptable,and is there any way that this could be fixed?

[Robbie Barrett]

Multiple titles is the problem. You can have 4 different fighters promoting themselves as champion, making millions because of it and they don't want to lose that.

[Wolfie*]

I'm too young to remember this but didn't Sugar Ray Leonard duck Hagler for years until he slowed down to finally fight him?

[Robbie Barrett]

I'm too young to remember this but didn't Sugar Ray Leonard duck Hagler for years until he slowed down to finally fight him?

He ducked Hearns for years after the 1st fight and Duran after No Mas until they slowed down.

[mike1010011]

Multiple titles is the problem. You can have 4 different fighters promoting themselves as champion, making millions because of it and they don't want to lose that.

So do you think that this idea that the wbc,wba,and ibf are having,about a unified champion,with only one title per weight class,might fix the problem?

[Mr. Miyagi]

Puerto ricans were ducking and quitting before it was cool.

[CANELOLUJAH]

when this guy became the face of boxing

[Dr.Pepper]

Puerto ricans were ducking and quitting before it was cool.

I'm not Rican,but didn't Chavez sr quit?

[ThePrince]

I'm too young to remember this but didn't Sugar Ray Leonard duck Hagler for years until he slowed down to finally fight him?

Ray retired because of a detached retina for 3 years. The first fight he took in his return was against Hagler at Middleweight. No tuneups, no stories about why he couldn't fight.

Answer to the OP's question is the rise of this man AKA Witness Protection:

[goodvibes]

It became a common practice because fighters, managers and promoters realized they can make MILLIONS by building up a fighter, making him a staple name in the boxing world, and then let him fight sub-par competition all the while keeping a fighter's record intact(Undefeated) and "appealable" to casual fans whom are the majority of the people who buy PPV's.

We have all heard it before again and again, boxing is sport but it is also a business. It is unfortunate that fans do not always get the fights they would like to see, but at the end of the day a fan's opinion of a fighter is just that, an opinion.

What Al Haymon has done with his stable of fighters is very smart. He takes unknown fighters, builds their records slowly with so-so competition so the fighter has a good record(on paper). Then when the fighter is popular and known in the boxing world, he continues putting the fighter against low-level competition to keep the fighter looking strong, and capable. Once the fighter has enough stardom, he puts that fighter in as Free main events on Showtime or HBO, or co-mains of Mayweather fights. In order to attract more buyers.

A good example of these type of fighters is Amir Khan and Danny Garcia as well as Deontay Wilder. All 3 of these fighters have been called cowards, cherry-pickers, in the past. Yet all 3 remain big names in boxing.

Haymon built his fighters up using Golden Boy as a platform, then when they achieved the stardom and name-power. He pulled the plug and started his own show.