Soft touch

[krazyn8tive]

Just wanted to know what the overall opinion of posters here when it comes to a fighter, accomplished and popular, concerning "soft touch" fights. I've seen several posters here commenting on fighters "deserving" a soft touch after a tough bout as well as those coming out against. Vote and discuss.

[Tony Trick-Pony]

When a fighter has just had a grueling fight and they fight a soft touch fight within a given time frame for the purposes of staying busy and sharp, that I can see. When a fighter is coming back from years of inactivity, that I can see. However, when a soft touch fight is thrown to us as a PPV, that is insulting. I would say those fights are okay as long as they are low key. After all, Apollo Creed looked at Rocky as a soft touch fight since his other opponent fell out which is what you have to do sometimes. I know that was fictional, but it happens in real life as well. Plus this is how upsets happen which is what makes boxing unique to other sports. One punch can turn it all around. Without soft touch fights, Douglas would have never beaten Tyson and lots of other great upsets would not have went down as well. So I say let them pick the soft touches, because there is always an element of potential surprise there.

[Raonic]

Coming off an injury or loss or a tune up for a bigger fight after retirement/long layoff, sure.

Some fights will end up looking like a soft touch fight even though that's not the intention (Manny-Algieri) but if it's the Mayweather-Berto non-sense we saw, that's just terrible.

[krazyn8tive]

I can understand the point about a long layoff. But what if they're considered elite? Do elite fighters need or deserve that? Lets take Ward for example.

[Scott9945]

I can understand the point about a long layoff. But what if they're considered elite? Do elite fighters need or deserve that? Lets take Ward for example.

If Ward fought often then it would be ok. But that is hardly the case, so no.

[Sweet Pea 50]

With Ward, I'd be happy with a top 10ish guy at LHW in is next fight.

If he fights a complete no hoper at another catch weight, I'll be on here shitting on the pick along with the next guy.

But let's be clear here. You can point at just about any ATG's resume, and find a "soft touch" here and there.

Hell, you got guys that are being slobbed over on this site whose entire careers are one soft touch.

But...

[Tony Trick-Pony]

I will say that three guys come to mind with very few soft touches on their ledgers- Joe Frazier, Kostya Tszyu and Oscar De La Hoya. All three fought everybody from their eras.

[HitBattousai]

It's ok for an elite fighter to fight a soft touch if that fighter is active, has a high level of competition otherwise, and will clearly go on after said soft touch to make a good fight. So Floyd fighting Berto is bad and Ward fighting a blown up Paul Smith is bad, etc.

[Sugar Adam Ali]

Yeah, but as long as you are also fighting top level guys..

Chavez sr stayed active and fought a lot of soft touches but it was inbetween big fights, which chavez always had at least one or 2 every year..

And sometimes when your a champ, you will get some #1 contenders that may have earned the fight but aren't that good.

[_original_]

It wouldn't really be an issue if guys were going on a tear, fighting high level competition or at least top 10 divisional contenders, then they'd get a soft touch/showcase fight. Say like a guy fought 3-4 legit fights consecutively then had a gimmie bout. However, it's not the case right now as a lot of guys aren't even active on a yearly basis and it seems that every other fight is a soft touch.