Do boxers lie with excuses after a loss to save face (psychologically) ?

[King Arthur]

Pride probably, but I think it might be some kind of defense mechanism as well. Pro fighters need to be very confident, even bit delusional and believe that they are among the best (but still know that there is always room for improvement in training). And we all know that some fighters have losses that they mentally never recover from. So might be that kind of defense mechanism as well, I have heard so ridiculous excuses in sports that sometimes I think they actually believe that stuff themselves rather than straight up lie knowingly

I know what you mean prime example being broner after the maidana loss he's not regained form but has got more delusional same with Khan. And in a subtle way even though he was more reserved in the build up haye against bellew 2 after the previous loss he was assured he would win. I wish he did to be fair.

[KillaCamNZ]

All options on the table. Fighters lie, just like people lie.

There are also delusions. These guys, even those who are beaten in the ring, are the elite of the elite in their respective field. They're at the top of a pile of people who could only dream of fighting in big fights. To be that good, that dedicated in your training, and have so many eyes fixated on you and your performance, it would be bloody difficult to admit and accept that you've fallen short. Some people may simply not be able to comprehend the possibility that they failed.

[McNulty]

Where do I start in recent memory, Manny's shoulder against Floyd, wrong socks. Etc Kell saying against both ggg and spence that if his eye was fine he'd of won both fights.

All of Hayes recent losses no explanations needed lol. Jeff horn recently with blistergate. Degale against truax 1 Degale b1tching afterwards. Eubank Jr delusional after Groves schooled him even Sr set him straight after the fight.

Lemeuix has built in excuses after every single loss. Lara recently against hurd believing he'd won the fight. There's more but I can't think of any at this time I'm tired.

Manny's shoulder/sox/etc was bullshít.
Kell is full of shít.
Haye, bullshít 24/7/365.4.
Horn, haven't read about the blister, if true --- bullshít.
Degale/Eubank/Lemeuix, no idea.
Lara, that was a close fight. Legit.

One fighter I thought should have said something was SSM vs Cotto. I thought at the time Shane clearly won a close fight. He wouldn't complain though and that bothered me. I understand it, but don't agree.

Some guys are gracious in defeat no matter what, some guys (Haye) have every excuse in the book and some guys that complain are just trying to keep their stock as high as possible in defeat (damage control). Boxing is a rough game, you got to kep your name in lights or they'll go out.

[HURTFEELINGS]

actual boxers or boxers fans, cause they run with those same excuses

[HURTFEELINGS]

Manny's shoulder/sox/etc was bullshít.
Kell is full of shít.
Haye, bullshít 24/7/365.4.
Horn, haven't read about the blister, if true --- bullshít.
Degale/Eubank/Lemeuix, no idea.
Lara, that was a close fight. Legit.

One fighter I thought should have said something was SSM vs Cotto. I thought at the time Shane clearly won a close fight. He wouldn't complain though and that bothered me. I understand it, but don't agree.

Some guys are gracious in defeat no matter what, some guys (Haye) have every excuse in the book and some guys that complain are just trying to keep their stock as high as possible in defeat (damage control). Boxing is a rough game, you got to kep your name in lights or they'll go out.

I thought at the time Shane clearly won a close fight.

[_Rexy_]

100% they aren't lying to their fans as much as they are lying to themselves.

I twisted my knee and lost an Amateur fight. I used that to justify the loss, but I still lost and likely would have regardless. Dude was a tricky, hard to hit HW.

[_Rexy_]

Manny's shoulder/sox/etc was bullshít.
Kell is full of shít.
Haye, bullshít 24/7/365.4.
Horn, haven't read about the blister, if true --- bullshít.
Degale/Eubank/Lemeuix, no idea.
Lara, that was a close fight. Legit.

One fighter I thought should have said something was SSM vs Cotto. I thought at the time Shane clearly won a close fight. He wouldn't complain though and that bothered me. I understand it, but don't agree.

Some guys are gracious in defeat no matter what, some guys (Haye) have every excuse in the book and some guys that complain are just trying to keep their stock as high as possible in defeat (damage control). Boxing is a rough game, you got to kep your name in lights or they'll go out.

Cotto didn't even make excuses for losing to Margarito. Guy had cinder blocks in his gloves, and Cotto was just like "You beat me, I want revenge"

made me an instant fan/

[McNulty]

I thought at the time Shane clearly won a close fight.

Yea so? Close fights if scored properly go only one way --- to the winner. I rarely see rounds that were so close that it could have gone to the other fighter. I've seen over 10,000 fights in the 40 years I've been watching Boxing and scored thousands on an academic level. I know what I'm doing. I actually pay attention to judges and learned a lot from listening to Jerry Roth.

Cotto didn't even make excuses for losing to Margarito. Guy had cinder blocks in his gloves, and Cotto was just like "You beat me, I want revenge"

made me an instant fan/

That's actually not what he said.

The below article was from 2009 and he rematched Margarito in 2011. He wanted to sue him and wanted a lifetime ban before the rematch.

The Mosely fight where Marge got caught was from 1.2009 and the article below was from 3.2009, only 2 months later.

https://www.boxingscene.com/miguel-c...ed-life--19152

I hate to say this because Marge got caught and I really don't like the guy, but we don't know that he had loaded wraps his entire career. Just because a guy gets caught doing something, doesn't mean he did it his entire career.

That's like saying Aaron Pryor was getting the stim-bottle his entire career, which I'm pretty sure he didn't. Pryor fought the same way with the same intensity since his Am's days. I remember seeing him beat a young Hearns with that same tenacity.

I called that fight based on a chínk in Cotto's defense, which in this case was the uppercut. Who knows, maybe he did have loaded wraps but like I said before just cuz a guy gets caught doing something doesn't mean it was SOP.

Cotto wasn't a stranger to tasing canvas anyway (or getting rocked) and if those wraps imo were loaded we would have seen a much quicker stoppage. Ricardo Torres ran Cotto out of 140 and look at who he fought in his next two fights after to make sure his chin wasn't cracked: Branco and Malignaggi two super feather-fisted fighters. Smart move, but if his people were doing that, that means there was a big enough concern for that to happen.

Furthermore, he said he won 8 out of 12 rounds against Canelo and ran out of the ring with no post-fight interview. I can't remember the fight really, but I don't think thats accurate. Running out of the ring is bad sportsmanship imo. Add to that him beating up his former trainer and Uncle over money being owed and the 2 cases of alleged sexual harassment and rape, I can't say I like Cotto.

[_Rexy_]

Yea so? Close fights if scored properly go only one way --- to the winner. I rarely see rounds that were so close that it could have gone to the other fighter. I've seen over 10,000 fights in the 40 years I've been watching Boxing and scored thousands on an academic level. I know what I'm doing. I actually pay attention to judges and learned a lot from listening to Jerry Roth.



That's actually not what he said.

The below article was from 2009 and he rematched Margarito in 2011. He wanted to sue him and wanted a lifetime ban before the rematch.

The Mosely fight where Marge got caught was from 1.2009 and the article below was from 3.2009, only 2 months later.

https://www.boxingscene.com/miguel-c...ed-life--19152

I hate to say this because Marge got caught and I really don't like the guy, but we don't know that he had loaded wraps his entire career. Just because a guy gets caught doing something, doesn't mean he did it his entire career.

That's like saying Aaron Pryor was getting the stim-bottle his entire career, which I'm pretty sure he didn't. Pryor fought the same way with the same intensity since his Am's days. I remember seeing him beat a young Hearns with that same tenacity.

I called that fight based on a chínk in Cotto's defense, which in this case was the uppercut. Who knows, maybe he did have loaded wraps but like I said before just cuz a guy gets caught doing something doesn't mean it was SOP.

Cotto wasn't a stranger to tasing canvas anyway (or getting rocked) and if those wraps imo were loaded we would have seen a much quicker stoppage. Ricardo Torres ran Cotto out of 140 and look at who he fought in his next two fights after to make sure his chin wasn't cracked: Branco and Malignaggi two super feather-fisted fighters. Smart move, but if his people were doing that, that means there was a big enough concern for that to happen.

Furthermore, he said he won 8 out of 12 rounds against Canelo and ran out of the ring with no post-fight interview. I can't remember the fight really, but I don't think thats accurate. Running out of the ring is bad sportsmanship imo. Add to that him beating up his former trainer and Uncle over money being owed and the 2 cases of alleged sexual harassment and rape, I can't say I like Cotto.

don't remember the lawsuit. it was a while ago, so my memory can be foggy. I don't know if Margo cheated in other matches, but The Mosley one is obvious, and I believe he did in the Cotto one. Sure Cotto had been rocked before, but two things stand out. Cotto's face never looked like that before, and the rematch was at 154 (first fight was 147) and in the rematch Margo's punches had little affect, Cotto seemed to just eat them, but when Margo was 147 he was George Forman?

[saintpat]

100% they aren't lying to their fans as much as they are lying to themselves.

I twisted my knee and lost an Amateur fight. I used that to justify the loss, but I still lost and likely would have regardless. Dude was a tricky, hard to hit HW.

This.

I like how Sean O’Grady, former lightweight champ, once put it when he was doing commentary: “When you lose, you were never at your best; because if you were at your best, how could you lose?”

That’s how a fighter has to think. He cannot be doubting himself when he steps in the ring the next time.

And you totally would have kicked that guy’s ass if you hadn’t twisted your knee! Go find him and demand a rematch!