Do a fighter's character flaws affect his in-ring greatness?

[JAB5239]

Not at all. It may effect how fans feel about them, but it has no bearing on accomplishments.

[Joe Beamish]

Character and drive are reflected in the ring to a great degree, but maybe not in the way you're thinking. Floyd is probably an a-hole, but he is ultra-committed to "hard work" and preparation. Nothing gets in the way.

What matters: constancy, cold detachment, and self-control.

Then there's Tyson. He had to be propped up by other strong personalities holding him from either side. When those guys disappeared, the soft inner core fell apart. Tyson deflated. He wasn't built to handle the crazy success and hype.

But a non-relevant hobby like womanizing is no problem for the guys who maintain their focus and dedication to fighting.

Booze and drugs like cocaine, on the other hand, will shorten a career at the very least.

[Thread Stealer]

A lot of great fighters were pretty awful people, or at the very least, did awful things.

Sugar Ray Robinson is the consensus GOAT and he beat his wife Edna Mae so badly that it may have caused her to have 5 miscarriages.

It doesn't affect their all-time rankings or anything like that.

[Tony Trick-Pony]

I don't think it matters really.

A lot of people view a fighter and like them and they are fans from here on out.

Many of them probably don't know about their flaws and even then, they overlook it and why not? We're men watching boxing, not women reading US weekly.

[Tony Trick-Pony]

A lot of great fighters were pretty awful people, or at the very least, did awful things.

Sugar Ray Robinson is the consensus GOAT and he beat his wife Edna Mae so badly that it may have caused her to have 5 miscarriages.

It doesn't affect their all-time rankings or anything like that.

Damn.

I didn't know he did all that.

I always read where he was a lousy father though.

[Hawkins]

I think that the character flaws of some fighters actually enhance their in ring greatness. I can't imagine Mike Tyson would have been as big a machine of total destruction had he not had that simmering inner rage to draw from. True, it made him a menace to society at large in a lot of ways but in the ring I believe it fed the fire.

However, to answer the question, no I don't think actions outside the ride should hamper the greatness of in ring performance and accomplishment.

[Anthony342]

If it was based on character and personality, there would be a lot fewer boxers people would be fans of and a lot fewer considered ATGs.

[young_robbed]

Outside the ring antics are just that, antics. Why should they affect what they accomplished inside the ring. Do you think Ray Robinson's domestic violence affects his incredible career? I don't care who Emile Griffith slept with. Stuff like PED use, is more problematic and should be looked at when rating ATGs. But I still love Holyfield, Toney, Roy Jones and Tyson, among others..

[joeandthebums]

Sugar Ray Robinson is the consensus GOAT and he beat his wife Edna Mae so badly that it may have caused her to have 5 miscarriages.

I don't think we can say that is a factual statement.

Edna Mae said herself she had four miscarriages and never cited the reasons. It was her son who alleged they were probably due to Robinsons abuse.

It is a shame Mae's manuscript she penned of her life as a form of therapy was never published as it would of provided considerable insight into Harlem late 30s and 40s music / sport scene and of course Robinson himself.

[Thread Stealer]

Damn.

I didn't know he did all that.

I always read where he was a lousy father though.

As stated above, it's what his son believes. Maybe it wasn't the cause but he was almost surely a bad domestic abuser.

Outside-the-ring issues aren't uncommon in boxing but it doesn't really affect the way I rate them as boxers.