Thread: why is everyone so concerned about what a boxer does outside the ring?

Don't we tune in to see them fight, doesn't everyone have a flaw and did something there not proud of, why does it matter so much for boxers. There not role models I mean they fight for a living, let's give it a break and respect skills not words or actions outside the ring.

Trying to get to know the person beter, if he act like a douche he'll lose his fans and stuff u know, its not all about what u do in the ring, it's how you act, your attitude, personality, fans. and the all access shows before the fights doesn't count ...

That’s another pet peeve of mine with boxing. Although this is the era of primadonnas, the wide majority of fighters still get in or get guided in order to "get out of the life". Many times, its the only way out. I suppose its to be expected in this over connected instantaneous world but it ought to be taken with a grain of salt. Speaking of salt did I mention that these characters on a whole are not the salt of the earth? Ketchel, Robinson, B.Leonard, Greb, Dixon, Langford and a great deal of hall of famers would have never had careers in this market of snooping. Robinson probably shagged more women then Chamberlin.Hell even the golden 1980's would have looked differently if they had this type of spotlight constantly on them. Think of our own lives and whats around us. Even we average Joes have to almost assume these days that there is a camera on us. I just see Orwell scratching I told you so onto the top of his casket.

Of course there are limits. I just cant see how anyone could have been a fan of Monzon and Ayala.

Boxers are role models whether they like it or not. We all are so they have to act responsibly or face the consequences for their action.

I'm not so sure its exactly what a boxer does outside the ring as much as it is about how that corresponds to what he does inside the ring. I think fans want to relate to the athletes they are fans of. That's why someone like Joe Louis maintained some popularity. He served his country (in and out of the ring), took odd jobs growing up, didn't act like a pompous @$$ and never denied his roots (though there are tales of possible infidelity and drug abuse about him). It goes without saying that a fighters private life was a lot more private way back when. SRR was said to engage in spousal abuse and then it was confirmed by his son and wife and everyone was forced to weigh his in the ring accomplishments with his out of the ring persona; all in retrospect. The concern with a boxers private life, grew as their lives became less private (especially in real time). If you're posting your business all over social media or have scorn someone and gave them reason to....well then its fair game. As a fan and a human being, you really can ignore something that's pushed upon you on a daily basis.

Even still, when Tyson admitted to punching Givens, or was charged with rape, Valero (murder), Lamotta (assault, etc), and some other fighters. I think there may be few people willing to admit they were a hundred percent shocked.... due to their in ring ferocity...

Just the same... listed anonymously..., (though most people will easily figure out who's who)... Are the average fans able to relate to:

- A spoiled son of a legend, that doesn't train, whose godfather was the head of a sanctioning body, got popped twice for using diuretics, dating a cartel big wig's daughter, and then looks like crap in the ring. A string of bad nights or protection/entitlement driven failure at its finest?

- A fighter that swore to win a fight (against a recently exposed domestic abuser opponent ) for "every battered woman" while he is guilty of the same thing on numerous occasions.

- A fighter that has a record of assaults several women that have had his children or he proposed to but then runs from blown up featherweights in the ring because its his "style". He runs marathon sparring dogfights in his gym while betting urging those engaging, to show heart and urging them to really go at it... but won't take any risk in the ring himself even after his opponents have been handicapped by his pre-fight demands.

- A fighter mixed up in bad elements known to his city, turns out sub-par performances and got blown out the last few times but wants everyone to cheer him on his comeback because hes ready now to be dedicated.

- A fighter that makes sex tapes and videos of him wiping his backside with c-notes and then gets taken to school in the ring.

I'm sure there are lots of other examples, But a fighters life outside the ring will either reinforce or provide a sharp contrast to who they are in the ring/sport. I found that in trying to relate to fighters, the fans themselves will either be highly critical or supportive of the fighters but not as many will will do both. The more polarizing the figure, the more objectivity lost in viewing them. Unfortunately that's par for the course, being that polarizing figure is easy self promotion, and flack ... but you can't be a jerk for the publicity and then the victim when the comments start flowing. I think the longtime fans of the sport generally have a lower tolerance for impostors, hypocrites, and all around BS because they want to believe the right guy won the fight for all the right reasons... because its a win for all of us when the hard working stiff like ourselves gets rewarded and the D0uchey smack talking bully gets his (if only the world was that easy) The newer fans and more casual fans have a higher tolerance for promotional and PR tactics... especially if they are switching over or still watching other sports that place more emphasis on the pageantry rather than the substance. Just my opinion of course, I could be wrong.

Good thoughts, but I can't agree that there's a strong correlation between styles or in ring performance and character outside of it, fighting for a living is such a different thing in the first place. Mayweather is crude and stupid, probably very insecure and cowardly in many ways, that's not exactly what jumped out at you in the ring though is it. Likewise I'm sure there are lots of hard nosed, workmanlike fighters who always showed great sportsmanship and humility, but also went home and beat their wife and whatever else. At the end of the day, making a living by beating people up isn't something most people gravitate towards, there is far more of a common denominator there than there is in many things. To even include drug abuse as a factor when assessing a said persons character is kind of funny to me, as if that isn't in all walks of life.

I can be a fan of the fighter without being a fan of the person. I start disliking them though if they get really annoying. Kind of like broner. I actually liked his act at the very beginning but he got annoying fast. He went way too far with it all. I also like Floyd the fighter but hate Floyd the spectator.

There are some fighters that I just like because they seem like good guys but not too many.

Originally Posted by Mrhydro

Don't we tune in to see them fight, doesn't everyone have a flaw and did something there not proud of, why does it matter so much for boxers. There not role models I mean they fight for a living, let's give it a break and respect skills not words or actions outside the ring.

You are living in dreamland if you think that will ever happen. Why do you think a boxing fan should be different from other sports fans? Some fans are cool and some are excessive morons, but I'm not judging.

I think that in relative terms, boxers have it easy when it comes to behavior outside the ring. Imagine if Floyd Mayweather was an NBA player with his history. What if Pacquiao played for the Boston Red Sox and made those anti-gay slurs?

Don't know if its so much concern as it is just talking about and highlighting well known fighters we follow daily. Its true with media and politics..the negative sells headlines in a instant notification world. More than half of these guys seek and put themselves on a teetering platform..some film themselves using twenty dollar bills as toilet paper and then get beat up in a mega fight. The negative and salacious will always be talked about.

He is just the complete fighter , yes he killed all of my family , but its what he does inside the ring that matters to me.

It's our fault putting sports men on a pedestal, we are expecting roll modles were in fact some are shit bags.
Many boxing champions have been the scum of the earth, and when they fuck up people rant and rave , were in fact the roll models you want are far removed, from the true facts some of these people do not no any better.
Remember sports men or women my exell at there sport, are we judging people by how much money they make meaning they should act like saint's.!!!

I can separate a fighters personal life/behavior with his ability. They're not roll models to me, they're just humans that are super talented at punching people in the mush for a living. Like everyone else on the planet some are nice guys, some are massive wankers.

However, it would be a bit odd for a boxing nerd to have no interest in what fighters say/do outside the ring.

Originally Posted by p4pking

Good thoughts, but I can't agree that there's a strong correlation between styles or in ring performance and character outside of it, fighting for a living is such a different thing in the first place. Mayweather is crude and stupid, probably very insecure and cowardly in many ways, that's not exactly what jumped out at you in the ring though is it. Likewise I'm sure there are lots of hard nosed, workmanlike fighters who always showed great sportsmanship and humility, but also went home and beat their wife and whatever else. At the end of the day, making a living by beating people up isn't something most people gravitate towards, there is far more of a common denominator there than there is in many things. To even include drug abuse as a factor when assessing a said persons character is kind of funny to me, as if that isn't in all walks of life.

Actually it kind of is. Don't misunderstand me, i know he's fast and has a superb defense and is cerebral. I get that, but to me that's technique. That being said... The prefight demands, take punches and shaking his head like "nope" (better to not take them), turning his back on an opponent to interject his opinion into a football conversation the ringside commentators were having, suckerpunching Ortiz (yeah i know he deserved it for the headbutt --but if youre "the best ever", do you need that?) whining like a little girl when he got your fingers bit trying to smother maidana. When you act like a knob, people will take every opportunity to assassinate your character, even if they have to go digging into your private life. The least these athletes can do is not help them out.

I agree with you there. like I mentioned with Louis.. there are probably many others, but today it seems like fighters are inviting the public into their private lives , as is the case with much of the celebrity universe. What I'm saying is the first impression fighters give the fans is in the ring. If its negative, sometimes the fans are just rooting for you to get ko'd viciously. If its positive, the fans can get behind you and even give you rounds that weren't as close as they could have been. However if its beyond that people will start looking for everything they need in order to tear you down or find redemption for you. for example....

Margarito - They found casts with mosely, then all of sudden he must have had those when he beat cotto (when you get hit by 237 power punches you're going to look like sh*t, casts or no casts). Then people were wishing death on the margarito, found out he was getting divorced, hoping his wife took everything. Wishing blindness on him.

Oscar - Pictures of him with the girls clothes on , in heels, cheating, cocaine. Its hardly even mentioned anymore.

Robert guerrero - Put his career on hold to take care of his ill wife. People got behind him. Came back and got lots of big fights and probably was given more of a chance by the fans than maybe he actually had, against thurman and Garcia.

Emmanuel agustus- People loved the fights he put up. How many people got behind in light of his personal tragedy.

Arturo Gatti- People couldn't believe he was suicidal. there had to be conspiracy theories about how he was set up (he did have dui's, domestic abuse charges, a drug problem but people overlooked those things because he was all blood and guts in the ring.

I'm sure there are more examples (paul williams, tommy morrison, tony ayala, fernando vargas, luis resto, and others) where what they gave us in the ring swayed our opinions on how we viewed what happened out of the ring and vice versa. I guess what im saying is if you give people a reason positively or negatively to pursue you , its not going to stop when you leave the ring. A person will always find whatever they're looking for even if they have to make it up. The court of public opinion is more brutal than the ringside judges.