Too much emphasis on the knockout/excitement?

I'm just wondering if anyone else feels that a lot of boxing fans put too much value and emphasis on the knockout, and if great fighters are being underrated or overlooked because they don't have that natural knockout power, or because their style doesn't lend itself well to exciting slugfests? I remember after the Mayweather/Bladomir and Pacquiao/Morales 3 fights, Larry Merchant mentioned that he felt that Manny P was the #1 P4P in the world because he was more concerned about "closing the show" than Floyd and was generally more exciting. I'm thinking "Damn, I know Baldomir/Mayweather wasn't exactly Gatti/Ward, but goddamn, Baldomir was the champ and Floyd won every round on 2 of the judge's scorecards."

Carlos was also physically much bigger and stronger than Floyd, so is it right to shit on a guy for fighting virtually a perfect fight and not taking unneccessary risks? Are we shitting on intelligent fighters who are cautious in one of the most dangerous sports in the world, in order to suit our selfish desires for some of the old "blood and guts"? What do you guys think?

Nice thread by the way.... :)


I dunno, I mean the sport itself started off as who can knock who the f*ck out.
I mean 20, 30, 40, 50 rd. fights untill one fighter wen't down.

'The Ghost with a Hammer in his hand' was knocking fighters the f*ck out....
'The Michigan Assasin' who knocked out 49 fighters out of 52 wins....
Then we had 15 rd. fights where only the best survived into those Championships rds.
Then we had 12 rd. fights and we had fighters like Mike Tyson, Larry Holmes, Foreman who were fighters that ended fights with KO's....


But all along during these time in the shadows you had fighters Willie Pep, Harry Greb, Maxie Rosebloom and more recently Ricardo Lopez, Pernell Whitakker, Azumah Nelson, Miguel Canto.

I think more then anything it's a 'self preferance' what do YOU prefer.......

Thats why in lists of underated fighters you normally see fighters like Sweet Pea, Lopez, Nelson. Fighters of those days that fought the toughest opposition BUT due to the heavy hitters they weren't the FAN Favorites....

Today we have fighters like Wladdy, Peter, Kessler, Valero, Marquez Bros., Cotto....
We also have our fighters like PBF, Casamayor, Ivan Calderon, Roberto Vasquez and some people even put Winky here which can be a fair call.

With PBF I think the thing is as of late hes been toooo cautious and as fans of a sport where for the most part WE like to see action and excitement seeing his last fights don't excite and that me being honest. I've seen almost all of his career and hes been in some exciting as fights belive me where hes given and taken....
But it seems that hes more content with getting in the ring and doing just enough to win. Now theres no rule in boxing that says you can't do that BUT expect the people to speak up and critize you.
You see Pep, Greb, Lopez, Pernell all were elusive fighters but they were very offensive fighters who looked to make the fight in the ring, PBF used to do that lately he hasn't, I'm willing to bet IF he had brought the fight to Zab and pressured him he would either dropped and or would have made the ref. wave off the fight but he didn't he was content with getting by the rounds. I do credit him for picking up the pace after the 1st few rounds.

About the P4P comment Larry made more then likely he was drunk and or falling asleep. ;D