Why Are Fighters Scared So Much Of Losing There Unbeaten Records

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Originally Posted by Drago

i had a flick thru a MMA magazine & there was an article saying that boxers in general are scared to death of losing there unbeaten records & this ruins the sport, i believe this is true & as far as i can remember there has been an obsession with being unbeaten! most of the best of all time have been beaten on numerous occasions!

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Because it creates an aura of invincibility and it lines your pocket.

As an event it's easier to sell from a promoters point of view because it's perceived that the casual fan will hang on to success...in this case: the undefeated fighter. It's the casual fan that makes the promoter the lion share of his money.

To be fair even the 'hardcores' make such a big deal out of a fighter losing one fight. I never understood why....it's boxing, fists are flying about, anything can happen. One simple mistake can lead to a KO.

I believe the sportscasters have made it such a big deal. It pisses me off to hear Merchant ask "where do you go from here?" in an interview when a guy loses a close fight. Merchant and Lampley are the worst at acting as if the world collapses when a fighter loses.

I also think that a lot depends on a fighters personality, his ability to absorb punishment and how much involvement a fighters team has in matching his fights.

When it is clear that a fighter has the potential to become a champion, care can be put into the his development. More often than not fighters with great potential get matched too soon with more mature fighters early in their careers and careers are destroyed by too many blows to the head. This was not the case with Mayweather Jr as he was matured and taught to avoid taking blows. In his case, I think the pursuit of money and potential for earning money can be translated into fear. Weather or no it is actual fear can only be known by himself.

Looking at fighters like Marquez and Pacquiao, neither carry the image that they are afraid to lose a fight, thus take on the best or a fighter that earns them the most money with little regard if they will lose.

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Originally Posted by Kel

All the best fighters lose because they fight the best available opposition. An undefeated record does not mean too much unless you have eliminated all the top opposition available.

I do love to see two undefeated guys go at it though, it's more marketable for a start and it makes it more exiting.

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Then I guess it would be safe to say that's why Mayweather isn't the best? Because he did'nt exactly go out fighting all the best or let's say he left some doubts.

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Originally Posted by Danny_G

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Originally Posted by Drago

i had a flick thru a MMA magazine & there was an article saying that boxers in general are scared to death of losing there unbeaten records & this ruins the sport, i believe this is true & as far as i can remember there has been an obsession with being unbeaten! most of the best of all time have been beaten on numerous occasions!

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Being undefeated gives a certain thrill to the any sport but boxing has to be the worst. Speaking of MMA, I am still waiting for someone to beat Anderson Silva or at least give him a good fight. Silva has been owning people in several divisions a la Paul Williams ;D

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akiyama is going to put an end to anderson silva ;)

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Originally Posted by Drago

i had a flick thru a MMA magazine & there was an article saying that boxers in general are scared to death of losing there unbeaten records & this ruins the sport, i believe this is true & as far as i can remember there has been an obsession with being unbeaten! most of the best of all time have been beaten on numerous occasions!

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You cant just say you had a flick through an mma magazine. Thats like having a "flick" thru a male pornography magazine and just apssing it off as casual interest ;D

I think it's cause people are fickle, especially in a sport where a lot of the time they have to drop $50 to see a fight.

I think the importance depends on the type of fighter. If a fighter is a straight boxer/technician without power than the 0 holds some importance because it gives them something big to lose.

Other fighters, it doesnt matter how many losses they have. I don't think hattons loss to PBF effected his standing among his fans. Oscar's losses never hurt him. Cotto's loss hasnt effected his standing. It also depends how you lose and what effort you give. If Floyd jr. ever lost than it'd likely be bye bye for fan interest.

Easy answer to this question.. it's all about marketability.. How cool is it to say no one has beaten you? watching an undefeated fighter fight, there is always the chance that THIS IS THE TIME the fighter will get their first loss.