Quote Originally Posted by Beanflicker View Post
In the end, it is a business and it's a hard way to make a living.

Fans "respect" guys who go out and make exciting fights and take risks, but you can't eat or drink respect, and respect doesn't put a roof over you and your family's heads.

It's the fighter's responsibility to make enough money to carry them into retirement, and also make sure they don't take too much punishment, so they can enjoy a good quality of life after they retire.

All of that is well and good. But in a sport that already seen a lot of fan interest erode, it is the "exciting fights" that help grow the sport.... which generates more money for the fighters..... which helps put a roof over their heads and plan retirement. If you add together the promoter spats, the ducking that occurs (both blatant and not-so-blatant), and all the other reasons why big fights don't materialize..... you have a lot of un-made big fights.

No one wants to see athletes get hurt to the point it affects their health or their quality of life. But the very nature of boxing is what it is. Two grown men whaling away at each other with not very nice intentions. We all enjoy the good knockout, or the "Gatti-Ward" fights.... but then we go totally the other way and decry the violence of it all. It's all a bit schizo, really.

Rather than excuse the lack of big, exciting fights and fighters ducking each other, we should concentrate on making the sport safer. Better equipment, better medical oversight at matches, better screening to allow fighters to climb back into a ring, more competent refs, etc., etc.