They say your first defence is your hardest

[0james0]

Is it?

Hear comentators saying it all the time, yet I watch quite a lot of boxing and don't remember a tough first defence!

They said it for Haye, Hatton, Khan amongst others I have seen very recently and they all blew out an opponent.

[El Kabong]

I doubt it, look at some other first title defenses....I guess if you're Hasim Rahaman its true

[ElTerribleMorales]

well the same could be said for Jermain Taylor

[El Kabong]

You think Hopkins was more difficult than Pavlik at that stage of JT's career?

Ali surely doesn't qualify for this, neither does Larry Holmes

[0james0]

I was racking my brains trying to think of tough first defences, but I guess you have to go back further than my memmory works. Back the the old days when titles really meant something and you had less choice over who you fought.

[El Kabong]

Can't be true for Welterweights can it? Isn't there a curse surrounding unified champs in that division? They can't make more than 2 title defenses before losing? The names that pop out to me in that instance: De la Hoya, Mosley, Forrest, Mayorga, Spinks


Perhaps they mean "Your first EVER title defense is the hardest" I can kind of see that being the case as if you just achieved your goal of winning a world title you may get complacent or preoccupied with fame and fortune and forget to train hard etc.

[jdonaher1]

Are "they" also the ones who says a fighter becomes 10% better after he wins a title??

[Master]

I think they are saying mentally you have climbed the mountain and motivation wise it is hard to find a new challenge so you are more likely to slip up if you are not ready like Bruno.

[robinswe01]

Carl Froch.