When did a loss signal the end of a career?

By sean david - 05/01/2013 - Comments

By Sean David: There seems to be a popular school of thought these days that a loss, not even a hard loss can is the end of a fighters career. I would love to know where this train of thought came from. Sadly the time I see these types of comments come up is in the childish tit for tat between the Floyd Mayweather Jr. and many fans.

Constant accusations of cherry picking beat fighters – “Manny only fought Hatton after Mayweather beat him.” So did that mean Hatton was shot because he had suffered his first loss? Of course it didn’t. Yes, with hindsight Hatton was no longer the brutal aggressor of old but shot not quite. I believe Hatton’s career ended through his own doing. The guilt he placed upon himself led him down a very self destructive path and his lifestyle outside the ring and his in ring style did not make for a extended career. Add to that beating himself up for so long over the 2 on his record (at the time) he became a shadow of his former self. In reality losing to the two best fighters of the generation is nothing to feel shame for. For a time Hatton was regarded as one of a few fighters who fit the 3rd spot behind Pacman and Mayweather.

I do not understand how a fighter is done after a loss even two or 3 losses. It is not about the loss; it is about the fighter. Some single losses do end careers but most don’t, yet time and time again a fighter is written off by fans (I use the term loosely). Some of the greatest fighters, the most exciting fighters have losses on their record – Ali, Foreman, Frazier, Lewis, Hopkins, Gatti, Duran, Hearns, Hagler and many many more. Some fighters do retire after a loss but that is sometimes just the right time. We once had a time when the best fought the best one would win one would lose but more often than not the loser would be back sometimes better than before. These days it is far too popular to turn on a fighter after a loss.

Whatever fan boys say the Mayweather and Pacman fight should of been made when both were at their peak, and both fighters and camps are equally to blame for it never happening. If Mayweather loses on Saturday night to Robert Guerrero is he finished? Probably not. He is no longer the fighter he was but he is far too proud to let it end him. Is Manny finished after his last two losses? No. Yes, it was a hell of a knockout against Juan Manuel Marquez that dropped him and it does take time to recover mentally, but that punch would of knocked out a horse and it’s jockey. Manny was his own worst enemy and paid the price. If Mayweather was on the end of a punch like that would he get up? I doubt it. A loss does not always mean the end. If we are coming to the end of the reign of Pacman and money Mayweather, I believe age is the defining factor and how much they have invested of themselves into the sport. Just remember that a loss does not mean a fighter is done and dusted. There can be many reasons a fighter loses such as over training, under training, being unlucky, outclassed, a perfect punch on the chin, taking an opponent too lightly and sometimes its just a plain bad day at the office. We all have them. Why can’t a fighter. As fans of this the most brutal of sports, we should be behind our favourites but we should also maybe just maybe be a little less dismissive as the loss is entirely dependent on the fighter and the fight to win is usually the last thing to be defeated. If Usain Bolt came second in his next race, you wouldn’t say he couldn’t run would you?



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