By Rod Bautista: Manny Pacquiao’s choice of Sugar Shane Mosley has sparked some heated debate regarding the validity of his choice. There is plenty of chest thumping with bloggers and fans throwing insults and rhetoric back and forth.

One term or expression I’ve heard far to often is the notion that this fighter and that fighter is “shot” or is a “punched ticket”. To me it sounds ludicrous to say that a fighter is shot after one or two fights without carefully examining his whole resume.

Now I know it will sound like I’m defending Pacquiao or rather Top Rank’s decision, but I clearly have a general statement or argument to make here. Since when does losing a boxing match all of the sudden make you damaged?

As a fight fan I can’t understand these statements. In fact when I look at ESPN’s 50 greatest boxers of all time Joe Louis has the least amount of losses at 3 of the top 10 on that very comprehensive list. Who’s your favorite of all time? Has he or did he ever lose? My all time favorite and the boxer who made me fall in love with the sweet science is The Greatest Muhammad Ali and at #2 all time he lost 5 times. Now if you take away Holmes and Berbick, Ali avenged each of his losses. Am I supposed to believe that after those brutal 15 round decision losses, where Ali took massive head shots and brutal beatings (especially Frazier 1) that he would have been considered damaged today?

Sugar Ray Robinson would have been considered “shot” after losing to Jake La Motta, because he was knocked down and then out pointed the rest of the way. He didn’t lose for almost 8 years after that. He went on to lose 18 more times, but when you look at who he fought and how he fought and actually watch those fights there is no doubt that he is the greatest of all time. Think of it Robinson fought La Motta 5 more times for a total of six fights. What would people think of that today?

The list goes on and on and as you go down the list of top 50 there are ultimately only two boxers who are undefeated the great Rocky Marciano and Floyd Mayweather Jr. (We’ll get to the difference between those two in the near future.) What makes a fighter or champion great is how they bounce back and rise from their defeats. How iconic was Sugar Ray Leonard’s “No Mas” defeat of Roberto “Hands of Stone” Duran in their rematch. The fact that all of you know what “No Mas” means answers that question. How about Lennox Lewis avenging both of his knock out losses. Why was the fight in Manila a Thrilla?I could go on and on, but a true champion isn’t simply undefeated, but battle tested and resilient. Where do you think the term “get up off the mat” comes from? MMA? Gymnastics?

Calling a fighter “shot” or “damaged” is just plain ignorant and has no place in boxing. Boxing of all sports traditionally has given it’s champions a shot at redemption or vindication. It’s what has made this sport I love so great and makes it’s true champions Iconic, and heroic. There has been too much importance put on the “0” mostly because we constantly hear on YouTube or the famous Brian Kenny interview, but before Floyd Mayweather Jr. there was only truly one undisputed, undefeated champion. Are we to believe that Floyd is the only all time great we’ve seen since? Sugar Ray Robinson put his “0” on the line and he lost it. What makes him great is he not only avenged that loss, but he took on all comers and wasn’t afraid to lose. That my fellow boxing fans is what makes a fighter great, and that is what will stand the test of time.

Remember those all time greats fought when championship fights were 15 rounds and there wasn’t a 3 knock down rule, and so on and so forth. When you had a brutal 15 round fight people wanted to see what you were gonna show in the rematch or your next match. Today when you lose it seems fashionable to say you’re done and somehow your skills are diminished? Does that happen in Football? Basketball? Heck does that happen in MMA? If you’re a true fan of the sport and have been around for more than say 10 years then you know what I’m saying.

Listen I’m not taking anything away from an undefeated Floyd Mayweather, but honestly folks lay off of the “damaged” or “shot” comments, because it really shows how much you are not in tune with the sport of Boxing. Let the boxers do the talking with their fists and let the action inspire you to crave more, and remember these guys are not only putting their records on the line but ultimately their lives as well. Just like in life, boxers need to have the ability to overcome adversity and truly prove their mettle especially after losses. Denying them that opportunity and discrediting their worth as men and fighters is not only unwarranted, but ultimately truly ignorant.