By Robert Elmore: Boxing fans are not easily forgiving sometimes and can be hard on a particular fighter for whatever reason. I’m not mad. That’s reality and I can live with it. But what baffles me is that fans have taken the term leftover or washed up and bent it all out of shape to suit their needs.

Well let me enlighten the audience for a minute and say that boxing is made up of leftover fighters. Unless the fighter is undefeated or retired undefeated then it doesn’t apply. Yes, even some our favorite fighters; Ray Robinson; Joe Louis, Tony Zale, Carmen Basillio, Henry Armstrong, Buddy Mc Girt, Donald Curry, Mike Tyson, Jack Dempsey, and many more has fought someone’s leftovers. So in essence that would make every fighter that has laced up gloves a cherry picker. They may have fought some undefeated fighters along the way, but the rest were defeated. Fighters throw this term around for one reason and that’s to market themselves or to sell a fight and nothing more. Fans throw it around to discredit.

The latest is Miguel Cotto is washed up; not the same fighter he once was; Manny Pacquiao’s leftovers. So I ask; if Miguel Cotto is washed up or a leftover; then what was the great Roberto Duran? He quit against Ray Leonard in their welter weight rematch; lost to Marvin Hagler; lost brutally to Thomas Hearns; Ray Leonard again; and then Wilfred Benitez making him 1-4 in his marquee match ups. But moreover, what does that say bout those who fought Duran? Hagler could have said “You know what? I’m not going to fight you Duran because Ray Leonard made you quit”. Hearns and Benitez could have followed suit, but they didn’t. But if one where to ask Duran which loss is the worse, he would probably say all of them. I’m just guessing here, but I say this because each fighter posed a different threat to Duran. Let’s move on with the leftovers.

Anybody remember Jerry Quarry? Smoking Joe Frazier beat him first by knockout, then he lost to Muhammad Ali twice by knockout; then again to Smoking Joe; and then to Ken Norton. So what does that make Quarry? Moreover, it makes those men that fought Quarry afterward cherry pickers. Anybody remember former heavyweight champion Pinklon Thomas? Thomas lost to Trevor Berkick first via unanimous decision; then lost by knockout to Mike Tyson; and then to Evander Holyfield immediately after by knockout. So what does that make Holyfield and Tyson? Did Holyfield say “Thomas, I’m not fighting you because you’re Tyson’s leftovers. Bring on somebody else”. No he didn’t.

Washed Up

Some fighters don’t know when to quit and some do. It’s that competitive spirit inside them that makes them want to stay in the ring past their prime. Fighters know their limits and what they can take yet it is the fans hold them up as heroes when they win and washed up when they lose or do not look like their normal selves.

Oscar De La Hoya wasn’t old when he fought Floyd Sinclair according to many boxing “experts” and fans. De La Hoya’s jab and body punches were suppose to nullify Sinclair’s attack. The same was said about Shane Mosley’s and how his aggressiveness, strength, speed, and size were the keys to winning the fight. But Floyd put on boxing clinic in both bouts. All of sudden, they became old afterward.

Both Shane and De La Hoya both took on Manny Pacquiao afterward and those fights were greeted with open arms to the public. If Shane and Oscar were old when they fought Sinclair, then they were walking caskets when they fought Pacquiao. When Mike Tyson took on Lennox Lewis, Tyson openly admitted he was just fighting for the money. His will to fight was long gone. Tyson’s skills, in my opinion, began to diminish when Kevin Rooney left his corner. Lennox seemed content fighting this version of Tyson. However, I won’t give Lennox that much credit for this fight. Tyson signed the contract, and Lennox did what he was supposed to do.

My intention is not to disrespect any of these great fighters, but to show the double standard in boxing. People are quick to down talk one era in order to uplift another. It’s human nature. But I say if we as fans are going to pick on a certain fighter then let’s talk about everybody. Each era had its share of cherry pickers, by passed high risk low reward matches, fighters who was looking for the big name and the pay day and it continues on today. Muhammed Ali broke down the money barrier in boxing, which Sugar Ray Robinson took full advantage of (watch Bright Lights, Dark Shadows of a Champion) and you might be surprised.

Courage and heart propel a fighter into the ring, but those alone won’t get the job done. I’ve seen fighters with those qualities and get beat up and/or knocked out. A fighter can have speed, strength, and size, but they mean nothing, if they have no skill behind them. Skills pays the bills. Floyd Sinclair, Juan Manuel Marquez, and Bernard Hopkins are proving this. I’m pretty sure, their bodies will tell them when it’s officially time to go