Top 10 High Profile Boxing Surrenders

[Ruthless-RKO]

1. Roberto Duran vs Sugar Ray Leonard
In their infamous rematch, Duran’s air of invincibility evaporated when he turned his back and said ‘no mas’.

2. Oliver McCall vs Lennox Lewis
McCall refused to engage and began to cry before the fight was ended in the fifth. It transpired that McCall was suffering with a mental illness.

3. Andrew Golota vs Mike Tyson
After being dropped and dominated, Golota retired from the fight at the end of the second round, having suffered numerous injuries.

4. Victor Ortiz vs Marcos Maidana
In a see-saw war, Ortiz quickly found out he may have bitten off more than he could chew and admitted to quitting the fight afterward.

5. Nicholas Walters vs Vasyl Lomachenko
After seven dominant rounds from Lomachenko, Walters realised his chances of victory were minute and decided to pack it in.

6. Vitali Klitschko vs Chris Byrd
Ahead on all three cards, Klitschko had no choice but to quit on his stool due to a nasty shoulder injury.

7. Michael Gomez vs Peter McDonagh
Gomez took a series of unanswered punches in the fifth, went down, then left the ring while the referee was still counting.

8. Luis Collazo vs Keith Thurman
Having worked his way back into the fight, Collazo then elected to not continue after the seventh.

9. Dwight Muhammad Qawi vs George Foreman
Returning former champion Foreman outmuscled Qawi and forced him to quit on his feet in the seventh.

10. Lucas Matthysse vs Viktor Postol
The fearsome Matthysse was broken down and dropped in the 10th, though he elected to stay on one knee for the entire 10 count.

Feel free to add..

[Tony1244]

Grant-Golota and Bowe-Golota 1 & 2.

Ali-Liston 1 & 2.

In the Golota cases, Andrew should have won the above fights. I don't think Liston would have won either times against Ali if he had stayed in there, but he still quit.

[Ruthless-RKO]

Grant-Golota and Bowe-Golota 1 & 2.

Ali-Liston 1 & 2.

In the Golota cases, Andrew should have won the above fights. I don't think Liston would have won either times against Ali if he had stayed in there, but he still quit.

Yeh, I believe Golota was ahead on the scorecards prior to being DQ'd.

[Ossyrules]

Kosta Tsyzu vs Ricky Hatton

Kosta didn’t come out for the 11th or 12th round

Miguel Cotto vs Antonio Margarito 1

After being slowly broken down by the heavy handed plaster of Paris fists, Margarito practically chasing Cotto across the ring, cotto taking a knee and losing the fight

Charles Nartin vs Antony Joshua

After suffering his second knockdown, Martin took a knee and basically stood up on 11. At face value he was questioning that he stood up on time. It was just trying to save face for a quit

[Kalan]

Here's 10 -- not in any particular order...

Max Baer staying on one knee in the 4th round versus a peak 21-year-old Joe Louis... Baer didn't lie about it... He made no bones about quitting.

Julio Cesar Chavez staying in his corner versus De La Hoya 2 -- with his 2nds begging him to fight on in a useless effort... He knew he was beaten.

Carlos Ortiz unaccountably staying in his corner after the 6th versus Ken Buchanan... He said Buchanan was coming on and he had no chance.

Muhammad Ali's corner finally stopping the fight -- after hard stares at them from Larry Holmes during and after the previous round.

Sonny Liston suffering a badly torn left biceps -- surrenders the title to massive underdog Cassius Clay.

Marcel Cerdan giving up the World Middleweight Championship to punching bag Jake LaMotta -- after suffering a severely injured left shoulder.

Charles Martin quitting in his first World Heavyweight Championship Title Defense vs Anthony Joshua... pretending he tried to beat the count.

Vitali Klitschko forced to surrender his World Heavyweight Championship to feather hitting Chris Byrd -- because of a severed rotator cuff.

Roberto Duran suffering from stomach cramps which doctors confirmed -- giving his World Welterweight Title right back to Sugar Ray Leonard.

Jesse James Leija sitting in his corner with a suspected broken eardrum in the Gatti fight -- and refusing to continue.

[SaadOffTheDeck]

Arguello/Pryor 2 & morales/pac 3.

[BoxBuzz]

Kosta Tsyzu vs Ricky Hatton

Kosta didn’t come out for the 11th or 12th round

Miguel Cotto vs Antonio Margarito 1

After being slowly broken down by the heavy handed plaster of Paris fists, Margarito practically chasing Cotto across the ring, cotto taking a knee and losing the fight

Charles Nartin vs Antony Joshua

After suffering his second knockdown, Martin took a knee and basically stood up on 11. At face value he was questioning that he stood up on time. It was just trying to save face for a quit

I think when the fighter is willing, or neutral about going forward, and the corner stops the fight....it's probably nowhere near top 10 material....or you have to include Frazier in the last of the Ali trilogy. perhaps at or near the top... I wouldn't think it makes sense........and it just don't capture the vibe of this thread. IMHO.

[Kalan]

If it's the boxer of the team making the decision to quit, it could be just as intelligent either way.. It's no disgrace to quit if you're badly hurt.

When Mike's Alvarado's corner yelled at Tony Weeks NOT to stop the Provodnikov fight.. Weeks said "SHUT UP!!! I want to talk to the FIGHTER.. Mike do you want to continue fighting???" Alvarado looked down instead of answering. That's just as good as saying "NO!" ... Weeks waved it.

Alvarado was badly battered and Provodnikov was toying with him. Quitting made sense. Sometimes nobody in a corner has ever fought. They have NO idea how badly hurt their fighter could be. Those beatings will stay with you if they let you go out there when you're hurt.

Golota did quit the fight when he could have gone one versus Michael Grant.. So when he was really badly injured v Tyson his corner didn't believe a word he said.. It's pretty damned pathetic when the corner is screaming at the fighter to get out there and fight, when the boxer knows he can't.. With his corner yelling and screaming at him to continue and trying to force his mouthpiece in -- what the Hell are fans to think???

[Ossyrules]

Kosta Tsyzu vs Ricky Hatton

Kosta didn’t come out for the 11th

Yes he did.

Happy to be corrected but I thought he quit on his stool. I can’t temember if it was 11 or 12 though

[Ossyrules]

Kosta Tsyzu vs Ricky Hatton

Kosta didn’t come out for the 11th or 12th round

Miguel Cotto vs Antonio Margarito 1

After being slowly broken down by the heavy handed plaster of Paris fists, Margarito practically chasing Cotto across the ring, cotto taking a knee and losing the fight

Charles Nartin vs Antony Joshua

After suffering his second knockdown, Martin took a knee and basically stood up on 11. At face value he was questioning that he stood up on time. It was just trying to save face for a quit

I think when the fighter is willing, or neutral about going forward, and the corner stops the fight....it's probably nowhere near top 10 material....or you have to include Frazier in the last of the Ali trilogy. perhaps at or near the top... I wouldn't think it makes sense........and it just don't capture the vibe of this thread. IMHO.

It’s not top 10 I agree, just offering some food for thought in general

[Flump]

Tyson's ear bite was effectively a surrender. A couple of others that spring to mind are Cyclone Hart against Hagler and Paul Sykes against John L Gardner.

Tony Bellew gets stick for turning his back on Adonis Stevenson but he was incapacitated and lucky the ref stepped in otherwise he may have gotten seriously hurt.

[Kalan]

Tyson's ear bites were are an example of deliberately fouling out. Generally if you bite a piece of your opponent's face off you get a prompt DQ.

When Mills Lane allowed the fight continue. Tyson thinks, "What? You don't want to DQ me??? I'll do his other ear. Still no DQ??? His nose goes."

[RadioElRadar]

McClellan taking a knee and letting himself be counted out against Benn

A slight twist - Mikey and Robert Garcia pretty much begging to go to a TD in a fight they knew they were miles up in v Salido.

Even in quitting against Manny, Morales still looked like a badass with that little wink and shake of the head, as if to say: “Nahhh, let’s not bother.”

[Kalan]

You never look badass when you're quitting... You may look defiant -- like Duran did when he quit... That's a little south of badass.

Mikey Garcia was extremely vulnerable with his nose crunched like that -- with a deliberate, desperation head shot, straight in at the face.. If they didn't stop that fight he would have been in trouble.. The most intelligent thing to do after examining that nose -- was to go to the cards.

[gilgamesh]

No sweat man. I think it was a case of Johnny Lewis actually caring for his fighter. Hatton appeared to be walking through ( I know it's a sick old cliche ) K.T's shots in the 10th and 11th rounds, and I think Lewis knew his guy had no chance of winning so he saved him from a further 3 minutes of punishment. I say, all credit to the guy.

Tszyu was complaining that he had a pain in his head I think too. So if you're in all likelihood on your way to a decision loss anyway...and he was, there's damn sure no reason to go on if your life or long term health may be potentially endangered.

[BoxBuzz]

And I do believe that fight is an example of a fight that was influenced by a ref. And has the high probability of having taken a different direction under another ref.

[GreenShadow]

the most epic: Ali-frazier 3
the saddest: Ali-Holmes
the most tragic McClellan-Benn

[Ambling Alp II]

Ali and Frazier did not give up. Their corner stopped the fight. That is a big difference.
Klitschko certainly had a choice to continue. There is no reason he could not have toughed it out for three more rounds.

A long time someone made an interesting observation about guys quitting. He pointed out that the "tough "guys" like Liston, Duran, and Chavez all quit against "pretty boys" Ali, Leonard, and De La Hoya. A guy's toughness had nothing to do with how mean he looks.

[scartissue]

Ray Robinson - Joey Maxim
Tony Ayala - Yori Boy Campas
Paul Pender - Terry Downes II
Jose Napoles - Carlos Monzon
Adolfo Washington - Virgil Hill (TV camera splitting Washington's cut eye wide open)
Bobby Czyz - I think it was Charles Williams. I add this because the audio picked up on Czyz and his cornermen trying to decide why they were retiring. I think the corner said his eye, but Czyz said it was his back. Not sure of the opponent though.

[Tony1244]

Ali and Frazier did not give up. Their corner stopped the fight. That is a big difference.
Klitschko certainly had a choice to continue. There is no reason he could not have toughed it out for three more rounds.

A long time someone made an interesting observation about guys quitting. He pointed out that the "tough "guys" like Liston, Duran, and Chavez all quit against "pretty boys" Ali, Leonard, and De La Hoya. A guy's toughness had nothing to do with how mean he looks.

That's very true.Women certainly don't get this. "He has a nice complexion and baby blue eyes, he can't be tough."

[sweetsci]

^^ The Bobby Czyz "back or eyes" surrender was against Holyfield. As I recall Bobby was looking decent until the end. The Czyz fight, along with Bowe III, was part of the reason people thought Tyson would blow Evander away.

[scartissue]

^^ The Bobby Czyz "back or eyes" surrender was against Holyfield. As I recall Bobby was looking decent until the end. The Czyz fight, along with Bowe III, was part of the reason people thought Tyson would blow Evander away.

Thanks, man, I couldn't remember who that was against.

[davie]

Charles Martin quitting in his first World Heavyweight Championship Title Defense vs Anthony Joshua... pretending he tried to beat the count.

The most gutless cash out I've ever seen.

I don't care what people say about the bravery of fighters and how us non-boxers shouldn't criticise, if you get paid what Martin got paid to defend the "greatest prize in sport", the heavyweight champion of the world, you should not get away with what he did.

He didn't just quit when the going got too rough, he meekly capitulated the second Joshua turned on the gas. He never entered the ring with any ambition to try and win.

[SaadOffTheDeck]

^^ The Bobby Czyz "back or eyes" surrender was against Holyfield. As I recall Bobby was looking decent until the end. The Czyz fight, along with Bowe III, was part of the reason people thought Tyson would blow Evander away.

Thanks, man, I couldn't remember who that was against.

That was hilarious, he had a Holyfield grudge. Even in the Tyson fight he kept giving Tyson round after round. He was a clown of an announcer, probably a bit underrated as a fighter. Tough guy, this bitchness notwithstanding.

[Perseus]

If it's the boxer of the team making the decision to quit, it could be just as intelligent either way.. It's no disgrace to quit if you're badly hurt.

When Mike's Alvarado's corner yelled at Tony Weeks NOT to stop the Provodnikov fight.. Weeks said "SHUT UP!!! I want to talk to the FIGHTER.. Mike do you want to continue fighting???" Alvarado looked down instead of answering. That's just as good as saying "NO!" ... Weeks waved it.

Alvarado was badly battered and Provodnikov was toying with him. Quitting made sense. Sometimes nobody in a corner has ever fought. They have NO idea how badly hurt their fighter could be. Those beatings will stay with you if they let you go out there when you're hurt.

Golota did quit the fight when he could have gone one versus Michael Grant.. So when he was really badly injured v Tyson his corner didn't believe a word he said.. It's pretty damned pathetic when the corner is screaming at the fighter to get out there and fight, when the boxer knows he can't.. With his corner yelling and screaming at him to continue and trying to force his mouthpiece in -- what the Hell are fans to think???

Absolutely true.
If they are badly hurt going out there and taking more punches isn't the best path to recovery.

Sometimes...........not EVERY time but sometimes boxers take too much flak for quitting.

Sometimes the winning fighter is content to win rounds and doesn't deal out more punishment than necessary to win the rounds. imo the losing fighter should never quit on that guy.......answer the bell, go the distance.

What about the boxer that has already gutted out a few beatings? How many is he supposed to take before it's ok to quit?

On the flip side of those things...............the merciless fighter...........the one who smiles and is perfectly ok with bludgeoning an over-matched opponent for as long as it's allowed to go on............................if the tables ever get turned on that guy and he is now on the receiving end of the beating THAT fighter needs to stay in the ring to the end or he's nothing but a bully who can't take what he dishes out.

We've seen plenty of both...............boxers who are happy with dealing out the beating but stay in there when they are on the wrong side of the beating and boxers who are happy to deal out the beating but find a way out when they are getting beat up.
imo one of those fighters deserves far more respect than the other.

Going up those steps is an acknowledgment that you could take a fearsome beating that night but it is also an opportunity to be the guy doing the beating.
When trying to explain away quit jobs people always want to omit the latter part.