who were the "Cowards" of Boxing ?

[Caractacus]

I remember reading one of Gene Tunney's books (1943), and in it he wrote,
that he knew of some actual "Cowards" who were also professional boxers.
anyone know which boxers/fighters he may have been referring to ?

[goose 5]

I never heard this but would like to know.

[Caractacus]

perhaps this dude may perhaps be considered a "contendeh" in that particular catagory (?)

[Caractacus]

[margaret thatcher]

curtis harper has been in with good opponents and in fights where he's taken plenty of punishment but not quit. i think him walking out was due to a business dispute he was unhappy with , not lacking the courage to fight

[Expug]

Tunney couldn’t have been talking about James Butler. But if he was around to see the shit he pulled, and subsequent actions later, he’d say that guy was biggest coward in history

[Jimmy2025]

I've not met a single person in my long life who wasn't 'cowardly' compared to e.g. a game dog. It's part of human nature to be relatively 'cowardly'.

[bwu]

Far be it from me to contradict Gene Tunney, but I can't call anyone who laces up the gloves and enters the ring, even once, to be a coward.

I suppose the cowards of the sport are folks who aren't taking the punches. The cowards who are the ones who profit over others, knowing the boxers are being hurt and/or shouldn't be fighting, but allowing them to proceed.

[gilgamesh]

Overall I agree with the idea that just about anyone who ever enters a ring with sincere intent to compete isn't a coward.

However, I can't ignore the fact that when you have a guy that basically tries to score a cheap win. Like say he catches a blow on the back of the head, and then he flops to the canvas, and pretends he can't move until they hopefully give him the DQ win.

Examples include Luis Santana or Andre Dirrell. That's definitely cowardly behavior, and if coward isn't the right word to apply to these types, then you can certainly say they are a less courageous fighter than most are.

[bwu]

Overall I agree with the idea that just about anyone who ever enters a ring with sincere intent to compete isn't a coward.

However, I can't ignore the fact that when you have a guy that basically tries to score a cheap win. Like say he catches a blow on the back of the head, and then he flops to the canvas, and pretends he can't move until they hopefully give him the DQ win.

Examples include Luis Santana or Andre Dirrell. That's definitely cowardly behavior, and if coward isn't the right word to apply to these types, then you can certainly say they are a less courageous fighter than most are.

"Less courageous" is fair. Certainly, some are braver than others.

Ironically, I don't put Santana in that category. He was certainly smart: He had no business being in a championship fight, but he won a world title and had a successful defense because he knew when to go down and stay down. As far as bravery goes, he was willing to take a third fight with Terry Norris, knowing that Norris was ready to absolutely take him apart.

[Caractacus]

Perhaps it once was a rederence to "dirty fighters",
but I think later on it may have applied to constant 'clinchers".
I dont remember too many clinchers back in the 1970's,early 1980's.

[Caractacus]

[Caractacus]

" There is no denying that it takes a certain kind of courage even to enter a prize-ring.
Yet I have known actual cowards who have been professional fighters".
Gene Tunney from A MAN MUST FIGHT page 67(published 1931)

[Caractacus]

Cus D'Amato pretty much called Rocky Barbella (later Rocky Graziano) a 'coward",
or at least that he fought out of a "fear of cowardice",
however D'Amato may have been biased, because he trained him for about a year as an amateur
to win the Metropoltian AAU Welter-weight championship, and also at least his first 2 pro-fights,
until Rocky got out of the clink and then signed with Irving Cohen instead and trained at Stillman's gym.