BoxRec

Do boxers feel guilty about what they do in the ring?

Mike Tyson seemed to regret his actions by cuddling up to his foes after fights. Then you have guys like Mayorga who doesn't seem to care at all.

Which fighters would you say feel guilt.

None weve ever heard of. You dont make it to this level with guilt in your heart over an everyday fight. Every athlete at the top of any sport got there because they love what they do.

I'm pretty sure Emile Griffith shows signs of guilt.

Very few fighters unless they are psychopaths want to seriously hurt their opponent in the ring. They want to win, but everyone understands its a very tough business and they are all in it to make a living.

I seem to remember Chris Eubank suffering alot of guilt after what happened to Michael Watson that he seemed unable to finish opponents off as he only scored 2 knockouts in 15 world title defences at Super Middleweight, and then you have Lupe Pintor after what happened to Johnny Owen in 1980, and I think both of them nearly quit the sport.

You guys seem to be missing the point. We're not talking about Maxxy Baer, or Emile Griffith scenarios --- Baulks is asking about boxers who feel guilt just for Boxing.

Goodnight, Irene wrote:You guys seem to be missing the point. We're not talking about Maxxy Baer, or Emile Griffith scenarios --- Baulks is asking about boxers who feel guilt just for Boxing.

I suppose the fighters themselves can only give the answers.

But, I guess worse case scenarios that have resulted in death, the guilt must be overwhelming.

baulks wrote:

Goodnight, Irene wrote:You guys seem to be missing the point. We're not talking about Maxxy Baer, or Emile Griffith scenarios --- Baulks is asking about boxers who feel guilt just for Boxing.

I suppose the fighters themselves can only give the answers.

But, I guess worse case scenarios that have resulted in death, the guilt must be overwhelming.

I would hope it would be regret rather than guilt. Guilt is for something you did wrong, regret is for something you wish had not happened

Yes, Sugar Ray Robinson felt extremely guilty after he killed Jimmy Doyle. He would tell his mother over and over "I didn't mean it Ma'", to
his mother and she also said he was never the same fighter after that and he lost a lot of his aggressiveness in the ring. He'd also occasionally dream about the event, and towards the end of his life, when he suffered from dementia, he would often repeat "I didn't mean it" randomly to his mother.

..a boxer who was a friend of mine felt guilty about a fight when he was supposed to tank it in the sixth round stayed down in the fourth instead because he got so hard he didn't want to get up and get hit that hard again....

He didnt get paid, then?

SUGARRAYSMELEE wrote:He'd also occasionally dream about the event, and towards the end of his life, when he suffered from dementia, he would often repeat "I didn't mean it" randomly to his mother.

Haunted to his dying day. Such a shame.