Honour in boxing

I just watched the Rigondeaux v kokietgym finish and it got me thinking about boxing in general.

I was very critical about how Mayweather took out Ortiz in similar fashion.

Now the supporters of the fighters will always quote the old adage "protect yourselves at all time" but when does this become underhanded and dishonourable?

Scoring a goal from a restart where the opposition put it out for you is not against the rules but its against the spirit of the game. Is this not the same thing? "protect yourselves at all times" was not put in there to allow people to get a jump on someone. Its there to try and protect fighters during clinches etc.

So, do we think that winning in this way should be allowed? Are boxers no longer worried about how they win and being deemed the greatest? Is it win at any cost?

I know that the Mayweather/ Rigo supporters will say all is fair in love and war but how would you feel if the glove was on the other hand? (And don't use the excuse that they aren't stupid enough to be caught out).

Is boxing no longer a "gentlemans" sport?

When the stakes are high you don't give you opponent any more opportunities that you have to. All well and good taking the moral high ground about playing fair but that only gives you an excellent view of the jammy b*st*rd who's now earning several million quid that should be in your back pocket.

If you see a chance take it - Steve Winwood..

Is very difficult Adam because as with most moral questions nothing is ever black or white. My own view of the Mayweather incident is Ortiz had decided on the type of fight he wanted the minute he nutted Floyd, if you want a street fight you can't moan when your opponent gives you just that.

Think like with most things there is a good element of rose tinted nostalgia about the idea boxing was ever a gentlemans sport. Unfortunately we can't ask them but I suspect convincing anyone who fought Fritzie Zivic or Harry Greb that they were in with gentlemen who would sooner lose than break the rules would be a tough sell.

Unfortuantely, as much as it might seem against the spirit fo things, in the situations as mentioned above you just can't get around the number one rule of protecting yourself at all times.

Re the Ortiz fight, he's absolutely the author of his own downfall - headbutt someone, apologise, apologise again and then complain when someone (legally) punches you. Add to that the fact that he took a left hook and still chose not to protect himself and you've got a guy who got everything he deserved.

Not sure why Ortiz apologised anyway....He did it on purpose..Wasn't an accident...

Duran is the most popular fighter on here and he had the least honor....As Moore and "No mas" showed...

He'd have happily hammered Moore that night where as a Holmes would have been begging the ref to stop it..

Tyson another popular type with no honor..

Why have honor Boxing fans per se don't appreciate it !!

What's interesting as well Truss is that "honour" in the type of circumstance that you raise with Homes would more often than not be misconstrued as a lack of killer instinct with most fighters. There are certain instances where that has perhaps been true (Eubank being the main example following Watson). However, if a figher waves the ref in to stop a fight then they are deemed to be showing compassion which, on the whole, doesn't appear to be welcome.