Cheap Shots, Low Blows, and Winning at All Costs...The Consquences of a Prize Fighter
'Protect yourself at all times' is an expression that had withstood the test of time in all combat sports. There is an honor and tradition in taking on another (wo)man of equal size and weight, but there are conditions and rules that one must abide by as well. When two people throw down for the greater good of sport, a mutual respect is gained. Beyond the physical damage and mental strain of a fight, there is a love and compassion earned; when two opponents can embrace and be thankful towards the other for making them better, it is a truly beautiful thing to witness.
Fighting is two sentient creatures sharpening each other's tool set for battles to come, some have it in them to fight, and some have it in them to win. At times we see people across the decades who possess both of these attributes, some fighters need not only to fight, they need to claim Victory no matter the cost!
Many champions of boxing and muay thai players have always played to (and around) the rules in order to beat the game. Jack Dempsey was a wild slugger in his day! The former (legendary) heavyweight champ was a pugilistic genius in his invention of the 'philly shell' and overall maneuverability in the ring. He was the first guy to really bring in a solid defense to boxing in moving his head with his hips. He was a master at deflecting shots on the outside with his shoulder and making his way inside the pocket. His power was always a constant, and he really was the first guy to make 'body shots' popular. Dempsey (unlike most fighters now) would start working shovel hooks and jabs to the body straight away, just let his intention be known off the bat. As brilliant as he was a fighter, he was just that...a fighter. He was a dog in the ring: The Manassa Mauler (as they called him) was unafraid to deliver shots below the belt, and he was unafraid to get overhooks on an opponent and turn the boxing match into a wrestling match. This ability to play dirty and stifle the refs view made him such a ferocious and feared champion.
I only go in depth on Dempsey not because of how great he was, but because of how great his legacy has remained even with his moments of 'dirt'. I was speaking to my mom this morning (whom never watched combat sports of any kind) about Murthel Groenhart and the recent media out pour on his 'cheap shot'. I ended the convo with my mother early as it's easy for her to take the high moral road without looking more into the situation. One must understand that in a fight, there are no cheap shots. One must protect themselves at all time, and when one is in battle, walking away will not defeat the opponent nor spare any oncoming onslaught. Groenhart had hurt his opponent with a high kick to the face, and a few seconds after this blow the opponent turns away to his corner with over 2 minutes left in the round! Murthel took full advantage of this lapse in judgement by landing a clean shot to the chin from behind his back as he walked away... Many see this as cowardly and without honor, but subjectively put your feet in the shoes of a fighter and try to understand why he would do that. Would the opponent not have done the same thing in the same situation? Should Murthel have waited for his opponent to turn around and plausibly take his consciousness from him? Fighting is more a game of wits than anything, and sometimes Victory must be attained in any fashion when so much sacrifice has been given.
Let me digress back to Dempsey for a second. His 2nd to last match ever was in Yankee Stadium, 1927. He was supposed to fight for the Heavyweight title against then champ, Gene Tunney, but Tunney backed out from injury. Replacing the champ would be Jack Sharkey, a young yet experienced fighter who came into the match on a 13 fight win streak! Dempsey was at the end of his career, and at the end of his rope. In footage from the fight you can still see Dempsey's use of his magnificent 'roll' and 'shell' defense. Baiting the chin by sticking it out while his pendulum hips wait to cock a lethal right hand are all staples to the Dempsey game, and he was a magnificent all around boxer. Sharkey demanded a dog fight for the short notice call, and he got one! The battle for overhooks and low blows made this contest more about who could get away with what, instead of a contest to crown a title contender. Sharkey dominated the inside with hard blows on the older and slower Dempsey, in fact Sharkey was a favorite in this fight against the legend.
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Both Jack's continued to ferociously pummel each other (as you can see in the footage below), but neither man broke. It was only in the 6th round that Dempsey started to really only pound the gut of Sharkey, and that worked to slow down the younger man. In the famous 7th round Dempsey continued working the body with powerful blows, and in a scuffle for over hooks and pushing on the inside, one of the many body shots connected below the belt and really hurt Sharkey. In this instance Dempsey's opponent drops his hands, asks the ref for help, and leaves himself defenseless for the first time in 7 grueling rounds. Dempsey exploited this mental slip by immediately going up high with a pristine left hook right on the jaw. Sharkey dropped for a documented '17 seconds' and the fight was wrapped...
Is Dempsey's legacy tattered from this engagement, or was he doing what Sharkey would have done to him in that position? In the NBA, when the 5th man lands on his ankle badly in a rebound attempt, should the other team not score out of respect to the injured player? In every game there are rules, and although fighting can result in truly extreme results, it should not be seen as barbaric when a the rules are obeyed.
There is a difference in taking advantage of a lapse in judgement, and delivering a truly heinous cheap shot. One should see real cheap shots in the ring to know the difference: Judah vs. Mayweather, Grant vs. Butler, any Gilbert Yvel fight.....
I hope I provided some grounds on why fighters in the heat of battle shouldn't be accosted for their actions, a lot is going on in that ring that spectators don't realize. Thanks for your time, enjoy the fights!
Very insightful, good post man!
ty sir!