It's all about the "0"

Most of us have heard the headline when two undefeated opponents are set to face off (either in boxing, football, basketball, etc.)...

"Somebody's '0' Has Got To Go!"

The point being that both undefeated opponents have a zero in the loss column, and following the outcome of the game-fight-match (whichever you prefer), one side will no longer have a zero in their loss column. So, in essence, their "0" had to go. And one of the things that makes sports so interesting is the way its athletes handle such situations... either in triumph or defeat.

A battle of undefeated combatants is somewhat commonplace in boxing. Some of the best, most-hyped bouts in the history of the "sweet science" have come from situations where undefeated fighters have given it their all in an effort to protect their unblemished records (Ali vs. Frazier I, Bowe vs. Holyfield I, and Trinidad vs. De La Hoya come to mind). I am also reminded of the great junior welterweight title fight in March of 1990 when the undefeated Meldrick Taylor challenged for the title held by Mexican legend (and also undefeated) Julio Cesar Chavez. Taylor, a gold medalist for the U.S. in the 1984 Olympic Games, came into the bout sporting 24 victories with no losses. Chavez made his way to the ring that night in Las Vegas with a record of 68-0. It was a tremendously-hyped fight, and the experts were at odds trying to pick a winner. They couldn't decide if they liked the speed of Taylor or the power of Chavez. It turned out the latter were correct, as Chavez knocked out Taylor with only seconds remaining before the final bell. And, my oh my, did their careers ever take opposite turns after that fight. Chavez went on to pad his record up to 89-0 before suffering his first defeat. He is also widely considered the greatest Mexican fighter in history. Taylor's career and life spiraled downward following the loss to Chavez, made all the worse by the news that Taylor was leading Chavez on the judges' scorecards at the point the fight was stopped. Taylor went on to lose three more times by knockout, and he never again got his hands so close to a title belt.

However, not all fighters respond negatively to the reality of a first defeat. After "Sugar" Ray Leonard lost his welterweight title and his undefeated record to Roberto Duran in June of 1980, Leonard avenged the loss by making Duran quit, in the famous "No Más" fight, five months later. He then went on to become one of the best pound-for-pound fighters in the history of the sport. The great heavyweight champion Joe Louis is another great example of a fighter who handled well his first defeat. After Louis was knocked out in June of 1936 at the hands of Max Schmeling, Louis went on a rampage, racking up victories in his next 34 fights. He knocked out Schmeling in the first round of their rematch, and Louis also picked up wins against noted fighters such as "Cinderella Man" James J. Braddock, Billy Conn, and "Jersey" Joe Walcott (whom he defeated twice). The win against Braddock won Louis the heavyweight title, a title he successfully defended 20 times, a record that still stands. So not all fighters handle defeat poorly.

But some just do.

Mike Tyson, for example, never really got over his loss to James "Buster" Douglas. And recently, a former feared prospect has suffered yet another defeat. When Jeff "Left Hook" Lacy made the trip to Manchester, England, in March of 2006 to challenge for Joe Calzaghe's super middleweight title, he was the hottest thing in the sport. Lacy had (and still has, for that matter) a Herculean physique that once scared away an opponent at a weigh-in. He used intimidation in a manner similar to Tyson. He scowled and glared and flexed his chest at his opponents before their fights ever started. He was also 21-0 with 17 knockouts. His moniker, "Left Hook," was very appropriate. Most fighters wanted no part of Lacy. But Joe Calzaghe is not like most fighters. He welcomed the challenge and proceeded to beat Lacy like a tied-up goat. Calzaghe fooled Lacy with his speed and combinations, and suddenly it became very apparent that Lacy, who once seemed unbeatable, was about to become very beatable. Once Calzaghe finished off his flawless masterpiece, everyone in the boxing world saw Lacy in a different light. (And in the spirit of this piece, it should also be noted that Calzaghe maintained his undefeated record that night, advancing to 41-0.) Lacy has never been able to get himself back together since that fight. While yes, he has won some fights, they were against menial competition. I was ringside to witness his one-sided defeat to the average Jermain Taylor last November. And just last night, Lacy was knocked out by 40-year-old Roy Jones, Jr., a fighter who should have retired four years ago.

There is no sport like boxing. And there are no athletes like fighters. It just baffles me how these highly-trained, highly-skilled athletes can just lose everything at the notion of losing just one thing. It may go to the very nature and psychology of why these guys get into boxing in the first place. The backgrounds from which some fighters come and the inner demons possessed by so many of them... that may be what causes such fragile mental states for these, the seemingly greatest of modern-day warriors.

It just goes to show that, for so many of them, it's not just about toughness or glory or titles or money.

For some, it really is just all about the "0."