Is it always worse when they get ko'd?

Been on hold for a while now, so why not another post

When fighters we like lose, it hurts. Them more than us.

But when they get KO'd it is something else for me.

Hatton for example. Look at his fight with May. He went there to win, to take the fight to him and win. Because of this he was sparked in a comical and devastating manner. I am convinced that had he gone into survival mode early he could have ridden it out, as most do with Floyd, but he didn't. Is this loss better or worse than a lopsided decision loss?

Froch was handled by Ward. But he wasn't ko'd and some even think he was coming on late (not me particularly)

Khan goes all out and gets sparked more than a G*d dam sparkler on Bonfire Night.

When they get ko'd. Is it always worse? For the fighter, their career and the fan. Or is there sometimes a gallancy in KO defeats that wouldn't be there if they went down with a whimper and a points defeat?

I think KO is less devastating unless the person in question prides himself on his toughness. I think IF Froch got Ko'd it would destroy him in a way unlike Khan who got Ko'd and ground his way back to the top and I suspect he'll do the same. For Khan to be outboxed would be worse because hes a fair boxer with exceptional speed - it might dent him there if he's outworked. For Fans a point loss is less damaging but it really varies with the fighter.

I think Khan's confidence ican be questioned after being decked several times and knocked out twice. In the back of his mind he must be aware of his chin issues and he is well aware that opponents know it.

I touched upon this realm slightly when I was comparing losses of Boxers to MMA fighters (where the KO doesn't seem as important).

I think it all depends on whether a fighter comes to fight or not. No one will admit to supporting Audley Harrison - this is due to his negative nature in the ring... he just doesn't look like he wants a fight.

Where as Khan does give it a go (despite his questionable chin) and Hatton gave his all against Mayweather.

They went down fighting - I gained a lot of respect for Khan when he just WOULDN'T stay down against Garcia (though it was incredibly difficult to watch the poor kid fight for his life in that ring).

I would rather see a guy I'm supporting go out on his shield, but if he goes out all guns blazing, that's what makes the sport exciting.

TKO's where they are stopped on their feet also don't look quite as damaging as if they were sparked out cold. There would always be that argument that they could have carried on were it not for the referee.

You bring up an interesting comparison between boxing and MMA. In MMA there are various ways of losing and losing is an accepted part of the sport. In boxing there's only one way to lose...by getting hit often enough. Even Anderson Silva has lost to a knee bar or ankle lock a few years back I believe.

Yes, Big Daddy won many a time by Scoop Slam, and Giant Haystacks' Running Elbow Drop was the stuff of legend.