Which british boxer has the biggest 'heart'?

There has been a lot of talk about boxers having an iron chin or a knock out punch, but how important is having a big heart?

What I mean by a big heart is a 'never say die' attitude. Someone who doesn't give up, no matter how difficult a situation they find themselves in. Maybe, someone who will continue to fight to the bitter end.

When watching David Price vs Tony Thompson 2, I was dissappointed to see that it wasn't just David Price's chin that gave up, it was also his heart. When he was defeated, he just walked out of the ring without uttering a word. Same as Nathan Cleverly after his defeat to kovalev.

Contrast Price and Cleverly's attitude to Amir Khan, who at the age of 21 was knocked out by Breidis Prescott but instead of running to the changing room, after the fight, he stood defiantly in front of the cameras and said he would be back. Amir's subsequent fights proved that he does indeed have plenty of heart.

So, which current British fighters in your opinion have the most/biggest heart? The first fighters that come to my mind are:

1) Amir Khan
2) Carl Froch
3) Ricky Burns
4) Martin Murray
5) Tyson Fury

Definitely think you've got a solid top five there, Sam, although trying to put them in order is tricky. Macklin would have to come in to consideration, as he's as game and tough as they come, and I expect Groves to show us plenty more times how much grit he's got inside him in the future, as he did against Anderson.

I'd probably have stuck Khan at the top same as you though, in fairness. The guy's heart is just about the one thing even his biggest critics can't knock, and Lord knows they'll knock just about everything else! A similar scenario for Fury, come to think of it. Not without his faults, but you're going to really have to do a number on him to keep him on the deck and wreck his inner belief.

Could Potentially throw Darren Barker in the old mix after the weekend guys

Yes, both Macklin and Barker are good shouts. Should really have given a top 10.

I'd have Burns at the top, his heart got him through the Martinez and Gonzalez fights when he really should have been stopped and lost.

Barker and Froch - Just watched the Barker fight, I've been hit by a shot similar to the body shot barker went down to with bigger gloves and I have no idea how he got up...none. Guy has nads of iron. I was literally unable to breathe properly for 5 minutes so to stand up and do what he did is insane.

The same thing happened to me Jab after I was finally let in the ring to spar!! I've never felt pain like it, I had to be escorted to the stool for a breather just like Clev, I've come to the conclusion that I have a china body!!! fair play to Barker.

It wasn't just that he got up, or heard the bell, or won the fight overall.

It was that he got up, took 30 secs or so to compose himself, then actually went on the attack and finished the round the strongest!!

Audley Harrison

Pekchenko wrote:Audley Harrison

he has the biggest drawing board

rick_dagless wrote:

Pekchenko wrote:Audley Harrison

he has the biggest drawing board

Heart, not delusion

Don't much care for the guy but Chisora does not lack for heart. Stood toe to toe with both Haye and Vitali and kept plodding forward against both.

bhb001 wrote:

rick_dagless wrote:

Pekchenko wrote:Audley Harrison

he has the biggest drawing board

Heart, not delusion

I actually like Audley Harrison and wish hime well but 'Heart' and 'Audley Harrison' shouldn't be mentioned in the same sentence

Rowley wrote:Don't much care for the guy but Chisora does not lack for heart. Stood toe to toe with both Haye and Vitali and kept plodding forward against both.

That's a good pick. I don't particularly like Chisora but you can't fault his heart.

In fainess id say John Murray has a lot of heart, showed it in both Mitchell and Rios losses, stayed on his feet and basically fought to a standstill

Pekchenko wrote:In fainess id say John Murray has a lot of heart, showed it in both Mitchell and Rios losses, stayed on his feet and basically fought to a standstill

No argument from me there. John may lack finesse but he certainly has a lot of heart.

What about British boxers who, although have talent, show the least heart? I suppose Audley Harrison is a dead cert on anybody's list, but else would be there with Audley?

Good shout on Murray, there. When asked by Boxing News about what was the worst thing he'd ever read about himself, he answered a poster on a boxing forum questioning his heart and courage. He said it really wound him up and annoyed him because he likes to think of himself as a bit of a hard man in how he fights, and he showed that against both Mitchell and Rios.

The beating Rios gave him was savage (his face was almost unrecognisable and his sides were both red raw) but even then he never was content to just try and survive and he kept coming forward and punching whenever he could. Hard to watch but you've got to admire that courage.

I'd say that bloke Derry Mathews. Either that or he's just a masochist.

rodders wrote:I'd say that bloke Derry Mathews. Either that or he's just a masochist.

Derry takes his beatings like a man. Good call.

88Chris05 wrote:Good shout on Murray, there. When asked by Boxing News about what was the worst thing he'd ever read about himself, he answered a poster on a boxing forum questioning his heart and courage. He said it really wound him up and annoyed him because he likes to think of himself as a bit of a hard man in how he fights, and he showed that against both Mitchell and Rios.

The beating Rios gave him was savage (his face was almost unrecognisable and his sides were both red raw) but even then he never was content to just try and survive and he kept coming forward and punching whenever he could. Hard to watch but you've got to admire that courage.

Its a shame really that he doesnt really have enough of a dig to discourage top level fighters. He generally always fought at a good pace and could pressure oppenents,claearly has a decent chin and good heart but for the way he fights, he cant take that to world level without a harder punch, and hid lack of head movement. It got him so far but unfortunately found out. Wouldn't mind seeing him in a re-match with Mitchell or mybe a fight against Crolla or Matthews. Just depends whether he still wants to be operating at top end domestic level?

Bit of a controversial one as this fighter has been seen to pack it in on more than one occasion but I'd have to go with Danny Williams for the unbelievable courage he showed in his fight with Mark potter. After dislocating his arm in the second round it pops back in and goes again in the sixth. Not only did he manage to fight on (one armed from the sixth on) but also managed to knock Potter out in the 11/12 (I forget which rd it was). He was also behind on all three judges score card when the knock out came.

Add to the fact that Danny got put down about seven times by Vitali and was stopped on his feet and even though he beat Tyson's ghost, he still had to soak up a couple of murderous punches in the early exchanges.

Sadly, for everyone of those fights there's his "turn up for the pay cheque-a-thon" with Chisora

Good list Sam. Id like to see a world top ten though because for me Michael Katsidis is absolutely nails and has literally the heart of ten lions.

His fights never disappoint whether he is handing out a beating or whether he is getting an absolute pounding.

Either way, he tops the "world" list for me.

Dave what fight were you watching mate? IM sure Danny didn't get stopped on his feet and im sure he never hit the deck that many times. Maybe 3?

Having just refreshed my memory, he got dropped three times and was laid flat on his back with a right hand in the face, struggling to his feet but the ref waved off. I presumed you meant stopped on his feet aka Macarinelli style or Cotto vs Pacman style.

Ooooo Cotto goes into heart of a lion for his Margarito and Pacquiao fights.

To become a boxer in the first place would require a fair amount of heart and courage. Therefore, I don't think there are any boxers who actually lack heart.
Even Audley, despite being much maligned by many for lacking heart, has shown at times that he can fight through the pain barrier (see Sprott II).
A lack of ability is often mistaken for lack of heart.

I'm was sure Danny got put down a fair few times by Vitali and was still on his feet or at least trying to get up. Anyway mobile, if I'm wrong at least I get kudos for listing BRITISH fighters as per the thread

Katsidis and Cotto!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

mobilemaster8 wrote:Ooooo Cotto goes into heart of a lion for his Margarito and Pacquiao fights.

Hhhhhmmmm, not quite sure myself, mm8.

Cotto's got a lot of heart, don't get me wrong, but I wouldn't put him in the same category as some other names in this thread.

Particularly against Pacquiao, for instance, by round eight / nine or so you could tell he'd decided that he was just going to try and survive and escape further punishment wherever he could, rather than put himself in the line of fire to try and turn it round miraculously. Similarly against Margarito first time out (even though it's a questionable defeat for obvious reasons) I think it's clear that, while Cotto was still taking big shots, Tony had broken his will and his belief a couple of rounds or so before the end came.

In the build up to the Margarito rematch, Cotto spoke very openly about how he doesn't let his heart overrule his head when it comes to boxing, and made no secret that he dislikes the disregard for their own health that some other fighters show when desperately plodding forward in a lost cause.

You can't use that as a rod to beat Cotto with really, of course - what he said makes all the sense in the world, and in both fights mentioned he showed that he is a tough fella. But regardless of whether you'd class having an enormous heart as basically being stupid, as some do, I think Cotto is easier to break than some other fighters all the same.

Barrera did a similar thing against Pacquiao first time out, too. Manny was giving him an absolute belting and Barrera (perfectly understandably, I'll stress again!) went for damage limitation as the fight wore on, holding and refusing to really engage at every opportunity. I've seen many Mexican commentators and / or fans argue that Morales will always belong above Barrera in their affections for that very reason, ie that Morales was willing to go through anything when he fought back in his prime to get a victory, whereas Barrera didn't seem willing to.

Very good points there Chris.

Dave, i did mention that we should do a "world" list in my earlier post hence why i named Katsidis and Cotto. They were not my picks. I just agreed with the OP and stated that they would be mine of they were to part of a "world" list.

On a separate note, Williams was absolutely hammered, was dropped 3 times (not 7) and was put on his back with the final knockdown. Ref said no continue.

Bit of an exaggeration from your side mate. Williams fan were we?

Just rewatched it and Williams was stopped on his feet to be pedantic.

Yeh after getting dropped on his arse the ref waved it off when he stood up. Its not like he was stopped on his feet like Katsidis vs Marquez, Pacquiao vs Cotto, Thompson vs Price etc etc.

In response to the OP I don't think staying on for an interview changes my views on someone's heart. Cleverly, although I'm not a big fan, kept getting back up. It's what they do in the fight that matters.

Froch or Khan at the top for me. Fury's heart is a touch over estimated to me. He has gotten up to win twice, against non punchers half his size.

Chris, with regards to MAB and El Terrible, I'd wager maybe Morales would look to survive here and there if he had the ability to box going backwards and counter punch like Marco could.

Going back, remember a knackered Andries getting up and then immediately getting put down again by Hearns about 260 times?

I don't necessarily disagree with that, JBW, and it's definitely a harsh way for Mexican fans to degrade Barrera, but Marco wasn't boxing or counter-punching towards the end against Pacquiao (I), he was just spoiling, holding and trying to buy time.

Oddly enough, it wasn't right until the closing stages of his second fight against Pacquiao that Barrera ever really got that jab going, and when he did finally get that smooth rhythm he started causing Pacquiao problems, at long last. Granted, in between his two fights against Manny he'd had the benefit of Marquez and Morales showing how Pacquiao could be vulnerable to a fast, hard jab, and Pacquiao's performance was absolutely stunning in that 2003 bout, but you'd still have to wonder why it took so long for such a smart boxer to revert to that tactic and how he might have fared if he'd smartened up a bit sooner instead of just standing in front of Manny.

That said, I was never a massive Barrera fan, so didn't mind seeing Manny unload on him I have to admit.

Haha, I think part of the reason a smart boxer who, at the time of the first bout was still near enough to his prime didn't figure it out is that he didn't have time to. Remember Pacquiao wasn't meant to be THAT hard a fight at the time and Barrera had distractions before hand in the way of some medical stuff and legal wranglings of a divorce from what I've heard. By the time he realised he had a problem to figure out he'd already been smacked in the head very hard several dozen times and didn't have the composure necessary to adapt.

I think he was simply too far past his best by the time of the rematch to implement any kind of gameplan that could disrupt the Fillipino freight train he was up against. Barrera was clearly declining and Pacquiao was on the verge of reaching his destructive vertex! Too little too late.

It comes down to heart being the most attractive quality to make fans love a fighter, but if you want to win a brain should come first, then a heart, to drag one through when the gameplan most likely to lead to victory doesn't work.

mobilemaster8 wrote:Good list Sam. Id like to see a world top ten though because for me Michael Katsidis is absolutely nails and has literally the heart of ten lions.

His fights never disappoint whether he is handing out a beating or whether he is getting an absolute pounding.

Either way, he tops the "world" list for me.

Thanks Mobile Master. I agree, on the world stage few boxers show as much courage and determination as Michael Katsidis. His fights are hugely entertaining. My brother knows his trainer, who's a bit of a character.

mobilemaster8 wrote:Yeh after getting dropped on his arse the ref waved it off when he stood up. Its not like he was stopped on his feet like Katsidis vs Marquez, Pacquiao vs Cotto, Thompson vs Price etc etc.

Fair enough boys, I may have got the number of times he was dropped wrong but I still recall him getting up again and again and I sure he would have still continued rather than quit. However, was it not a courageous effort from Danny thus validating my inclusion of him in the "British Boxers with big hearts" catagory?

Although not British, Corrales against Castillo was absolutely phenomenal.

JabMachineMK2 wrote:Barker and Froch - Just watched the Barker fight, I've been hit by a shot similar to the body shot barker went down to with bigger gloves and I have no idea how he got up...none. Guy has nads of iron. I was literally unable to breathe properly for 5 minutes so to stand up and do what he did is insane.

Was it Kell Brook that hit you with that shot though Jabby, from when you were his sparring partner?

bloodygloves wrote:Was it Kell Brook that hit you with that shot though Jabby, from when you were his sparring partner?

You're so funny! Honestly, please - keep telling jokes, you're so good at it.

Your last 3 posts have all been to mock me, maybe you should find a better past time or just f*ck off, because you offer very little to the board you utter child.

Although bloodyglove's posts are invariably futile, I do find the complete lack of timing they inevitably come with quite funny.

I have to be honest, Darren Barkers heart last weekend was just phenomenal, its very rare you see a fighter get back up from a perfect liver shot, but he got back up withstood an onslaught and ended up pushing Geale into the ropes and teeing off. Granted I felt like he took the easy way out against Martinez, but I don't think he was in the same place mentally as he was against Geale, he put everything into it and wasn't going to back down, full props.

Anyone questioning Cottos fight needs too watch his fight against Ricardo Torres, took multiple sickening power shots yet still pulled through and took him out in the 7th, many fighters would of folded from some of those punches.

Enzo. To get the brutal knockouts he's had and still come back takes baws.

DAVE667 wrote:

mobilemaster8 wrote:Yeh after getting dropped on his arse the ref waved it off when he stood up. Its not like he was stopped on his feet like Katsidis vs Marquez, Pacquiao vs Cotto, Thompson vs Price etc etc.

Fair enough boys, I may have got the number of times he was dropped wrong but I still recall him getting up again and again and I sure he would have still continued rather than quit. However, was it not a courageous effort from Danny thus validating my inclusion of him in the "British Boxers with big hearts" catagory?

surely if it was a courageous effort he should be INcluded.

Oasis, finally someone understands.

Cheers