WHEN John Ruiz challenges David Haye for his WBA world heavyweight crown we can only hope he will be trying to win.
It's not my desire to insult Ruiz, who clashes with Haye in Manchester tomorrow week.
After all, John is a former WBA champion and has been a respected pro for nearly 20 years.
The American was never quick when young and at 38 he might well decide there's little point trying to compete with Haye's speed of hand and foot.
It might mean Ruiz's strategy will be to try to ensure he finishes unhurt and on his feet at the end of the 12 rounds.
The last heavyweight to adopt entirely negative tactics was Kevin Johnston who tackled Vitali Klitschko in Berne four months ago.
The result was a whitewash defeat that had the crowd nodding off.
There seems to be a worrying tendency for underdog world championship contenders who feel they have little hope of victory to take a safety-first kit into the ring with them.
Joshua Clottey two weeks ago provided one of the most blatant examples of how to survive in a crisis.
When he signed to meet Manny Pacquiao
everyone knew, to use a Muhammed Ali line, he had just two chances. Slim and none - and Slim had left town. Clottey, who was paid £800,000, shamefully spent the entire fight with his gloves and arms held firmly in front of his face.
Freddie Roach, Manny's superb award-winning trainer, was critical of Clottey's pacifism.
He said: "There was a world title on the line and he didn't try to win it."
Sentiments echoed by Dave "Boy" Green, who knew he was up against it when he took on Sugar Ray Leonard 30 years ago.
Dave, now a successful businessman, told me: "I was disgusted with Clottey. At least I had a go against Leonard. He knocked me out but it was an honourable defeat."
So is there a way to make the Clotteys and Johnsons give value for money?
Only if referees disqualify those who don't try and the governing bodies back them up by heavily fining the guilty.
Unfortunately we know that's never going to happen.
Source: thesun.co.uk
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