'Napa would have collapsed,' claims his trainer

2010 hasn’t been the best year so far for Hackney bantamweight Ian Napa. It started with him losing his title to Jamie McDonnell in January even though many observers including myself thought he was a clear winner.

While McDonnell continued to ascend by claiming the European title, Ian slipped down once again last Friday when bidding to reclaim his British title against a far less experienced Stuart Hall.

Napa looked to be winning a close fight after his slow start and ahead of the ninth round Sky’s commentary and ringside team thought Ian was heading for glory.

But at the end of the eighth round Napa returned to his corner while the Sky cameras zoomed in on Spencer Oliver who boldly predicted Ian to be champion once again given what he was seeing.

Sometimes you do get to see a little more via your home screen and I wasn’t convinced despite his confidence. Even though I thought Napa was on top he didn’t look his usual lively and energetic self. At the end of the eighth round I remarked ‘He looks drained.’

A few seconds later my thoughts were confirmed when I saw the referee going over to Napa’s corner and after a brief word from his trainer Brian Lawrence the fight was called off, handing Hall the victory.

The commentators Ian Darke and Glenn McCrory were astounded by his decision to ’quit on his stool.’ I was a little sad to see a nice guy like Ian lose in that manner but glad Brian had made the right decision.

That last statement may shock many fighters, fans and trainers as there seems to be an unwritten rule in boxing which screams from the top of it’s voice ‘Don’t you dare quit!’

I have been watching boxing for more than 25 years during which time I too once believed a boxer should never quit on his stool, but fight to the end even if it meant dying because after all that is what being a gladiator is all about, isn’t it?

Actually no. Even if quitting on one’s stool leaves many with the impression that you have just bottled it or shown a lack of heart. As I searched the Sky text service on Sunday morning looking for boxing items there I found a report on Napa’s fight.

One part in particular caught my eye which stated Napa’s decision to quit was ‘bizarre’ because the judges’ scorecards revealed Ian was ahead. Okay, so he lost a fight and an opportunity to hold the British title again, but he gained a massive victory in that he lives to tell the tale.

Why is it at times like these a boxer’s heart maybe questioned rather than praising the head of his corner Brian Lawrence who decided to preserve his man’s health and future?

Who knows a fighter better than his trainer? Thankfully Lawrence himself  could see his man was struggling as he told me.

“I knew he wasn’t right, he had struggled to make the weight and dehydration had set in. If I would let it continue Ian would have collapsed in the ring. I knew how hard he had trained to make the weight, he has struggled to make weight in his last three fights.

“He hardly ate anything after the weigh in (on Thursday) as his stomach tightened but was able to eat on Friday. Ian wouldn’t want to quit and even if would have advised him not to go ahead with a fight he would say why the f*** are you pulling me out anyway?”

Ian has a good head next to him in Lawrence who was also ringside the night Paul Ingle was severely injured in 2000 when defending his IBF featherweight title against Mbulelo Botile and he could see Paul was in trouble before he left the ring on a stretcher and had a blood clot removed from his brain.

“After the knockdown (in the 11th round) I said to John Thaxton if they (his corner) send him out (for the next round) he will get hurt, if I can see it the trainer should know his fighter.”

Lawrence knows Napa well enough and is sure he has got plenty left in the tank if he moves up to super-bantamweight.

He added “Ian’s resting up, he will recover quickly from it."

And if it hadn’t been for Brian, Ian’s recovery may have taken far longer. Being pulled out of a fight isn’t a sign of being a coward or lacking heart. Actually it’s a highly brave decision to make.

You trust that those who 'really' know the fight game won’t quit on you as a fighter.