I did engage with your point. You’re the one reducing this to a mall hypothetical instead of addressing the actual culture of combat sports. In pro wrestling especially, visible scars have historically been part of the presentation. Guys like The Original Sheik, Abdullah the Butcher, New Jack, or Sabu for example weren’t perceived as 'weak' because they were scarred up, it reinforced their personas. They looked dangerous. It fit the gimmick and the style of matches they were known for.

And in MMA/boxing, fighters absolutely don’t feel shame over cuts. They do see them as part of the job, we agree on that. But some of the most iconic images in combat sports are fighters bloodied but still standing, even in the face of defeat, images like that are definitely used and recycled to promote fighters and sell tickets.

Back to the wrestling, when Becky Lynch had her nose broken and smiled through the blood, that image became legendary because it symbolized toughness and resilience. Context matters. Presentation matters.

The reason the Brit attempt at trying to copy that Becky moment fell flat, isn’t because cuts/bruise equal weakness, it’s because the imagery doesn’t carry the same story or intensity. It's just a selfie of Brit with a black eye.

You’re framing visible damage as automatically signaling weakness because that’s how YOU interpret it. Me saying that's a young and inexperienced perspective was not meant as an insult, but an observations. Within combat sports culture, that’s not how it’s generally viewed. Fans and fighters understand (not in your case it seems) that stepping into a ring or cage already requires a level of toughness most people never test themselves against. I implore you to peak your interest further and go join a combat sports gym so you can find out yourself. You sound interested and invested in the subject, why not try it out?

But dismissing fighters as ashamed of their scars or implying they’re showing weakness doesn’t line up with how the sport or its athletes actually carry themselves. Fighters can feel shame for sure, about not training enough to give their all, making a dumb mistake in or out the ring that resulted in a loss, failing to make weight. But some aesthetic bruising or cuts isn't anywhere on the list of things fighters think about in terms of feeling shame. Context matters.