Who were the best mind gamers in history?

[Barn]

Just watched Spinks vs Braxton.

Qawi laughed when hit. Laughed when cornered, stuck his tongue out when hurt. Danced when he had his opponent hurt. Jokes all round. Awesome fighter as well.

[Tiozzo]

Just watched Spinks vs Braxton.

Qawi laughed when hit. Laughed when cornered, stuck his tongue out when hurt. Danced when he had his opponent hurt. Jokes all round. Awesome fighter as well.

Qawi had a habit of laughing at his opponent, even when he was the one getting hammered. But he really made Spinks look amateurish.

[Barn]

Qawi had a habit of laughing at his opponent, even when he was the one getting hammered. But he really made Spinks look amateurish.

He did do well. I wouldn't go as far as "amateurish". Spinks still did very well landing great combos. Didn't like his running in portions though.

[Young Money]

Benny Leonard


From an article by Mike Casey

"[He] studied human behaviour and how quickly the brain of an opponent could be scrambled and gridlocked. Leonard would give his foes a little tap on the shoulder at appropriate moments to disorientate them. An old trick, yes, but a boxer of Leonard’s quality could amplify its effectiveness no end."


An excerpt from a Monte D. Cox article

"Ray Arcel, one of the greatest trainers of all time, concurs on Leonard’s ability to out-think his opponent’s, Peter Heller's In The Corner, “Boxing is brains over brawn. I don’t care how much ability you got, if you can’t think your just another bum in the park. People ask me who’s the greatest boxer I ever saw pound for pound. I hesitate to say, either Benny Leonard or Ray Robinson. But Leonard’s mental energy surpassed anyone else’s."

"Budd Schulberg described what transpired in the next round as Mitchell attacked Benny who was still hurt and on his bicycle. “As he retreated his was talking to Mitchell (shades of Ali a half century later!), “Is that the best you can do? I thought you hit harder than that? I’ll put my hands down, what do you want to bet you can’t hit me? Come on if you think you got me hurt, why don’t you fight? You look awful slow to me Richie”. Mitchell swung wildly missing and began to wear down by rounds end. In the fifth Leonard was up on his toes snapping Mitchell’s head back with left jabs and right crosses."


From TIME Magazine article - Sport: Benny the Brain

"Leonard fought with his head. His most famed rival, Lew Tendler, claimed that Leonard had talked him out of the title by whispering disconcerting things between punches. Leonard's version: "He caught me over the eye with a left and I felt my knees going under me. I said, That was a good punch, Lew.' I said it in a friendly, matter-of-fact tone of voice and it put the fight on a different plane. Lew snarled, 'Never mind that stuff, come on and fight.' But I stuck out a restraining hand and said, 'No, Lew. That was really a good punch. It was all right.' Lew paused again, and by that time I had recovered my senses."

Before Leonard's fight with Richie Mitchell, the referee explained the then-new rule that after scoring a knockdown, a boxer must go to a neutral corner. Leonard suddenly registered perplexity. "Let me get this straight," he said. "As I understand it, every time I knock him down I'm to go to a neutral corner." Mitchell looked nervous. Leonard knocked him out in the sixth round after Mitchell knocked Leonard down in the first round"

[CarlosG815]

Mike Tyson was one of the greatest psychological scientists when in the ring in many ways.

His boxing IQ inside the ring was off the charts. Psychologically he was a genius in the sport when inside the ring.

In his prime of course.

[Tiozzo]

Benny Leonard


From an article by Mike Casey

"[He] studied human behaviour and how quickly the brain of an opponent could be scrambled and gridlocked. Leonard would give his foes a little tap on the shoulder at appropriate moments to disorientate them. An old trick, yes, but a boxer of Leonard’s quality could amplify its effectiveness no end."


An excerpt from a Monte D. Cox article

"Ray Arcel, one of the greatest trainers of all time, concurs on Leonard’s ability to out-think his opponent’s, Peter Heller's In The Corner, “Boxing is brains over brawn. I don’t care how much ability you got, if you can’t think your just another bum in the park. People ask me who’s the greatest boxer I ever saw pound for pound. I hesitate to say, either Benny Leonard or Ray Robinson. But Leonard’s mental energy surpassed anyone else’s."

"Budd Schulberg described what transpired in the next round as Mitchell attacked Benny who was still hurt and on his bicycle. “As he retreated his was talking to Mitchell (shades of Ali a half century later!), “Is that the best you can do? I thought you hit harder than that? I’ll put my hands down, what do you want to bet you can’t hit me? Come on if you think you got me hurt, why don’t you fight? You look awful slow to me Richie”. Mitchell swung wildly missing and began to wear down by rounds end. In the fifth Leonard was up on his toes snapping Mitchell’s head back with left jabs and right crosses."


From TIME Magazine article - Sport: Benny the Brain

"Leonard fought with his head. His most famed rival, Lew Tendler, claimed that Leonard had talked him out of the title by whispering disconcerting things between punches. Leonard's version: "He caught me over the eye with a left and I felt my knees going under me. I said, That was a good punch, Lew.' I said it in a friendly, matter-of-fact tone of voice and it put the fight on a different plane. Lew snarled, 'Never mind that stuff, come on and fight.' But I stuck out a restraining hand and said, 'No, Lew. That was really a good punch. It was all right.' Lew paused again, and by that time I had recovered my senses."

Before Leonard's fight with Richie Mitchell, the referee explained the then-new rule that after scoring a knockdown, a boxer must go to a neutral corner. Leonard suddenly registered perplexity. "Let me get this straight," he said. "As I understand it, every time I knock him down I'm to go to a neutral corner." Mitchell looked nervous. Leonard knocked him out in the sixth round after Mitchell knocked Leonard down in the first round"

good post

[Tiozzo]

Mike Tyson was one of the greatest psychological scientists when in the ring in many ways.

His boxing IQ inside the ring was off the charts. Psychologically he was a genius in the sport when inside the ring.

In his prime of course.

what kind of mind games did he play ? his fearsome presence put aside, I don't think he was playing mind games

[CarlosG815]

what kind of mind games did he play ? his fearsome presence put aside, I don't think he was playing mind games

I disagree.

[Tiozzo]

I disagree.

it's ok to disagree, but you have to say why

so what did he do ?

[New England]

muhammad ali

freddie roach

mike tyson

david haye (more of a con man than anything else. he pulls one over on the fans. the headless klitschko brothers T shirt was classic.)

aaron pryor had some great in ring antics / mind games as well
if he got dropped he'd bounce back up instead of taking a seven or 8 count.
he pointed // stared guys down
and the way he fought would make guys fold (though that had a lot more to do with work rate and stamina than mind games in many cases.
just a defiant dude.


and sonny liston had eyes like a shark
scary dude