When do you feel mind games have worked?

[mickey malone]

SRL vs Hagler

Yep!... And Collins Eubank, are great examples

[rightsideup]

sugar Ray Robinson consumed a cup of blood and told Jake Lamotta that it made him stronger. This apparently freaked Jake out.

[SlySlickSmooth]

When you're some young loud mouth kid calling the heavyweight champion an ugly bear despite him being one of the most feared punchers and scariest dudes around at the time.

[tyger]

I thought Hopkins did a number on Trinidad. Hopkins in his last few bouts brawled his way to victory and then before the fight did everything he could to make him mad. Tito was ready to knock him out but come the fight B-Hop surprised him by boxing.

[rightsideup]

duran instead of trying his usual intimidation tactics asked Palimino for an autograph for his son and came out counterpunching instead of rushing at carlos

[GeneralZod]

Michael Spinks looking at Mike Tyson.

[New England]

i don't know if these are "mind games," but george foreman, sunny liston, and mike tyson used to have opponents fighting scared from the opening bell. obviously some level of fear was felt by those guys before the fight.

[greynotsoold]

Greg Haugen was pretty good at this, getting under a guy's skin and making him fight mad. He worked it pretty well vs Pazienza twice (even though he got robbed in the first fight), Camacho and mancini. It didn't work so well with Chavez.

[Ben Bolt]

Maybe it’s too obvious to be mentioned, but Ali’s mind games towards Liston before their first bout must be the Oscar award in this genre.

wiki-link, see headlines Baiting the bear and The weigh-in
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Muhamma...._Sonny_Liston

[Anthony342]

Greg Haugen was pretty good at this, getting under a guy's skin and making him fight mad. He worked it pretty well vs Pazienza twice (even though he got robbed in the first fight), Camacho and mancini. It didn't work so well with Chavez.

Didn't work so well with Chavez, but still calling most of his wins over "Tijuana cab drivers" and going to the ring with "Born in the USA" playing when fighting in Mexico is still classic.

And to answer the topic question of when mind games work, I'd say anytime the fighter engaging in them goes on to win the fight.

How about favorite mind games? I go with the first two Leonard-Duran fights myself and Haugen-Chavez. Ali's over Liston, Foreman and Frazier are classics as well.