Documented occasions where a top fighter beat his opponent by deliberately frightening him?

Spinks stayed in his dressing room twenty minutes past his ring walk time, refusing to walk towards the ring delaying the fight. He also had a look of terror on his face while inside the ring before the fight started.

However he didn’t specifically come out and say he was terrified as that’s not usually within a boxers ego to admit that.

 

He could hear him. He was next door.

 

Make it quick, make it quick this guy could well kill you!!!

On a serious note i have absolutely got a mag somewhere with a quote from Spinks where upon being pushed heavily about fighting Tyson (some time before it eventuated) basical,y told the reporter well you go fight him!!!

 

Steve Collins pretending he'd been hypnotised and could feel no pain in his first fight with Chris Eubank.

 

Thanks Odd. I knew I'd heard something like that. Can't believe they let him hit walls before such a big fight. Indeed, EVER!!

Hands are a) fragile and b) a fighter's most important tool. What kind of trainer lets him hit a wall as part of his warm up for the most lucrative fight ever, at that time?

Butch Lewis has an understated way of telling a story, doesn't he?

 

The kind that knew him since he was a fourteen year old child and took over after Teddy Atlas was fired. Rooney knew Tyson wouldn’t mess up his hands.

 

I seriously doubt it.

 

I don't think it qualifies as documented evidence that intimidation made a fighter lose, but the two that I remember are Floyd bringing a disguise to the arena for the second (?) Liston bout and Michael Spinks saying in the days before the Tyson fight, "Don't count me out. I just might pull this thing off," yet seeming very nervous when he said it. I think that was in the Sports Illustrated preview.

 

Iran Barkley to many of his foes.

 

Ali said Liston was scary. Ali's mad antics at the weigh in might've helped to release some pent up tension whilst serving to unnerve Liston at the same time. Healthy fear is good for the adrenaline and advantageous when channeled positively. Even for Ali his activity level in the first 3-4 rounds in movement, defense and offense was insane. Would've been interesting if Liston didn't bail by round 7. All the frenetic earlier movement saw Ali come down off his toes for a bit by round 6 allowing Liston to land some thudding shots with that telescopic jab of his. Would've liked to have seen at least how the later rounds might've played out if Sonny hung in there for a bit longer.

I've read Max Baer had to be cajoled out of his dressing room to go out and face Louis with claims of an injured hand leading into the fight but many felt Max literally feared Louis anyway. Don't know if it's true or not. Conversely, the impassive Louis married Marva Trotter just hours before the fight. Fighting Louis is one thing but having to fight him between his marriage and the all important honeymoon action is another. Maybe all Joe saw in Max was a C blocker that needed to be eliminated asap.