Biggest myth in Boxing

One big myth that was busted a few years back was the Cooper/AliI (Clay) split glove myth.

The BBC looked back at the tapes, the glove was not replaced and Ali (Clay) was given no more than an extra 10 seconds between the rounds.

Do not believe me? Watch the ESPN Classic coverage of the bout, that is on virtually ever other week.

 

Clearly, I'm for the first of the three stated scenarios. Like I said before, we're both engaging in a speculative discussion; we could both end up wrong. The turn of events of my theory, however, are more consistent with the actual conclusion of my speculation. There are no coincidences in mine and I don't think there are any gaping wholes either. It was a controversial fight and I admit to not having the full story.

Agree to disagree, I guess. I still maintain that relinquishing the title after receiving a shoulder injury to go with a boxing lesson is not any more incredible than your story.

 

Normally, if a fighter takes a dive, they make a point of taking as little punishment as possible (hence the reason why most people think the second fight was a total fix...I'm not so sure that it was). But, in the first fight, Liston was sliced open, and swollen around both eyes by the end of six rounds.

When one factors in the way he stormed after Ali in the first two rounds, the way he fought back after being hurt in the third, and the way he tried to finish matters in the fifth, I just don't see any way that the first fight was "fixed". Liston may have quit in the fight, but I think that really had more to do with Ali, and less to do with other external sources.

 

If a fighter takes a dive they will normaly do it in the first round because it is the most fail safe option.

Say that I am going to take a dive against you. To maximise my profits I must predict the round I go down in. If I say round six then I must protect myself for six rounds without knocking you out.

If you knock me out in round five before I can dive then I end up wearing a concrete jacket. This is especialy likley because I cannot risk knocking you out.

If I defend myself overzealously and knock you out then again I end up wearing a concrete jacket.

If I arange to lie down in the first round then there is no way it can possibly go wrong (unless of course you refuse to go to your neutral corner and stand over me shouting "Get up and fight you bum")

 

I agree with McGrain, I gave Ali 5 of the rounds before the 8th and he was really busting Foreman up. Both guys dished out punishment to each other, the only reason it's considered that Ali just sat there and waited until Foreman tired out is because most boxing fans and uneducated about the details of the sport and watch with rose coloured glasses.

I guess they didn't see Ali landing blistering combo's to Foreman's head all throughout the fight.

 

The logic makes sense, but, based on what I've seen of the second fight, I'm still not certain whether it's a fix from the start, or simply a case of Liston simply saying to hell with it after getting dropped by a shot he didn't see.

I've seen plenty of seemingly innocous punches drop fighters, so a quick right hand near the temple dropping someone like Liston isn't that much of a surprise. Now, when you combine that Ali had landed a right hand to start the fight, it's easy to see the wheels spinning inside Liston's head..."**** this, I'm not winning this fight, and I don't feel like dragging it out any longer than I have to."

At that point, it had already been established that Liston couldn't get out of the way of Ali's right hand (it had landed to start the fight), and was having a difficult time hitting Ali with anything in return. If you think the kd's legit (and I do), then it's easy to see Liston giving up and calling it a night.

 

Mayweather really lost to Castillo in the first fight is the biggest myth in boxing IMO.

 

yep, as much as i dislike the little ****, I still had him winning 7-5

 

It was a close fight, that could have gone either way...but, you're right: it wasn't highway robbery.

Edit: I called it a draw, personally. I think the majority of the controversy stems from how lopsided the scorecards were in PBF's favor.