It seems that most all time greats had tricks that ranged from gray area to outright illegal. Nevertheless they got away with it. What are some of the more notable cases of this? I know of Ali grabbing the back of peoples' head and Holyfield's headbutts but what are other instances of this?
Roberto Duran would sometimes trap his opponents on the ropes, and then proceed to place his head on their left shoulder, making their left hand practically useless. Then he would press his opponent's right bicep with an open palm, making their right hand just as useless as their left. And given how his left hand was occupied with his opponent's right bicep, and his head nullified his opponent's left hand, that meant that Duran could fire away with his free right hand as much as he pleased, while the other guy couldn't even punch. That's technically holding and hitting, but it's also brilliant.
I used to love Eusebio Pedroza and his cheating ways. I thought he was one of the most skilled boxers at the time and that he didn't need to break the rules at all to win but he did it anyway. I remember in the interview after the Holmes vs. Smith fight when "Bonecrusher's" speech was scratchy and he said it was because Holmes was jabbing him in the throat with his thumb all fight. As you mention. My all time favorite boxer to bend the rules is Evander Holyfield. That headbutt low blow combination that he landed on Michael Dokes was something and that lump he put on Rahman's forehead was just wow.
Wlad kind of perfected old Ali's holding and leaning. Foreman's pushing, of course, in both careers. Fury's dirty boxing, which has most elements of fouling: holding and hitting, pushing and leaning and the odd headbutt as well, I think. His fight against Wallin was a bit of a masterclass in being dirty from both fighters Frazier was good at the grey areas. Targeting the hips and keeping his head in the opponent's face without outright butting. Funny, that it's mostly HWs that come to mind. Floyd was very good at using his left elbow, though.
Like Andre Ward (Mikkel Kessler fight), but Andre Ward also used low blows: This content is protected
Larry Holmes was a notorious thumber (something Ali was at times accused off as well) but he also had a habit of putting his left glove on his opponents forehead and holding it there while he teed off with his right hand.
Bernard Hopkins used every trick in the book: elbows, headbutt, low blows, constant holding, rabbit punches, hitting after the bell.
Lennox Lewis: holding and hitting, particularly holding the back of his opponents neck with his left hand and then throwing the right uppercut. Sometimes he would be blatant but other times he’d be quick and sneaky with it. Mike Tyson: Hitting guys after the bell, hitting guys on the canvas, elbows. Evander Holyfield: master of the “intentional accidental headbutt” Floyd Mayweather & Michael Spinks: elbows Bernard Hopkins: Using his head, hitting low, rabbit punching. Eusebio Pedroza: Hitting low, elbows. Also had a tendency to throw kidney punches.
Rocky Marciano, choose a foul and he did it, he illegally used his head, elbow, hit while opponent down, low blows.
Used to be called mugging in the old days I.e eye gouging which was an extremely common tactic with the 6oz thumb detatched mitts and thumbed gloves, Greb was a master of it but he himself lost his sight this way largely at the hands of Kid Norfork although others were also to blame.