Do You Hate Or Love A Big Mouth Boxer?

Tex Cobb was definitely one of the best talkers. Very quick and witty, he could respond with a line that was either funny at his opponent's expense, or at his own expense.
"All I do is hit somebody in the mouth. It's a whole lot easier than working for a living. Don't make anything noble out of what I do." When asked how he viewed his boxing career.

"Sure, I'd love to fight him. But I have my price, twenty-five cents and a loose woman." On if he'd like to fight Gerry Cooney.

"You run for 45 minutes, you train for an hour and a half, and the rest of the time you just hang out and talk tough." On the typical day of a pro boxer.

"This fight will be the nastiest thing you'll ever see. I've been sober for six weeks, and that makes me vicious." On his upcoming fight with Michael Dokes.

"If you screw up in tennis, it's 15-love. If you screw up in boxing, it's your ass, darling!" On how tough fighting can be.

"I miss having bottle fatigue. Abstinence is for monks - not for me. This kind of life is really over-rated. I mean, I'm actually getting to sleep before I have breakfast." On keeping sober during training.

"I've always thought the greatest crime a man can do is take himself too seriously. I mean, something like fighting is pretty ridiculous to take seriously. What I do is hit people, I'm not promoting anything that is real or valuable." On how he looks at fighting for a living.


On the Larry Holmes fight, Cobb's biggest ever bout.

"No, Larry don't hit as hard as Earnie Shavers. No-one hits as hard as Shavers. If there was a fighter that hit harder than Shavers, I shoot him!"

"I wasn't talking to Holmes in there. Every time I felt like saying something to him I found it hard because he kept putting his left hand in my mouth."

"Hey, you're a white guy, do something about this!" To the ref in the Holmes fight.

"I'd have been more active in there, if only I'd been a little more sober."

"Let's party!" To Holmes as they touched gloves for round 15.

"I don't think his hands could take the abuse." On a possible rematch with Holmes.

And finally, three of Cobb's absolute gems.

"I can do my sport no greater service." On being informed that commentator Howard Cosell had hung up his mike after being so appalled at the one-sidedness of the Holmes-Cobb fight.

"Boxing writers are the only people out there who have less constructive jobs than what I do. I don't do nothing but hit people, and those mothers don't do nothing but write about what I do!"

"Yeah, I've been KO'd. Once. By a Mexican bantamweight. How come? Six of my buddies were swinging him around by the heels at the time."

 

Guys talking are entertaining and build up fights. I liked how Ali made Liston believe he really was crazy. Hopkins running from thousands of people in Puerto Rico was a classic. Duran really shook-up Leonard for their first fight. These ones were part of a strategy and entertaining. Those are the best! Some waste time running their mouths though like Tarver and Mayrunner. Roach did a good job getting ODLH worked-up.

 

Depends on the fighter and how creative he can be:

Mayorga = great talker, mediocre contender

PBF = lousy talker, great boxer

 

Exactly what I was going to say before I saw your post. :good

As long as they back it up, I have no problem. Trash talkers that can't back it up in the ring, or are just delusional, annoy me as hell.

 

If you can back it up and still be gracious after the fight then I like a fighter that talks some **** before hand. This brings personality to a fight, and it is better for the sport all around.

 

Great quotes TS! I've enjoyed each and every one of them!

 

Guy's that talk trash are annoying, and stupid.
And face it loud mouth, obnixious, assholes just get on most peoples nerves.
Save it for the ring, if you have to talk about someone's wife or mother, than you are a scumbag..

 

As long as they back it up then sure, why not.

 

Actually thats why Miranda sucks. Trash talked on Abraham, Germans and referee for nearly a year and did convinced more than one on ESB - fight night - he fought like a bull against the matador atsch Bad for boxing and live in generally.

Hopkins and Mundine. Talented fighters though.

 

it definitely adds another dimension to a fight...you know like looking to see if the guy can back it up or not...