Do you have to have a high IQ to become champion?

There are very few fighters with out of ring intelligent. The Klitschko's stand out. Haye is a schemer more than really intelligent and Booth is probably behind it anyway.

Tyson Fury is no dope. He is a bit mad though.

Cleverly can't be too slow fighting as a pro and doing a degree in maths at the same time.

Macklin and Strum are well able to talk. Strum's English is very good.


I don't think intelligence comes into it in boxing. It doesn't take a lot of wit to follow a game plan and after that a lot is instinct and keeping a cool head.

 

Not trying to be picky, but Ali coulda been (and probably was) pretty smart - not only are IQ tests an incredibly bad way of measuring intelligence, if you're trying to avoid the draft can you even imagine how easy it is to deliberately do badly on an IQ test - the smarts involved would be in making it look like a genuine 'failure' tho.

That said IQ tests have less than nothing to do with what we call 'ring intelligence' - the Ring IQ bit is just shorthand for a combination of factors - the ability to understand and utilise the squared circle to one's advantage.

 

Ali had a low IQ, are you lot crazy, he was very intelligent.

He failed the army IQ test on purpose, that's intelligence.

 

Two words: Leon Spinks.

 

True, if Ali had a low IQ he would have been exposed as being dumb after so much talking, never thought he was dumb in and out and never heard people saying that tbh, there are so many other examples of real low IQ inside and outside.


There is of course a difference between low and high IQ, someone with a high IQ can control a fight at any time, he has the ability to study and prepare 100% for an opponent, can learn from experience, can change his strategy in the middle of a fight, knows what his opponent thinks and what he will do next.
Does that mean high IQ always beats low IQ? Of course not, as power, speed, punch resistance and endurance can win a fight alone, but I believe between boxers with equal abilities the one with higher IQ will rather be champ.

 

No Ali is the prime example.

 

Do some research on Ali he wasn't the sharpest tool in the shed.

 

Ali was a very intelligent Man, I read his autobiography, he said he failed his IQ test on purpose.

He is smarter than you :deal

 

:rofl

 

Tyson is a prime example of raw power and speed, trumping Ring IQ.

 

Ofcourse he could of deliberately 'cheated' for a low score to avoid the draft, but as you say making it not seem deliberate would of been differcult to say the least, especially from a man who was known for his quick wit. IQ tests are just one way (And a poor way imo) of measuring intelligence. In any case I think they based it on his test from high school.

Completely agree with your statement about 'Ring intelligence'.

 

Interesting Of all the fighters you have mentioned none are brawlers, would you say 'IQ' comes into almost choosing ones fighting style? Obviously fighters are going to use natural gifts aswell.

 

If you have a lot of natural talent and skill to mitigate your lack of IQ, then yes..

 

Lol man the truth is the truth check out Ghosts of Manila, a good unbiased book.

 

Ali always comes across as intelligent. Him failing an army IQ test (I would too) hardly proves he had a low IQ.

Why would it be hard to 'fake' a low IQ on a multiple choice IQ test. IMO it would be easy.

Ring IQ and IQ aren't the same anyway. Mayweather doesn't come across as intelligent anywhere but inside the ring.