Greats with the lowest Boxing IQ?

Of my top 20 or so p4p ATGs, I'd guess Pacquiao and McGovern as having the lowest ring IQ. That's says more about their respective styles and the incredibly high boxing IQs of the others in that range, than anything else, though.

 

Boxing IQ is hard to rate for us watching the fights from the outside. Sometimes they pick up tricks that are impossible for us to see... a pattern that it is only visible for the guys inside the ring.

 

Give me some examples for these two... I´m pretty sure Shane picked up some tricks to counter Margarito so well.

 

Recently, Donaire was one of those, if the guy didn´t lead the fight he would do nothing, it´s what happened in the Rigondeaux fight. He could not fire the first punch.

 

that was just rigo

 

Rocky Marciano. He was crude, but effective.

 

A great fighter almost certainly has an above average ring IQ, regardless of their style.

 

He koed Walcott using ring smarts, timing is a result of ring IQ. You pick up stuff and time it and then boom!

 

Not exactly only Rigo, Donaire did well against agressive types, didn’t do well against counter-punchers. Broadly speaking.

 

This is a hard one but a good question. When I think low IQ greats, De La Hoya pops into mind for his disasterclass vs. Trinidad for sure. But he also had a good mind for when to finish and was an excellent ring general.

Maybe Johnny Tapia could have been a bit better if he focused purely on boxing both inside the ring and out, but what a fighter.

Same goes for Hamed especially. If he clowned a little less I think he would have been better.

To me, Rocky was a smart fighter with a simple approach. I think Marciano's extreme intelligence allowed him to make a gameplan that worked for his suboptimal frame and less twitchy/explosive athleticism. He figured out a way to make his game work using durability, cardio, toughness, and subtle defensive adjustments that created offensive openings.

 

I wouldn't rate Hamed as a great- very good maybe- simply because he was so ****ing stupid.

 

I can see that.

I think how he boxed was more influential than what he did, and for that I consider him great. If he were sharper and more focused in the ring, instead of goofing off, I figure he could have been a top all timer.

 

I agree with the very top guys having high ring intelligence, even the way Frazier was known to start slow and pick up the pace as he learned his opponent can be seen as smart, not everyone was able to get at Ali like he did

I think the highest level guys that are maybe a bit lacking would be like Bonavena, Morrison, ones that had great technique, good power, but kind of just stuck to their fundamentals and made it work

 

oscar seems up there.