Most intimidating stare down?

Anthony Joshua doesn’t like stare downs if they exceed a certain, “understood” duration.

It’s a duration only AJ understands and determines, mind you.

If the opponent holds his gaze for even just 1-2 seconds longer than is “proper” and after Joshua himself has receded, Anthony becomes quite peeved.

No, stare downs don’t work on the iron mind of AJ. Don’t even go there.

 

Just examining the reverse perspective for a moment, it seems Ken Norton was one fighter who pointedly avoided eye contact during pre fight instructions.

 

Hearns. I like the Lyle-Foreman stare down too

 

Jack Johnson's big smile would have been very unnerving to many opponents.

https://www.ringtv.com/wp-content/uploads/2008/12/file_120099_0_879.jpg

 

I liked the Hearns vs Benitez staredown.

 

Yeah, I concur with McGrain here. You've seen Tyson staring down McNeeley so many times in social media, and you're starting to find a hard time taking these too overly tough looking guys seriously. The only one that legitimatly managed to spook me for a bit was actually Muhammad Ali's staredown against Quarry in their rematch. In contrast to his usually goofy looking faces or his normaly unintimidating appearence, it just took a serious look from Ali to actually make me feel a bit taken back. He didn't even look angry, he just had a relaxed but serious looking expression, that of a man ready to go to a fight, and it was more convincing than just about anything I can think of right now.

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he still gave plenty of guys the absolute works in the ring. not to say Norton wasn't vulnerable to stare-downs, it just reminds me that some fighters dont give a damn that you're trying to intimidate them.

 

I would argue this as Ali's most dominant performance post-exile.

 

The Eyes Dont Lie: Tyson's scared of Holyfield - YouTube

It's rare you'd see Iron Mike stared down.

 

When the bully becomes the bullied....

 

Long time no read - good to see you back brother Tock.

Yeah, that was no aspersion at all on Ken. Actually, a smart move not to get caught up in that rubbish - quite possibly part of Ken’s positive thinking package, not allowing any potential, negative vibes through.

Even without being intimidated, I think the stare down process could be uncomfortable in its own right. Some guys perfect their stares while others are simply not into it.

Also, when one guy is the first to break from a stare - the other guy might delude himself into thinking he has won the pre fight mental battle. Lol.

You can only stare for so long - notwithstanding who’s in front of you - unless you’re engaging a super hot MMA chick with gorgeous eyes. Otherwise it might be a well endowed female chest that you lock your gaze onto.

Foreman’s stare on Frazier was fearsome. There was no facial read of any fear or nervousness in Foreman as George later claimed.

The read on Foreman’s face was quite the opposite actually. But then, fearless Joe Frazier didn’t give two Fs, did he? Joe didn’t know the meaning of the word fear.

Ali’s antidote for the Foreman stare was perfect.

Ali didn’t just stare back, uncomfortably holding back pent up aggressive energy, restricted to pointless eye balling.

He contemptuously talked Foreman down during instructions and Ali relished every second of it. Ali’s absolute domain.

Ali wanted George angry. Objective achieved.

George’s head looked like it was about to explode - just like the exploding heads in that old movie Scanners. Lol.

By the time they had to head back to their corners for opening bell - Foreman was literally snarling, his top lip clearly bared back over his gum shield.

He literally wanted to kill Ali. There was a self induced Bomaye chant going on in Foreman’s own head.

Who on earth BUT Ali would want to incite George into such a homicidal state? Balls of steel.

There might’ve been some incrementally revealed method to Ali’s madness as the fight played out, but there was still a good dose of madness involved. Ha!

Ali and Frazier talking up a storm during Manila preflight was theatre more than anything else - but great viewing all the same.

As far it went between those two, Muhammad and Joe knew that type of stuff had no effect on one another. It was all gong to be sorted in the ring straight after opening bell.

 

He could have played an extra in the movie "Jaws".

According to this picture that can be seen right now, he did not accidentally call himself good looking.

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impressive

 

Thank you Pugg, means the world to be acknowledge as gone for a bit.

I totally agree Frazier had no concept of fear. Not many guys got knocked down by Foreman once and kept marching forward, nevertheless 5+ times with the same determination and ferocity. Frazier lost every battle, and the war, against Foreman. But never can you argue that he didn't give it his all. Frazier had heart.

So did Ali, another guy unaffected by staredowns. For Ali though, I agree with your observations- as Foreman had mastered the stare down, it was Ali who consistently showed he could turn up the pressure- elevate himself- and then back up all of his fearmongering as an absolute fact. The reality is that Foreman was in the ring with an animal- not the other way around- in my opinion. Ali would have chanced death, and consistently did, in his search for glory. Ali's stare downs were legendary as much as his trashtalking.

I'm not sure if anyone on the forum is a comic book fan but, Spider-Man always quips and jokes when fighting his villains, its his nature and the villains recognize it. But rarely whenever Spider-Man is silent, and doesn't speak, its always a extremely serious moment that frightens his enemies.

I feel like Ali is in the same vein, you're always so used to see him being laid-back and joking so that once hes serious... its legitimately scary. I'd argue that a serious Ali is rare too. I can remember two real times I saw it, in the rematch with Quarry, and second Norton fight.