It might be easier nominating dumb guys who were smart boxers. Monzon lived dumb but was all business and perfect efficiency in the ring. High boxing IQ, particularly his disciplined management over the long haul of 15 rounds. Lennox Lewis sounds reasonably smart (talks the talk, plays chess too, LOL)) but maybe fought dumb (lackadaisically?) on at least two notable occasions. Perhaps a bit too reserved v Holyfield also who he might’ve seen off if he put the pedal to the metal for better or worse. Then again, not so dumb as to invite the worst case when one can win by safety first means otherwise. He put on a very punishing clinic v Tua via no risk strategy. Smart. Poor old Marv fought dumb v Leonard and to a less pronounced degree v Duran. How smart is Ruiz external to the squared circle because as a dedicated mauler with clear advantages in size he decided to try and outbox chinny Roy Jones? That was more than dumb. Bugner was pretty cluey but didn’t always fight the obviously best fight. Actually, for all his natural size, courage and abilities, perhaps Joe’s problem was that for a boxer, he was a great pacifist. Not dumb, just not quite in possession of the all important killer instinct. Otherwise had some great god given tools.
Maybe not a dumb boxer, but I don't think Czyz has a reputation as an all time boxing wizard, and he was in MENSA. Young Foreman must have been a clever guy as well, considering what he accomplished in his second career. Fought like a caveman.
He was more technical than some people give him credit for in his first career. All that old timey pushing and framing he did was technical and well designed to keep his opponents literally off balance. Larry Holmes used some of those same techniques (although he was a bit more subtle with it, Foreman just did it right in the open).
If we're being realistic, Czyz has chronically behaved like an idiot outside the ring. MENSA isn't enough to make me call him a smart guy.
Calvin Brock and Davarryl Williamson both finished college (Williamson finished grad), but neither boxed especially smartly. Tor Hamer graduated college and came from a highly educated family. He fought like a moron. Something to consider is that if you panic in the ring, your ability to think clearly and execute goes down the drain regardless of how smart you are.
Brock I always saw as a very rote, textbook fighter. Like he studied orthodox technique and was trying to do the correct thing in a robotic manner.
Exactly. Guys who take up boxing late like Brock and Joshua often look like they have have to think before throwing a punch.
Yes. And that's kind of the way you'd expect a smart (or at least academically studious) guy to approach boxing.
