We’ve got threads about training techniques (altitude vs. non-altitude) and on Classic whether today’s athletes really are better-faster-stronger ... but what about the mental game? Every trainer will tell you boxing is 90 percent mental and 10 percent physical — you get two relatively even talents who are both in good shape and the difference is probably between the ears. Some of the greatest of all time were greater as much because of their ability to rise above their opponent mentally, or get in their heads, than because they were simply better able or better trained. Ali, for instance, was almost always the mental winner. He took George Foreman’s soul by laying on the ropes and making him wear himself out, but also because Big George would land those wrecking balls and Ali would wave him back in and say “Is that all you’ve got? You can’t hit harder than that?” It wears down a fighter’s resolve to land big shots and see the other guy still there, especially asking for more. Duran taunted Leonard’s manhood until Ray determined that he’d go in there and show Roberto he could beat him in a street fight, toe to toe, in Montreal. Duran won on his terms. Another Duran story — Carlos Palomino knew about Duran’s antics at weigh-ins and how he’d push the other guy or scream in his face and try to start something. He came in ready for war — if he comes at me I’m gonna knock him cold. So Duran approaches him after they get off the scales and Carlos is ready for war ... and Duran asks if he can get an autographed picture for his kid, Palomino is his son’s favorite fighter. Carlos said he deflated like a balloon, and realized later it was probably just psychological warfare to throw him off his game. My brother went to have his first amateur fight with another kid from his gym who was also making his debut. It’s a small show and if you kow anything about lower-level amateurs (novices, not big tournaments) they all show up and weigh in and make the matches by who is there that are close in weight and experience. And this kid from my brother’s gym, who is kind of a whack job (still is tbh from what I hear) is looking around like everyone trying to figure out who he’s going to fight. And there’s one other guy about his size. The guy kind of wanders over gingerly and asks, ‘So what do you weigh?’ And my brother’s teammate leans his head forward nose to nose and screams at the top of his lungs “DOES IT F-ING MATTER???!!!” Scared the guy to death. He hardly threw a punch, haha. So we can go all day about hitting the punch pads and training underwater or drinking urine or eating only fish that are caught at night or whatever the latest fad is, but what about the mental game? What are some good stories about gaining the edge mentally, how to train for mental toughness, how to get inside an opponent’s head?
This content is protected First thing that came to my mind when reading this. Would love to see some more examples.
I think that shocked everyone but the signs were there that the usually intelligent,unflappable Wlad just couldn’t get his round the sometimes unhinged Fury. Man Fury was smart there and told us all what would happen.You know he won’t have that edge with Wilder though as he’s thick as two short planks and could never second guess himself like Wlad.
I reckon all this stuff with Abel about handwraps,gloves and the like is more to do with getting into the heads of the judges into getting it right this time. Canelo to his credit seems pretty unflappable.
I believe there was a documentary done by HBO about Sugar Ray Robinson when he was preparing for one of the LaMotta fights maybe it was the last one where he had LaMotta come to his house and he drank a whole glass of cows blood in front of them and passed it to him and told him to drink it and he wouldn't do it and in fact found the whole thing to be very strange
Many people don't realise how much psychology plays in the outcome of a fight. Ali was the master. To even sign for the Foreman fight at that age, and to implement the 'Rope a Dope' strategy was unbelievable. Like you've mentioned, he was laid on the ropes telling a monster puncher that he was a sissy and he hit like a woman etc. I think the biggest psyche job of all time though, has to be what Ali did against Sonny Liston. It was unbelievable how he crashed his camps etc. And he later admitted that deep down he was afraid of Sonny. But it was all an act to get in his mind. A great modern day example is Tyson Fury with Wlad. Wlad is normally very composed, but he didn't know how to react against Tyson. Tyson had him using bad language, and he even shaved his hair for the first time in his career after Tyson commented he looked old and grey. He made Wlad really uncomfortable in the build up and it followed through to their fight.
Livingstone Bramble played good head games on Mancini. https://www.ringtv.com/473050-kathy-duva-reminisces-livingstone-bramble-ray-mancini/
different sport but I'm pretty sure Lawrence Taylor used to send hookers and blow to the hotel room of the guy who was supposed to be blocking him the next day
Steve Collins vs Chris Eubank, Collins used psychology big time to get in Eubanks head, and it worked, Eubank could not cope with the uncertainty of what he was facing, Collins and his team stating he was hynotised.
