The ten most intelligent fighters ever

Do you mean the most inteligent tacticians or just the most inteligent regardless of boxing context?

 

Either way, Gene Tunney has to be up there. Chris Eubank, if you'd believe him, has a higher IQ than Stephen Hawkings.

 

One fighter who has always impresed me as having his opponents number is Fritzie Zivic.

Whatever the oponent he always seemed to find a well tailored strategy.

 

Before the second world war there were people boxing who might have been academics had they been born today.

Jack Johnson today would have made more money from his patents than he did boxing. His ambition of being a congresman would be an atainable dream.

 

1. Gene Tunney

2. Carlos Ortiz

3. Willie Pep

4. Archie Moore

5. Carlos Monzon

6. Bernard Hopkins

7. Muhammad Ali

8. Max Schmeling

9. Roberto Duran

10. Lennox Lewis

A few notes: boxers who had great trainers to work out their strategies for them (eg. Joe Louis, Emile Griffiths etc.) aren't listed here; Gene Tunney is by far and away the favourite, considering how many fights (the Carpentier fight in particular) he won on strategy alone; I list Hopkins here despite how much his style frustrates me; there's very little between the boxers between 2-4.

The reason Tunney is so dominant, in my opinion, is that he was never strategically beaten, just outfought. Greb didn't beat him with strategy, he beat him by being utterly relentless. Dempsey, albeit past his prime, was totally bamboozled by Tunney. Tunney was like the skinny rugby team that runs circles around and tactically outwits the larger, stronger and faster opposing team time after time. Tunney didn't just know what you'd do before you did it; by the time you did it, he had already discussed the matter with Bernard Shaw over a brandy.

Lewis is ranked so highly because of his adaptability. He had excellent initiative, which allowed him to change the tactical course of fights even if he had been strategically beaten: the Bruno, Briggs, Klitschko and Mercer fights are all examples of this.

 

Eubank was as thick as the proverbial two planks. The man use to study a dictionary the night before press conference to put together his dribble.

He was a fine fighter, and had accidental excellent comedy timing, but he was not sharpest person out there.

 

Hence "If you'd believe him". In accordance with the philosophy of gentlemanliness, I won't go any further, since doing such would not be in accordance with my principles of accordance.

I think it's telling that Eubank was one of the highest earning British boxers (probably only behind Lennox) yet squandered his wealth away. In the ring, meanwhile, he was more mash-up than maestro; he'd either hurt someone or not capitalise, or just casually allow himself to fall behind on cards without changing what he was doing at all.

 

Yes but there are intelectual predictions and intuitive predictions.

Sonny Liston generaly knew what an oponent would do before they did it not because he was an inteligent fighter but because he could read body language realy well.

 

good post kurgan. what about modern day fighters though? you have Lewis i would think Pernell and Hector would be there too.

 

john ruiz is smart boxer. i no hes not that good but he does good anyway. ugly fighter but it works. have to respect ruiz.

roys jones is has good tactics to. is it true he learnt from chickens?
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Yeah, after perfecting the head movement Roy Snr made him chase one until caught it, so he had speed

 

alright. you gotta be genius to learn from chickens then do it on that hopkins. he had good tactics on toney and ruiz to. and those moves he does. he rewrote boxing technique.
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