Which fighter had the best psychological game ?

True but he owned LaMotta psychologicaly.

How many people can claim that?

 

agree with that but i think it was more he couldnt controll his anger than being weak

 

Muhammad Ali was a master of the psyc out not only his opponents but also himself.
Unbelievable confidence.

 

Ken Norton saw right through his bluster, by Muhammad's own admission. Ali also admitted that Archie Moore's trashtalking was more than a match for his own, but of course Moore was not capable of competing with him in the ring.

After Norton and Spinks beat Ali, Muhammad abandoned the headgames for the return matches, conceding that he'd have to earn those wins within the ring, and over the distance. He used his legs in the second bouts with both more than at any other time during his second career. He was able to discourage Foreman with his toughness, but not Ken or Leon.

 

You've obviously selling Mike short here considering a prime for prime match up may very well fall in Tyson's favor.

But the larger issue is that having a great psychological game and being able to employ psychological warfare appears to be an asset, and positive component in a fighter's make up. Yet some of Tyson's wins seem to be undermined by the notion that he scared his opponents to death thereby diluting the magnitude of the win. Almost as though if Mike's opponent were not scared they'd have a reasonable shot of winning. Ali engages in psychological warfare and all of a sudden he's a genius. No notion of If ______ stood up to him they'd win. Even Liston, Even Foreman are given that leeway.

What gives?

 

I guess i'm a Duran hater because i think some people on this board take the prayers to their Duran altar a bit too far.

 

Good point.

 

Nar i know you're just saying it how you see it CP.

 

Duran richly earned many haters when he took eight million clams for New Orleans and tanked, then partied before Hearns and got squashed. While he eventually regained my unbridled admiration, I don't blame anybody who has disdain for him one bit.

 

I wasn't that impressed with him in the first video, he was just running his mouth and Brian Kenny and Kellerman were making it out to be more than it was. Rahman, for all his shortcomings, was definitely a strong dude though, knocking Lennox through a table is no easy task.

PS, what was with the grunting at 5:10 of the first video

 

Hearns and Tyson you were scared stiff looking at those 2 freaks,even if you were great you were still scared or at the least very worried and few survived them to it took someone super mentally strong to have any hope and thats before adding in their enormous physically abilities.

 

Jack Johnson

 

Duran was as nasty as you could get, pre and post fights.



Except against Hearns. I think he KNEW he was up against it in that one. No shame in only being stopped around your prime years against a top-30 ATG who punches possibly the hardest amongst any P4P fighter in the post-war era.

No shame AT ALL.