Who started Trash Talking in Boxing really ?

Jack Johnson was not a trash talker, not really.....

 

It would be too easy to say Ali. However, I do believe Jack Sharkey started the staredown. The story goes that he got in Dempsey's face during instructions (or maybe just grimacing) and it caught Dempsey unawares to the point he said to a cornerman, "What's he doing?"

 

As we know it, Galento.

 

It’s been around forever to quote Freud society was built when one man threw an insult instead of a rock.

 

Probably Sullivan

 

He did say something about "giving a beating in anyone in this room" or something.... is this trash talking though ?

 

Hmm very very interesting did not know that... who started the staredown, that is a info that you only get here.

 

Trash talk is older than boxing

 

John L Sullivans exact catchphrase was "My name's John L. Sullivan and I can lick any son-of-a-***** alive" he said this while introducing himself to people in public. Belittling other people with insults and claiming your superiority over them is pretty much trash talking 101. Then there's the fact that John was a mean drunk, I'm sure a man of his character was no stranger at hurling insults wherever he went.

 

I have to imagine the bare knuckle fighters were quite adept at talking trash. Maybe it goes back to antiquity? I feel like the eastern martial arts are more about showing respect and reverence to your opponent than western fighters are. Maybe that's related to Buddhism? Muay Thai fighters don't trash talk each other.

 

It wasn´t common until recently the trash talking in West Europe too, I think it´s more an american thing. Trash talking is not rare in other sports in America, while you don´t see it at all in football/soccer for example.. I mean can you imagine trash talking in Rugby ? Of course not.

 

I’ve always loved Dempsey’s reactive “What’s he doing?”

And nearly 100 years after that fact, with the concept and motives behind stare downs well established, we had AJ inexplicably asking Helenius WHY he kept staring at AJ at the weigh in.

One flew East and one flew West…

 

Bombastic John L def. qualifies as a trash talker.

Corbett spoke his fair share also - and very much cowardly so in Reno when Jack fought Jeff.

I would include Jack Johnson without hesitation and say that he was far better at it than his predecessors and also a lot better than many wannabes are today.

Johnson in Reno - “I devoutly hope that punch didn’t hurt you Mr Jeff” or words very close to that effect.

 

Glad you said so because I always thought that of Corbett.... Corbett did seem like an ******* didn´t he ?

 

He did - such irony that they prefaced Corbett to be a “Gentleman”.