What? You put Vlad as a smart fighter? How is growing taller and outweighing your opponent get put in the smart column?
In regards to active fighters and ring smarts I'd say the following... 1st- Mayweather - Great skills but also showed great adaptability against Hatton and Mosley to overcome his opponent. No active fighter for me has shown he can alter tactics mid fight as effectively as Mayweather. 2nd - Hopkins - Tito fight stands out for me, figured out Tito's footwork issues and used that to dominate him. Has overcome numerous styles through technique and ring smarts achieving his best wins at an age he should be long retired. 3rd -Ward - Showed he could adapt in the ring against Dawson, taking away his jab and then taking away his right hook to land his left hook. The super 6 became a showcase for his skills and how he could overcome different styles. 4th - Toney - He may be shot to **** but he's still active and in his prime was an enigma wrapped in a maze, hidden in a puzzle. Inside and countering skills off the chart. 5th- Marquez - Only fighter to figure out how figure out how to consistently beat the maelstrom of fists that was prime Pac. Countering skills off the chart. Rigo deserves a mention his skills are very impressive but he's never had to overcome adversity in the ring and show adaptability which is the true hallmark of ring intelligence. Wlad is actually not a smart fighter. Steward developed a style for him which is unbeatable in this era but how many times did he lose before making those necessary changes and we haven't seen him tested since to show if he can adapt. He basically always fights the same way and is so dominant we haven't seen how he would cope with adversity.
Impossible to do a list like this. Guys like Robinson, Pep, Armstrong, Leonard, Monzon and Whitaker have to make the list. Notable HW's in Ali, Louis, and Johnson too. And then you have the two contemporary standouts in Mayweather and Hopkins.
Surely intelligence outside of the ring transfers into the ring? Tho not vice versa MAB - is he not a trained lawyer or accountant or something? I know JMM is one of them and MAB is the other Tho trained and educated in these professionals may not b all they are cracked up to be given qualifications and education happened in Mexico
how dare you mention wlad in the same breath as ali? ali was 100 times more skilled and talented than wlad. u should be banned for life for even trying that ****!!!
If it's any consolation. I don't like the Clinchko(see what I did there? ) Brothers. But I call it how I see it.
Not necessarily. Nicky Piper has a mensa level IQ. Nathan Cleverly has a degree in mathematics yet still wasn't smart enough to not stand in front of Kovalev and trade punches. I believe MAB did study law but quit in his 3rd year to focus on boxing and Marquez does have a degree in accounting.