Thread: Fighters who made their opponents despair and give up

George Foreman, after hitting his opponents 2 or 3 times, must have really discouraged his opponents. Once they tasted a few shots, how could they mentally hang in there, knowing the longer they stood there, the more monster shots they would eat?

Also Ali, after showing off his speed for a few rounds, must have really caused total despair in his opponents. Ali would win mentally over his opponent, Foreman would win with clubbing telephone pole bombs. Thats why Ali/Foreman fight was so interesting. Putting the 2 together.

Sonny Liston they say used to win the fight right there at the staredown, with his "baleful stare" as Howard Cosell liked to say.

Hatton v kosta, hatton took alot of punishment but still wore kosta down enough to giv up,
Peter v vitali, vitali boxed peters head off resulting in peter quiting on his stool, not often a hw world champ quits!

When Tyson first burst on the scene he had to cause some mental despair in his opponents. First because of his physical apperance ( that of a pittbull on steroids). Second his reputation alone was enough to scare the hell out of an opponent, wasnt it 19 strait ko's to start off.

Nigel benn must of been intimidating.... 18 odd ko's on the bounce, if you hit him he hit you back twice as hard! Must off been soul destroying getting in the ring with him!

SRL ,nomas

Lewis mad McCall cry

Originally Posted by smashup

Lewis mad McCall cry

I thought crack cocaine and being loony made McCall cry.

You could include Margarito with Cintron and Cotto fights. Despite any personal views or questions of cheating anyone or even myself may have. Especially with Cintron as an example.

Say what you want about him on a bad night and not really physical but few have had an psych out effect and critical analysis of opponents as Hopkins. Before the bell rang he was climbing into a guys mental make up.

Jones jr too. He took more than a few normally sturdy guys and just "shocked" them with fast power and swagger in boat loads.

Mental despaire can pave roads for a guy and lead to physical break downs, just put a guy in doubt prior to the first round. Once a guy doubts himself he's already playing catch up.

Floyd Mayweather Jr.

The look on the faces on his opponents when they realize that they cannot hit him, can't do anything about it, and can't stop him from hitting them looks a lot like despair to me.

Mosley V Pacman, after the knockdown Mosley was there for survival only, he had no interest in winning the fight

Maidana vs Ortiz

Segura/ Calderun

Barrios/Anchondo

Eubanks said against Watson, in their 2nd fight, that he had given up on winning and was in survival mode, until he landed that uppercut.

Surprised no one has mentioned the "no mas" fight. SRL was brilliant and was out there to box Duran rather than fight his fight as he had done the first time around, and it worked. I really am struggling to think of any other fighter in history who could make Roberto Duran quit.