Thread: What was more important for these fighters?

Physical ability or intelligence?
Marciano
Ali
Archi Moore
Cooney
Ken Norton
Holmes
Frazier
Foreman
Morrison
Ray Leonard
Duran
Hearns
These are all well know names. I have always thought you needed above average physical ability and intelligence in equal measure, but most of you seem to think being a great fighter is more about intelligence. In my opinion, you can't have one without the other.
Explain to me why I'm wrong, if that's the way you see it.

When a fighter lacks physical limitations then they have to use their intelligence. Ali was mobile pre his ban afterwards he relied on his durability and intelligence to win.

It’s a fine line to be sure and its most definitely best when the two aspects come together like say Floyd. The difference imo is that you can have mediocre physical skill and win using intelligence even at the highest level. Conversely you can be blessed with an unbelievable skill set and not be able to do the same w/o a thinking cap.

When Ali started, he was considered to be very gifted physically, but very amateurish in his style. All the wasted motion, the way he pulled back from punches, the way he slapped and poked with his punches. But he was a HW and the crop of guys in his weight class was weak so he did well. He learned, though, and when his physical gifts eroded his ring smarts and will to win served him well (unlike RJJ, who never learned), which kind of makes you wonder if all that 'greatest era' of HWs stuff is just nonsense, but I digress.
Archie Moore is a curious case. You know there is no way he came out of the box the crafty guy we saw against Marciano and fighting on after that, but he obviously had some predisposition to being boxing smart. That and look at the guys he fought- if you had the physicality to fight with them you could learn an awful lot.
What did Morrison have? He beat up a bunch of stiffs and lames and set-ups. Foreman was ancient and Ruddock sucked once he quit using his jab. Here's the thing about the left hook...A guy can have tremendous success with that punch if he knows how to counter with it and how to set up those situations. But if you walk around with all your weight on your front foot, always dipping that way like Ruddock did for years (or Trinidad in the Hopkins fight), or coming in with all your weight up front (like Frazier) you'll have limited success. And you will pay dearly for the success you do have because you are there to be hit.
In that sense, Marciano/Goldman were smarter than Yank Durham/Frazier, though both sides had to play to the strengths of the respective fighters.

Originally Posted by Master

When a fighter lacks physical limitations then they have to use their intelligence. Ali was mobile pre his ban afterwards he relied on his durability and intelligence to win.

Isn't durability a physical trait? Neck muscle, bone density yadayada

Originally Posted by Silkeyjoe

Originally Posted by Master

When a fighter lacks physical limitations then they have to use their intelligence. Ali was mobile pre his ban afterwards he relied on his durability and intelligence to win.

Isn't durability a physical trait? Neck muscle, bone density yadayada

Yes they are.