Thread: When fighters smile or shake their head after getting hit with a good shot

....it usually means they got stung. The grinning and mocking is nothing more than an attempt to not look bad, even though they usually end up getting beaten anyway. Rios was a clear-cut example last night.

In floyds case it means you have hit me but I will still win.

He has done this many times but when maidana stung him and mosely stung him.. he was as quiet as a mouse.

Sometimes a sign of respect?

I like when fighters that come to the ring with a menacing look, bully attitude receives an attitude adjustment.

I watched Toney vs Barkley yesterday. Iran: angry. 4 rounds later as the bell sounds he is all smiles.

Same with Jorge Luis Gonzalez vs Riddick Bowe. Jorge was angry as shit in the face off. Two rounds later, he was all smiles.

Those were smiles of humility.

Originally Posted by SlimTrae

Sometimes a sign of respect?

I like when fighters that come to the ring with a menacing look, bully attitude receives an attitude adjustment.

I watched Toney vs Barkley yesterday. Iran: angry. 4 rounds later as the bell sounds he is all smiles.

Same with Jorge Luis Gonzalez vs Riddick Bowe. Jorge was angry as shit in the face off. Two rounds later, he was all smiles.

Those were smiles of humility.

Gonzalez usually had a big dumb grin on him most of the time. That cocky swagger of being some menacing boogy man. Bowe should be granted a holiday for the way he just demolished that hype job.

Nunn had a common smirk too. Thank you Mr. Toney

Ali took a few clean right hands from Foster and did the old wobbly legs. Its a show of deffiance. Like a ridulous loud laugh when someone tells a genuinly funny joke about you. It does hurt or get their attention and a spur of the moment reaction is to try and mock the punch but like a joke the best reaction is to just not laugh. If you get caught give no reaction, rather than acknowledge a good shot and play for a few seconds to clear your head.

Either that or invite free shots like Mayorga

Originally Posted by Spicoli

Originally Posted by SlimTrae

Sometimes a sign of respect?

I like when fighters that come to the ring with a menacing look, bully attitude receives an attitude adjustment.

I watched Toney vs Barkley yesterday. Iran: angry. 4 rounds later as the bell sounds he is all smiles.

Same with Jorge Luis Gonzalez vs Riddick Bowe. Jorge was angry as shit in the face off. Two rounds later, he was all smiles.

Those were smiles of humility.

Gonzalez usually had a big dumb grin on him most of the time. That cocky swagger of being some menacing boogy man. Bowe should be granted a holiday for the way he just demolished that hype job.

Nunn had a common smirk too. Thank you Mr. Toney

Spicoli-- not too many can appreciate what Bowe did to Gonzalez-- like we can

Definitely a sign of respect at times, 'Hey, that was a great punch but it won't save you!", or "Yeah, that hurt, now it's my turn muthafu*ker!"

Ken Norton on the other hand used to try to poker face his opponent whenever he got nailed good but that would not work. If you watch the fight with Earnie Shavers after he was nailed good he gets this silly sort of poker face look on his face what does nothing to cover up his world of pain

You see that all the time in sparring; a guy gets hit gives a nod and a smile. "You got me." You acknowledge it and go on.

Originally Posted by Sleepwalker

....it usually means they got stung. The grinning and mocking is nothing more than an attempt to not look bad, even though they usually end up getting beaten anyway. Rios was a clear-cut example last night.

In Rios' case it's the smirk of someone with precious little between the ears.
Nothing to rattle.... that's why he takes head shots so well.

Originally Posted by greynotsoold

You see that all the time in sparring; a guy gets hit gives a nod and a smile. "You got me." You acknowledge it and go on.

Well said.

The best thing you should do if hurt is not acknowledge anything and stoney faced like a poker player. Any acknowledgement is a sign you are hurt.

Weirdest reaction i've seen was I think at some point after jones gets dropped by del valle, Jones got punched and faked a wobble with his head down and waited for del valle to close before throwing a shot. There was about 7 different shades of confusion on del valles face.

Originally Posted by J_Undisputed

Weirdest reaction i've seen was I think at some point after jones gets dropped by del valle, Jones got punched and faked a wobble with his head down and waited for del valle to close before throwing a shot. There was about 7 different shades of confusion on del valles face.

Roy fell hard in that fight.

Originally Posted by Master

The best thing you should do if hurt is not acknowledge anything and stoney faced like a poker player. Any acknowledgement is a sign you are hurt.

Yes this wisdom was imparted to me early in boxing when I used to get mad and bang my gloves together sparring a pro mma fighter named Jared.

My trainer told me: "You know slamming your gloves together like that isn't gonna scare ol' Jared."

Best to be stone-faced like Barrera.