Fights "won" BEFORE the fight

[TitoFan]

This may have been done before, but...

There would appear to be several ways a fighter can accumulate so many advantages before the actual fight, that he's got the proverbial deck stacked in his favor even before the opening bell.


1. Head games - What fights have occurred where one fighter has gotten so much into the other guy's head that it totally wins the first guy the fight. (One maddening example to me would be Fury-Wlad. Another was Mike Tyson vs Seldon, although you could probably put several Iron Mike fights here. I think Ricardo Mayorga tried real hard to use head games, but most of the time they didn't work out.)

2. Weight games - What fights have occurred where one fighter has totally drained the other fighter to the extent that the other guy comes in at less than 100%. Also, what fights have occurred where, despite the weigh-in attempts at a level playing field, one fighter enters the ring a full 20-30 pounds heavier than the other.... definitely not the intent of weigh-ins. Either that, or the guy shrunk himself, legally or not, to make weight and then ballooned by 20-30 pounds himself.

3. Judges games - What fights have occurred at a location or with appointed judges where it's practically guaranteed that fighter "X" will win, barring a knockout loss.

4. PED games - What fights have occurred where PEDs have pretty much decided the outcome of a fight, or at least made it 10 times more likely.

5. Rules games - My choice of ring size.... my choice of gloves... etc, etc. Any famous fights where this was a factor?


What other ways are there that fighters have sought an advantage before the fight that couldn't be overcome.

[Master]

Head games – Hopkins v Tito regarding the gloves,

Weight games – Canelo v Floyd that pound made a difference?

Judges games – Canelo v anyone he fought near his adopted hometown.

PED games – Most Manny Pac fights?

Rules games – Oscar v Floyd when he had all the choices including weight, gloves but did not work and lost

Leonard v Hagler when he gave everything else away but wanted 12 rounds and won

[Freedom]

Ward vs Kovalev I

It was decided before the fight that the 3 American judges were not going to permit a Russian-born boxer to win a decision over an American boxer.

[TitoFan]

Good examples

Head games – Hopkins v Tito regarding the gloves, Good one. I've always thought Hopkins definitely got inside Tito's head.

Weight games – Canelo v Floyd that pound made a difference? Both Canelo and JCC Jr. have been notorious for using weight games to their advantage.

Judges games – Canelo v anyone he fought near his adopted hometown. Yes.... Canelo's the king at judges and venues games.

PED games – Most Manny Pac fights? I like Manny, but it's hard not to suspect, what with all the weight divisions Manny successfully jumped.

Rules games – Oscar v Floyd when he had all the choices including weight, gloves but did not work and lost Yeah. This is usually the territory of prima donnas. They demand and demand and demand. That "A side" bullsh*t.

Leonard v Hagler when he gave everything else away but wanted 12 rounds and won That one fight has always been a mystery to me.

[Master]

I bet there are 2 things Hagler regrets in that fight with Leonard, fighting orthodox in the first few rounds and not having those extra 3 rounds to beat Ray up.

[Master]

I bet there are 2 things Hagler regrets in that fight with Leonard, fighting orthodox in the first few rounds and not having those extra 3 rounds to beat Ray up.

BTW if Douglas v Tyson went to points, Tyson would have got the decision.

[TitoFan]

I bet there are 2 things Hagler regrets in that fight with Leonard, fighting orthodox in the first few rounds and not having those extra 3 rounds to beat Ray up.

I would add a third one. Not pressing Leonard from the opening bell and trying to be too "cute." The Hagler that destroyed Hearns would've probably beaten Leonard.

[ykdadamaja]

Of course Tyson vs Spinks... Just on pure FEAR!

Spinks had no business in the ring... lololol....

[SlimTrae]

Holmes vs Tyson. In Larry's biography stated, it was the only fight where he wanted to call it off; while in the dressing room. But also said King lured him into the fight by offering millions.

[Master]

Holmes vs Tyson. In Larry's biography stated, it was the only fight where he wanted to call it off; while in the dressing room. But also said King lured him into the fight by offering millions.

I can believe that. Holmes was humiliated in that fight but I am sure he could have done a lot better in that fight.

[X]

Cassius Clay's mental demolition of Sonny Liston was truly amazing.

Most of Joe Louis' title defences were won before the first bell rang, as were most of Mike Tysons defences.

Floyd and Canelo stacked the odds in their favour beforehand, but that's not quite the same

The Mob fix was really in during the 1950's, but we won't ever know the true extent of that!

[THE THIRD MAN]

Duran V Leonard 1 : Leonard at the referee instructions is looking down and sideways and has a look that says "what the hell am i doing here in the ring with this mad man"? Duran isn't sweating, he's intense and is totally focused on a worried Leonard! Leonard is trying to remain calm, but he knows all hell is about to break loose and it did! This was the last time we saw Roberto Duran at his absolute frightening peak!

[TitoFan]

Duran V Leonard 1 : Leonard at the referee instructions is looking down, sideways and has a look that says "what the hell am i doing here in the ring with his mad man"? Duran isn't sweating, he's intense and is totally focused on a worried Leonard! Leonard is trying to remain calm, but he knows all hell is about to break loose and it did! This was the last time we saw Roberto Duran at his absolute frightening peak!

Good one. And credit to Leonard for making a good fight out of it. But he was clearly..... awed, shall we say..... by Duran prior to the fight.

[THE THIRD MAN]

Duran V Leonard 1 : Leonard at the referee instructions is looking down, sideways and has a look that says "what the hell am i doing here in the ring with his mad man"? Duran isn't sweating, he's intense and is totally focused on a worried Leonard! Leonard is trying to remain calm, but he knows all hell is about to break loose and it did! This was the last time we saw Roberto Duran at his absolute frightening peak!

Good one. And credit to Leonard for making a good fight out of it. But he was clearly..... awed, shall we say..... by Duran prior to the fight.

All credit to Leonard too, he was also at his peak and fought well and matched it with Duran who was a fighter possessed that night! Leonard learned an invaluable lesson.

[Master]

Everyone knew that Douglas would lose to Holyfield when they saw what he weighed before their fight.