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....