Worst boxing IQ in top level fighters through the ages

[Bricks]

Who were the champs and contenders blessed with certain attributes who diminished these gifts with an appalling boxing IQ/poor tactical brain/ability to recognise shifts in a fight

Here are a few imo to get things rolling

herol graham
Rightly has a reputation as a very talented skilled contender between 1985-98 .A brilliant boxer all 3 of his world title fight losses and the pair to sumbu kalambay were razor thin ,and imo involved poor decision making at key moments by graham.the throw which cost him a draw v mccallum, the reckless pursuit of a almost blind julian jackson, the 11th round sudden loss to charles brewer who had been decked twice. (In mitigation herol was a master boxer and its probably rough putting him on here to many of you)

razor ruddock
A point made by saad earlier,and one ive always beleived in.....this man may have had the stupidest in ring IQ of anyone i have ever seen!! Early on in his career, exhibited fast footwork and mobility, than developed the smash and left hook variants and stopped using the right hand totally and neglected the jab for many years after.in many fights he got reckless with his swinging and it cost him .in particular v a beaten tommy morrison.....his brainless antics in ring were very suprising considering his superior intelligence and class outside the ring. This heavyweight had it all physically a great heart and toughness, as solid chin (b4 tyson wrecked it) ,mobility and athleticism, and pulverising power but no in ring IQ

Amir Khan
Spent first 7 years of his pro career with a dumbass run in amateur style.wasting excessive energy dancing around and throwing pitty patty punches,never learnt to infight or stand his ground.lazy defence.a shame he had incredible physical gifts and a phenomenal yet short amateur career.

[Seamus]

I'm sure we'll get votes for De La Hoya and Hagler.

[SaadOffTheDeck]

Hagler was one of histories most versatile fighters. Oscar for sure and Tyson.

[Boxing Writer]

David Tua. I would even say Tua by a country mile if there weren't Razor Ruddock

[Boxing Writer]

Hagler was one of histories most versatile fighters. Oscar for sure and Tyson.

David Tua makes Mike Tyson look like Albert Einstein in comparison

[SaadOffTheDeck]

Tyson makes tua look much worse in accomplishments and talent.

[elmersalsa]

Cornelius Boza-Edwards. Every fight was the same. No boxing IQ whatsoever

[elmersalsa]

Also, Rafael "Bazooka" Limon. He became champion by guts and determination

[Tuan_Jim]

The worst thing about Ruddock's romance with 'The Smash' was that Lennox Lewis said the young Ruddock's jab was the best he ever faced. Turned pro as a teenager but once he filled out into a very strong man he realised he could simply crush heads with his left.

[JC]

Jermaine Taylor was very talented but tended to fight his opponent's fight most of the time.

[Syntax Error]

Prince Naseem Hamed - Never mastered the basics of boxing, despite once arrogantly proclaiming that he'd mastered his sport!

For someone from the Wincobank Gym in Sheffield, you think he would have learnt to box a bit better & not be so reliant on his admittedly hellacious power.

[Syntax Error]

The worst thing about Ruddock's romance with 'The Smash' was that Lennox Lewis said the young Ruddock's jab was the best he ever faced. Turned pro as a teenager but once he filled out into a very strong man he realised he could simply crush heads with his left.

For Lewis to say that, Razor must have had a jab from the ages, because I don't remember Razor hitting Lewis with much at all: he didn't get the chance! :P

[Tuan_Jim]

Lewis was referring to the early 80s when he and Ruddock would spar in Canada.

Ruddock began as a boxer, and even jabbed his way to a win over a still deadly Mike Weaver. It was when he KOd John Westgarth in London with a weird hook/uppeecut hybrid that he began to realise he was a puncher.

[Bricks]

terry norris

Dont just mean the madness of the santana fights or the constant hitting people on the floor.

In fairness the young foolishness rushing in against julian jackson i personally cut him slack for...jackson did that to another brilliant boxer in graham

...and Norris was to some a brilliant boxer

As devils advocate id argue he let a shot aged don curry outbox him in stages...and of course the simon brown fight!

[Counter-puncher]

Jermaine Taylor was very talented but tended to fight his opponent's fight most of the time.

I'd say of all the names mentioned on this thread hes the out and out dumbest fighter.

[witherspoon]

This thread has made my day.

My first thought when I saw the title was 'Herol Graham'.

My second thought was to keep his name away from this thread because he is one of my favourites, and nobody else is going to mention him here!

[King Carlos]

terry norris

Dont just mean the madness of the santana fights or the constant hitting people on the floor.

In fairness the young foolishness rushing in against julian jackson i personally cut him slack for...jackson did that to another brilliant boxer in graham

...and Norris was to some a brilliant boxer

As devils advocate id argue he let a shot aged don curry outbox him in stages...and of course the simon brown fight!

Surprised it took even this long for someone to mention him. He was the obvious choice for me.

[Keko]

Jermaine Taylor was very talented but tended to fight his opponent's fight most of the time.

This
WithPavlik,Froch and Abraham he is

[scartissue]

I think of the classic Billy conn against Joe Louis deciding in the 13th round that now I can take him.

George Foreman, not against Ali, but against Jimmy Young. He knew he got gassed against Ali and trainer Gil Clancy was trying to imbue him with stamina. George decides he doesn't like this route and goes back to his old slugging ways against the same type of fighter as Ali. And he gets gassed again.

Oscar DeLaHoya against Floyd Mayweather - wins three straight rounds during the middle rounds with the jab. He appears to have solved the puzzle that is Mayweather, yet stops and loses the fight. When asked why he stopped using the jab that he had such success with he says, "It just wasn't the night for the jab."

[Ambling Alp II]

Cornelius Boza-Edwards. Every fight was the same. No boxing IQ whatsoever

Not true at all.

[Ambling Alp II]

I'm sure we'll get votes for De La Hoya and Hagler.

Overall for their careers, no.

However, they each made really bad decisions in big fights. DLH should not have listened to his corner in the Trinidad fight and to a lesser extent fought a dumb fight against Mayweather.
Hagler fought stupid against Antuofermo the first time and should have won easily.

However, if you look at their entire career, no they were not dumb fighters.

[forestbox]

Quiggs ring iq v Frampton was very poor.

[gilgamesh]

If you'd consider him a top level fighter Adrien Broner has a really low Ring IQ. So did Zab Judah.

[littlepug]

Quiggs ring iq v Frampton was very poor.

they all the same from gallaghers gym, box directly to orders and show a complete lack of instinct

[Tony1244]

I think of the classic Billy conn against Joe Louis deciding in the 13th round that now I can take him.

George Foreman, not against Ali, but against Jimmy Young. He knew he got gassed against Ali and trainer Gil Clancy was trying to imbue him with stamina. George decides he doesn't like this route and goes back to his old slugging ways against the same type of fighter as Ali. And he gets gassed again.

Oscar DeLaHoya against Floyd Mayweather - wins three straight rounds during the middle rounds with the jab. He appears to have solved the puzzle that is Mayweather, yet stops and loses the fight. When asked why he stopped using the jab that he had such success with he says, "It just wasn't the night for the jab."

Foreman in the Ali and Young fights completely stopped jabbing. Also his uppercut was working well in the first round against Ali and he stopped using it.

I see how GF got gassed in Zaire. I have no idea what he was so tired from in San Juan.