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Most mentally shot fighters
Posted: 07 Oct 2015, 07:16
by johnswan1
Boxing is full of guys who fought far beyond their physical prime to the point where they become little more than a shadow of their former selves. Many of these guys have been able to preserve the mental side of their game while the physical side diminishes.
What fighters strike you as being the most mentally shot after a performance as opposed to physical?
On the mental side and in the UK I'd see Price and Hamed as two good examples. Groves not so much as I think he suffered lasting physical aswell as mental side effects resulting from the Froch fights.
Lacy and Bute another two who were ruined mentally more than physically resulting from defeats whereas guys like Tarver who experienced a similarly humiliating beatdown was still able to maintain enough believe in himself to get over the mental side of it (even though his prime years were already behind him).
Re: Most mentally shot fighters
Posted: 07 Oct 2015, 07:32
by reggaereggae
Paul Hodkinson after he got beaten by Goyo Vargas. Audley after he got ko'd.
Re: Most mentally shot fighters
Posted: 07 Oct 2015, 07:39
by Crazyboy
johnswan1 wrote:Boxing is full of guys who fought far beyond their physical prime years to the point where they become little more than a shadow of their former selves. Many of these guys have been able to preserve the mental side of their game while the physical side diminishes.
What fighters strike you as being the most mentally shot after a performance as opposed to physical?
On the mental side and in the UK I'd see Price and Hamed as two good examples. Groves not so much as I think he suffered lasting physical aswell as mental side effects resulting from the Froch fights.
Lacy and Bute another two who were ruined mentally more than physically resulting from defeats whereas guys like Tarver who experienced a similarly humiliating beatdown was still able to maintain enough believe in himself to get over the mental side of it (even though his prime years were already behind him).
I often think Enzo Mac was never the same after the Haye defeat, I have vivid memories of that KO and it was brutal
Re: Most mentally shot fighters
Posted: 07 Oct 2015, 07:53
by Boxerbeetle
I think Cleverly is completely mentally shot after the Kovalev hammering.
Re: Most mentally shot fighters
Posted: 07 Oct 2015, 08:07
by danamba7
Boxerbeetle wrote:I think Cleverly is completely mentally shot after the Kovalev hammering.
Agree. Speaks differently. Almost as if he's settled to be a contender rather than a champ.
Re: Most mentally shot fighters
Posted: 07 Oct 2015, 08:25
by johnswan1
With Clev it's disappointing, especially after seeing how much of a monster Kovalev turned out to be. In hindsight the early rounds stoppage was the best thing that could have happened him to spare him what would have been a severe beatdown. I felt the Bellew loss to Stevenson was more humiliating given how Bomber talked up such a big game beforehand and then failed to pull the trigger. I've always thought Clev was much better than he was given credit for here but I agree his mind doesn't seem to be in it any more - not at Cruiser anyway. Opportunities for glory will be limited at Light Heavy with Kovalev/Stevenson there and Ward seemingly moving up too.
Re: Most mentally shot fighters
Posted: 07 Oct 2015, 08:28
by johnswan1
Crazyboy wrote:johnswan1 wrote:Boxing is full of guys who fought far beyond their physical prime years to the point where they become little more than a shadow of their former selves. Many of these guys have been able to preserve the mental side of their game while the physical side diminishes.
What fighters strike you as being the most mentally shot after a performance as opposed to physical?
On the mental side and in the UK I'd see Price and Hamed as two good examples. Groves not so much as I think he suffered lasting physical aswell as mental side effects resulting from the Froch fights.
Lacy and Bute another two who were ruined mentally more than physically resulting from defeats whereas guys like Tarver who experienced a similarly humiliating beatdown was still able to maintain enough believe in himself to get over the mental side of it (even though his prime years were already behind him).
I often think Enzo Mac was never the same after the Haye defeat, I have vivid memories of that KO and it was brutal
I don't agree so much re Enzo, he still had the balls for fighting afterwards and wasn't one to fight scared. I think his chin probably let him down more than his mind did.
Re: Most mentally shot fighters
Posted: 07 Oct 2015, 10:02
by bigjack
johnswan1 wrote:Crazyboy wrote:johnswan1 wrote:Boxing is full of guys who fought far beyond their physical prime years to the point where they become little more than a shadow of their former selves. Many of these guys have been able to preserve the mental side of their game while the physical side diminishes.
What fighters strike you as being the most mentally shot after a performance as opposed to physical?
On the mental side and in the UK I'd see Price and Hamed as two good examples. Groves not so much as I think he suffered lasting physical aswell as mental side effects resulting from the Froch fights.
Lacy and Bute another two who were ruined mentally more than physically resulting from defeats whereas guys like Tarver who experienced a similarly humiliating beatdown was still able to maintain enough believe in himself to get over the mental side of it (even though his prime years were already behind him).
I often think Enzo Mac was never the same after the Haye defeat, I have vivid memories of that KO and it was brutal
I don't agree so much re Enzo, he still had the balls for fighting afterwards and wasn't one to fight scared. I think his chin probably let him down more than his mind did.
Me too,seems enzo wasn't bothered at all,still fights the same way as he always did.
Re: Most mentally shot fighters
Posted: 07 Oct 2015, 14:06
by Exoddus
Alexander Frenkel would be another. He was 23-0 with 18 KO's. He KO'd Enzo Mac to win the Europeon title and was never seen again. Many sources reported that he had mental problems through his entire career. Then when he KO'd Enzo brutally, he didn't want to fight again.
Re: Most mentally shot fighters
Posted: 07 Oct 2015, 14:22
by Rexob
Cleverly, without a doubt, kovalev has ruined him mentally.
Re: Most mentally shot fighters
Posted: 07 Oct 2015, 14:28
by mrbishi
Mike Perez.
Re: Most mentally shot fighters
Posted: 07 Oct 2015, 20:12
by Tomasino
Exoddus wrote:Alexander Frenkel would be another. He was 23-0 with 18 KO's. He KO'd Enzo Mac to win the Europeon title and was never seen again. Many sources reported that he had mental problems through his entire career. Then when he KO'd Enzo brutally, he didn't want to fight again.
Good bit info cheers
Re: Most mentally shot fighters
Posted: 07 Oct 2015, 20:49
by digzee
That Gonzalez who quit against Burns has not got the mental strength to be a boxer, very good technically but will find a way out when the going gets tough. He also quit against Flanagan's opponent Saturday Magdaleno, he had 5 minutes to recover from what was ruled a low blow (it was borderline) but he stayed on the canvas and quit just as the fight was hotting up.
Re: Most mentally shot fighters
Posted: 08 Oct 2015, 03:42
by johnswan1
Anybody else hear Clev speaking on Bunce's podcast? I really don't think he sounds like he has much confidence at all. Sounded very uncertain. Fonfara by KO.
Re: Most mentally shot fighters
Posted: 11 Oct 2015, 20:30
by ironfish
david price
Re: Most mentally shot fighters
Posted: 12 Oct 2015, 08:17
by JC
johnswan1 wrote:With Clev it's disappointing, especially after seeing how much of a monster Kovalev turned out to be. In hindsight the early rounds stoppage was the best thing that could have happened him to spare him what would have been a severe beatdown. I felt the Bellew loss to Stevenson was more humiliating given how Bomber talked up such a big game beforehand and then failed to pull the trigger. I've always thought Clev was much better than he was given credit for here but I agree his mind doesn't seem to be in it any more - not at Cruiser anyway. Opportunities for glory will be limited at Light Heavy with Kovalev/Stevenson there and Ward seemingly moving up too.
Despite all his bluster ultimately I think Bellew probably had a more realistic understanding of his actual level. Whatever he said in the build-up, you could tell from the way he fought Stevenson that he was well aware of what he was up against.
On the other hand I always got the impression Cleverly and his team really believed their own hype. NC seemed to talk like he was a legit world champ as soon as he got the vacant WBO.
I can see how Clev’s loss would be more disheartening.
Re: Most mentally shot fighters
Posted: 12 Oct 2015, 12:09
by palooka
I think Haye is mentally shot, pull outs, retirements, come back announcements, reality TV shows, tweets etc - its like he wants too be a part but not to train or fight. Having made millions in a bout he didn't do anything in and getting slated for it has done his head in.