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Dirtiest Ring Tactics Of All Time
Posted: 23 Dec 2005, 15:03
by Seamus
OK fight fans, what were the most blatant-illegal-vicious fouls in boxing history, in which the perpetrator got away with his dirty deeds without being disqualified ?
Some off the top of my head from fairly recent memory.
1. Vasili Jirov rabbit punching Joe Mesi
2. Nigel Benn rabbit punching and headbutting Gerald McClellan.
3. Nigel Benn for landing two shots to the head after Iran Barkley was down the first and second times.
4. Roberto Duran thumbing Davey Moore in the eye.
5. Donald Curry (usually a clean fighter) thumbing James "Hard Rock" Green in the eye.
Remember, only fights where the guy got away with it.
Posted: 23 Dec 2005, 15:08
by dalek
probably every harry greb fight.
hattons low shot to tszyu.blatant and vicious.
Posted: 23 Dec 2005, 15:19
by evndrbsn
The second Holyfield-Ruiz fight when Ruiz uppercutted Holyfield low two or three times.
Posted: 23 Dec 2005, 15:24
by Syntax Error
What about Mike Tyson?
Trying to break his opponents arms (Holyfield, Botha, Nielsen), biting (Biggs, Holyfield, McBride & Lewis at the press conference) & hitting after the bell (too numerous to mention).
Evander Holyfield was the only opponent to hit him back, after Tyson landed an after the bell shot.

Re: Dirtiest Ring Tactics Of All Time
Posted: 23 Dec 2005, 15:34
by tonyevs
Seamus wrote:OK fight fans, what were the most blatant-illegal-vicious fouls in boxing history, in which the perpetrator got away with his dirty deeds without being disqualified ?
Some off the top of my head from fairly recent memory.
1. Vasili Jirov rabbit punching Joe Mesi
2. Nigel Benn rabbit punching and headbutting Gerald McClellan.
3. Nigel Benn for landing two shots to the head after Iran Barkley was down the first and second times.
4. Roberto Duran thumbing Davey Moore in the eye.
5. Donald Curry (usually a clean fighter) thumbing James "Hard Rock" Green in the eye.
Remember, only fights where the guy got away with it.
You certainly got it in for Benn
If you watch most fights today you will see almost all the things you have listed.
The Tyson biting Holyfield will take alot of beating simply because it was so blatant.
But rabbit-punches, low punches, punching on the break, intentional head-butts and rubbing the laces across a fighters face are there in the majority of fights you see today...if you look close enough 8)
Re: Dirtiest Ring Tactics Of All Time
Posted: 23 Dec 2005, 15:41
by Collins2000
Seamus wrote:OK fight fans, what were the most blatant-illegal-vicious fouls in boxing history, in which the perpetrator got away with his dirty deeds without being disqualified ?
Some off the top of my head from fairly recent memory.
1. Vasili Jirov rabbit punching Joe Mesi
2. Nigel Benn rabbit punching and headbutting Gerald McClellan.
3. Nigel Benn for landing two shots to the head after Iran Barkley was down the first and second times.
4. Roberto Duran thumbing Davey Moore in the eye.
5. Donald Curry (usually a clean fighter) thumbing James "Hard Rock" Green in the eye.
Remember, only fights where the guy got away with it.
Was that an intentional butt by Benn or just a clash of heads? What round was it in?
Benn doesn't seem to get much credit for beating McClellan who many, even now, consider some sort of great. Personally, apart from crushing a couple of well past their prime good fighters, I never saw what the fuss was about Gerald. He was a decent fighter but there were many decent fighters around that weight at the time. But Benn ought to get some sort of credit.

Posted: 23 Dec 2005, 18:37
by tonyevs
Dingaan Thobela and the suspicious gloves he wore when he fought Glen Catley 8)
Posted: 23 Dec 2005, 18:50
by The Great John L
Clearly the Panama Lewis/Resto incident is by far the worst example in recent history.
I'd also like to add Larry Holmes, a gifted fighter who could also bend the rules and get away with it, as he did when he thumbed Scott Frank and Scott LeDoux. Not 100% they were intentional, but his thumb did seem to end up in opponents eyes quite frequently.
Posted: 23 Dec 2005, 20:30
by BrocktonBlockbuster49
-Muhammad Ali holding behind the head
-evander holyfield using his big head as a weapon
- Fritzie zivic by far the dirties fighter of all time
Posted: 23 Dec 2005, 21:29
by Borinken25
golota vs bowe 2nd fight too many low blows
Posted: 23 Dec 2005, 21:53
by BrocktonBlockbuster49
borinken25 wrote:golota vs bowe 2nd fight too many low blows
ya think?
![[icon_e_biggrin.gif] :D](./images/smilies/icon_e_biggrin.gif)
Posted: 23 Dec 2005, 23:26
by Seamus
Golota, Ali and Holyfield are not good examples. Golota didn't get away with continually hitting Bowe with low blows, he was disqualified, Ali's rabbit punching wasn't usually that bad, he generally did it when his opponent held on and wouldn't let go, so I don't blame him. And I can't think of any fights Holyfield won by headbutting opponents. In fact I can't remember many accusations against Evander prior to Tyson claiming he bit part of his ear off because he was getting headbutted.
Posted: 24 Dec 2005, 09:06
by theone
Clearly the Panama Lewis/Resto incident is by far the worst example in recent history
Absolutely. What about Duran's title winning low blow against Buccanan?
Woah!
Posted: 24 Dec 2005, 12:54
by HeavyHitters
Posted: 25 Dec 2005, 12:19
by Cap
One of the reasons some fans turned on Holmes was his use of the thumb. In fact, his actions were the chief catylist behind the push for thumbless gloves.
Posted: 25 Dec 2005, 23:10
by Collins2000
Cap wrote:One of the reasons some fans turned on Holmes was his use of the thumb. In fact, his actions were the chief catylist behind the push for thumbless gloves.
I always thought it was Leonard who demanded and pioneered thumbless gloves.

Posted: 26 Dec 2005, 02:12
by Jaclem
..about a hundred of sandy saddler's fights.
willie pep could get by with a lot too....but he turned it into an art form.
lennox lewis leaning over and shoving his opponents down ....thinking of his match with tyson here as an obvious example.. he had tyson on the way with legit punches anyway, but the shoving was that little extra that assures one hits the canvas with solidity.
rocky graziano sometimes had a virtual choke hold on a guy if he had him against the ropes...and then slammed over his right hand bombs.
..and yet, as i understand it, all were nice to their mothers.
Posted: 26 Dec 2005, 14:30
by kingpawn
Seems to me Sonny Liston's corner tried the old "liniment on the gloves" trick more than just in his first fight with Ali (then Cassius Clay). Ali was not the only fighter to have his eyes start burning during a fight with Liston. No coincident that Liston's most active (almost desperate, it seemed) round of the fight was the 5th, when he chased a backpedaling Clay all over trying to catch him while presumably he couldn't see.
Posted: 27 Dec 2005, 00:39
by Primo Carnera
Wait a minute guys.
I think Mike Tyson biting Evander Holyfield's ear off deserves at least honorable mention.
Posted: 27 Dec 2005, 01:40
by Seamus
No, because Tyson was disqualified. The question was about fighters who GOT AWAY with there dirty tactics. We've got numerous instances of fighters being disqualified for dirty tactics.
Posted: 28 Dec 2005, 03:36
by Collins2000
Decagon wrote:kingpawn wrote:Seems to me Sonny Liston's corner tried the old "liniment on the gloves" trick more than just in his first fight with Ali (then Cassius Clay). Ali was not the only fighter to have his eyes start burning during a fight with Liston. No coincident that Liston's most active (almost desperate, it seemed) round of the fight was the 5th, when he chased a backpedaling Clay all over trying to catch him while presumably he couldn't see.
Bullshit. Most observers agree that it was linament on Liston's shoulder (legally applied) that got into Ali's eyes when the two were in the clinch. And I'm still not convinced that Liston didn't throw both fights. Wasn't it a little suspicious that Liston's management bought out Ali's contract shortly before their first bout?
Who bought out Ali's contract?

Posted: 28 Dec 2005, 05:58
by Professor X
Riddick Bowe against Holyfield. He CONSTANTLY rabbit punched (see their first fight) or threw low blows (see their third fight..he shoulda' been DQ'ed) against the old warrior. Joe Cortez worked both of those fights.
Bowe truly got a deserving taste of his own medicine against Golota BTW, just like Duva, who knew what Bowe was all about, planned it.
Tyson against Bruno (or just about anybody).
Duran against anybody.
Posted: 28 Dec 2005, 06:21
by Petu v.d. Pajm
Jeff Franklin breaking Gabe Ruelas' left elbow with a vicious twist. Mike Tyson for deliberately trying the same several times (Botha, McBride...).
Carlos Maussa's headbutt against Vivian Harris was a horrid one, too...
Arturo Gatti used low blows as a fight-saving strategy against Wilson Rodriguez...
Terry Norris was also one dirty SOB. However, he at least got DQ'd thrice for dirty stuff.
Posted: 28 Dec 2005, 06:24
by Petu v.d. Pajm
And Sung-Kil Moon deserves a special mention by having his whole style at the very limits of rulebook....
Mustafa Hamsho was once acclaimed as having "foul-combos" as low blow-head butt-elbow thrown in a trained sequence..
Posted: 28 Dec 2005, 09:35
by kingpawn
Collins2000 wrote:Decagon wrote:kingpawn wrote:Seems to me Sonny Liston's corner tried the old "liniment on the gloves" trick more than just in his first fight with Ali (then Cassius Clay). Ali was not the only fighter to have his eyes start burning during a fight with Liston. No coincident that Liston's most active (almost desperate, it seemed) round of the fight was the 5th, when he chased a backpedaling Clay all over trying to catch him while presumably he couldn't see.
Bullshit. Most observers agree that it was linament on Liston's shoulder (legally applied) that got into Ali's eyes when the two were in the clinch. And I'm still not convinced that Liston didn't throw both fights. Wasn't it a little suspicious that Liston's management bought out Ali's contract shortly before their first bout?
Who bought out Ali's contract?

Yeah, I'd like to know that myself, since you seem to think those in Liston's camp were such fair players.