THE WEAPON OF INTIMIDATION

Having a psychological edge over an opponent moments before the first bell has rung is an advantage and a tactic that has been used since we can remember.  Joe Louis uttered the famous phrase “he can run but he can’t hide” in his bout against Billy Conn, while Roberto Duran played the physiological games to get into the head of Sugar Ray Leonard in their first fight.  It’s a tactic that still goes on today. Sometimes they work and on other occasions the ‘trash talker’ is left eating humble pie. Anyone can have the mental edge over their opponent, but a few have used the unique weapon of intimidation to win the fight before a punch has been thrown.

Mike Tyson, Sonny Liston and Roberto Duran are 3 boxers and 3 intimidating demeanours.  The most popular out of the three is Iron Mike Tyson. Tim Dahlberg, a writer for the Evening News noted “The process of intimidation comes easy for Mike Tyson, both inside the ring and out”. There were a lot of aspects frightening about the man from Catskills, New York, from the way he was built as if he were carved from stone, to the entrance music he chose when walking down.  On the 22^nd of January 1988 Tyson went up against the undefeated Michael Spinks in Atlantic City and used his intimidating aura to his complete advantage.  The champion walked out to an eerie entrance music, which actually cannot be described as music as such. It was more of a single noise with the constant clanging of chains in the background. With that repetitive sound, came a large entourage in which Mike Tyson was in the middle, bare skinned, sweating and with no coat staring at his opponent with his menacing eyes.  The student of Cus D’Amato savagely took apart his opponent within 90 seconds in devastating fashion.  Bert Sugar, in his book ‘The Ultimate Book of Boxing Lists’ narrated. “His reputation as the ‘baddest man on the planet’ grew with each devastation and bizarre act.  With Tyson sneering at his opponent…one of his victims, Bruce Seldon was so frightened he fell from the first Tyson near miss”.  What Sugar highlights in his book is the way in which Tyson knocked out his opponents. They were not ordinary stoppages. They were brutal and terrifying to watch which often involved an opponent being swept of his feet crashing into the canvas or being slumped on the spot.  However, I think Tyson best describes his strategy and demeanour the best when he states “Most guys were intimidated. They lost the fight even before they got hit. I knew how to beat these guys psychologically even before I got in the ring with them.”

Second on our list is Sonny Liston, another powerful heavyweight. Author, Richard O’Davies writes “Liston possessed an intimidating record and had demolished Floyd Patterson…Liston had a reputation as a powerful predator in the ring, capable of doing permanent injury to opponents.”  The man from Saint Louis was intimidating for his outside connections as well as his in ring brute strength. Links to the mob and crime underworld were widely known and impacted his career, most notably in the second fight against Muhammad Ali.  But for opponents, fighting against a man who has a known criminal past wasn’t easy.  The NAACP tried to convince Floyd Patterson not to fight Liston as a Liston victory would be detrimental to the racial progress in America.  How would racial differences be appeased when the heavyweight champion of the world in connected to criminal organisations, mostly run by whites? Yet, even with criticism the heavyweight champion didn’t try and hide his role as he was quoted as saying “A prize-fight is like a cowboy movie. There has to be a good guy and a bad guy. Only in my cowboy movies, the bad guy always wins.” Who knows if Liston was speaking about being the bad guy in the ring or the bad guy in life?  Cus D’Amato, in a newspaper interview focuses on the Saint Louis natives in ring ability as he writes “He (Liston) tries to intimidate his opponents. He uses his strength, his icy glare, and some solid punching to overpower an opponent.  But this system works only when somebody consents to playing Sonny’s stand up and fight game. The example is Floyd Patterson in both of his bouts with Liston.”  Many knew that Liston was bad news when it came to his in ring ability. The American stated that President John Kennedy notified Patterson not to fight him as he had amassed a dangerous record showcasing power punching ability. When the chance arrived, Liston wasted very little time, literally, as he managed to stop the champion in two minutes of the first round.  This in ring ability, matched with his crude social skills made him as intimidating as any boxer to have stepped foot in the ring.

Finally, we have Panamas own, Roberto Duran, also known as Hands of Stone.  The lightweight amassed an exceptional career through his boxing excellence, allowing him to be recognised as one of the greatest to have laced the gloves.  Christian Giudice would describe him as “With a face that reminded some of Che Guevara, others of Charles Manson. Duran’s feral state never left me.  His look was compelling, his image enigmatic, his fighting skills unsurpassed”.   Intimidation was a tactic that Duran used exceptionally well, with his long hair and slight goatee that made him look like a cartel leader rather than a boxer.  His stare would cut right through opponents, his nickname alone would be a cause for concern for the men in the opposing corner and his in ring tactics, often described as dirty made him a man you would not like to meet in a dark alley.  The late and great Angelo Dundee was quoted in the Ocala Star Banner newspaper as saying “Duran was rude. He was vulgar. He fouled my man 25 times and then rubbed it in. Sugar Ray was stunned by it and I’m sure it affected the fight.”  However, this was Duran’s character and this was the persona he was showing off. The fight Dundee was so livid about was the first contest with Sugar Ray Leonard. Ray Leonard normally, a smart, slick and exceptionally talented boxer decided to brawl with a brawler.  Writers and fans alike have tried to make justifications explaining why Leonard decided to adopt this tactic but the one which holds a lot of weight is the argument that Sugar Ray had been intimidated.  Dundee goes on to state “He (Duran) had Sugar Rays brother and sister thrown out of his workout saying they were spies…Every time he or his people see one of our groups they make vulgar remarks and gestures.” The Panamanian got into the head of his opponent and made it somewhat personal. The fight was more than just a win for Leonard and it was a vital factor in his downfall in the first fight.  ‘Hands of Stones’ tactics of being dirty also defined his intimidation. Thumb to the eyes, low blows and illegal punches put fear into his opponents.  George Kimball in his book ‘Four Kings’ narrated that Sugar Ray employed Dale Staley, a dirty fighter who once bit his opponent, as a sparring partner and told Staley to mimic Duran. He states “In camp Staley was free to employ his elbows, arms and head.”

Intimidation does not mean invincibility. It’s a weapon just like a jab or an uppercut. The aforementioned boxers are by no way the only crop to have used this tactic but they were chosen to show its affects. There are many more boxers who have intimidated their opponents and it’s a vital recipe that cannot be taught.