Fighters who used fouls to good effect?

[Bokaj]

Like it or not, fouls of some kind is part of many seasoned pro's arsenal and many greats had their own favourite fouls. Here's a look at some of them:

Ali: It was not pretty, but he perfected holding and leaning to an art when his legs wouldn't always carry him out of harms way anymore. Lewis is one of his disciples.

Foreman: His pushing and shoving was an important part of his arsenal. It made up for his poor text book defence in a way, since he didn't let his opponents get set.

Marciano: The classic brusier tactics. He'd hit where it hurt, legal or not. Frazier also belongs to this tradition to a degree + he liked to put his head in his opponents face. If you're unsure if this really is a foul look at the ref in RJJ-Ruiz.

Baer: Actually used a backhanded slap.

Holyfield: Known for getting away with headbutts. He'd do what was needed.

Any more examples? Which were the dirtiest fighters below HW for example? Duran?

[Mantequilla]

Fullmer Fenech and Wilfrdo Gomez were often brutally dirty.

Pedroza with his elbows and low-blows.

Conteh for opening up cuts with headwork on the inside.

MIke McCallum threw as many low-blows as he did legit bodyshots.

Benn for rabbit punching, hitting while down\on the break etc...

Azumah Nelson could be very cynical and occasionally attempted to end fights with massive powershots just after the bell.

Duran, Hopkins, Chang, oguma, Herol Grhaam...


Quite a lot when you start to think about it.

[Bokaj]

Fullmer Fenech and Wilfrdo Gomez were often brutally dirty.

Pedroza with his elbows and low-blows.

Conteh for opening up cuts with headwork on the inside.

MIke McCallum threw as many low-blows as he did legit bodyshots.

Benn for rabbit punching, hitting while down\on the break etc...

Azumah Nelson could be very cynical and occasionally attempted to end fights with massive powershots just after the bell.

Duran, Hopkins, Chang, oguma, Herol Grhaam...


Quite a lot when you start to think about it.

Yeah, maybe a better question would be who didn't? Louis looks like a very clean fighter. Of course, he held on so hard when Conn hurt him that they seemed to be drunks dancing, but I can't think of anything he put into systemic practice.

[MrMarvel]

Chavez elbows

[MrMarvel]

Holmes thumbs

[MrMarvel]

Foreman: His pushing and shoving was an important part of his arsenal. It made up for his poor text book defence in a way, since he didn't let his opponents get set.

I don't know why more fighters don't use this strategy. It's brilliant.

[lefthook31]

Bruno hitting on the side of the head
Ruiz holding and grabbing
Holyfield headbutting
Tyson elbowing
Lennox Lewis leaning on top of his opponent
Bernard Hopkins hitting his opponents on their thighs
Riddick Bowe hitting on the break (side of head)
Rosendo Alvarez low blows elbows

[GPater11093]

Duran

also Froch used fouling to good effect the other night

[chatty]

who was the guy whos mom tagged in and did a number on his opponent with her shoe - been watching way to much WWE in their house

[TheGreatA]

Fritzie Zivic was the undisputed king of fouling and getting away with it. I'll try and dig up some Robinson/LaMotta quotes about the man.

Mysterious Billy Smith for plain dirtiest fighter.

[TheGreatA]

Zivic was still dreaming about the new car when the fighters were introduced to the crowd. The referee, Art Donovan, gave his instructions—and Armstrong promptly belted Zivic back to reality. "When Armstrong started punching me," says Zivic, "I saw the car turn and head for Chicago. By the time we finished the seventh round, the Cadillac had passed California and was on a boat to Hawaii. Armstrong was belting me around pretty good. As I came out of my corner for the eighth round, that car was close to halfway around the world."

Shortly after the start of the eighth, however, Armstrong hit Zivic with a rabbit punch while moving out of a clinch. Fritzie Zivic had never been mistaken for a boy scout in the ring. He promptly stuck a thumb in Armstrong's eye in retaliation, and the rest of the round rapidly went downhill from there. Eventually, Donovan gave up all hope of restoring order. "If that's the way you boys want to fight, it's all right with me," he said.

"When the referee said that one sentence," Zivic remembers, "the Cadillac turned around and started back on the boat to the United States.

"By the 10th round, the Cadillac was safely in California and headed back East. With the sound of each bell, it was closer to my garage. When the final bell rang, I was all set to drive that big car down the streets of Pittsburgh."

The announcer bellowed over the microphone, "The winner and new champion of the world, Fritzie Zivic."

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[Unforgiven]

Jack Dempsey of course.

Lennox Lewis, for leaning on opponents and holding-and-hitting. The Grant fight is a pure masterclass of fouls.

[Thread Stealer]

A lot of fighters.

Duran won the LW title on a low blow, although it was retaliating for a foul.

Holyfield was a master of the "unintentional deliberate headbutt".

Pedroza should've been DQ'd against LaPorte, he hit him with so many low blows, punches to the back, and elbows.

Mayweather is effective at using his forearms and elbows to create space for shots on the inside, and also has no problem bumping you with a right elbow after landing a straight right hand (often a leaping one).

Lewis always hit and held when he landed right uppercuts.

Trinidad would hit you with timely, debilitating low blows.

Hopkins with low blows and headbutts. He also manages to do it away from the ref and then get hit with a foul in front of the ref and make sure the ref notices he was fouled.

The least effective fouler in recent memory was Terry Norris. Andrew Golota too, although a bite might've saved him from getting KO'd.

[red cobra]

Fullmer Fenech and Wilfrdo Gomez were often brutally dirty.

Pedroza with his elbows and low-blows.

Conteh for opening up cuts with headwork on the inside.

MIke McCallum threw as many low-blows as he did legit bodyshots.

Benn for rabbit punching, hitting while down\on the break etc...

Azumah Nelson could be very cynical and occasionally attempted to end fights with massive powershots just after the bell.

Duran, Hopkins, Chang, oguma, Herol Grhaam...


Quite a lot when you start to think about it.
You have it right Mantequilla...my man Pedroza was an unsung master at the art of the foul, and Gene Fullmer just couldn't help it...he was so strong and rough, and fought so many animals...he had to fight the way he did..he was one rough guy..and one of my favorites.

[red cobra]

Fritzie Zivic was of course the REMBRANDT of dirty fighting...the all time master.

[Bill1234]

Hopkins is brilliant at working a guys hips.

Holyfield worked his head in as a 3rd fist worked very well too.

[Thread Stealer]

Holmes was effective at using an open left glove.

The foul of his that cracked me up the most was when Holmes batted Shavers in the rematch on the ropes, he hit him like he was swinging a baseball bat.

[mcvey]

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Zivic used the laces thethumbs ,the head ,you name it ,interestingly ,he was never dsqd. Billy Conn said he his Pastor low a couple of times to intimidate him.Tony Galento was a filthy fighter.

[Titan1]

Eusebio Pedroza, especially against Juan LaPorte.

[frankenfrank]

Hopkins

[tommygun711]

ray mercer

[choklab]

even boxing royalty used tricks. ali often put people into the ring post - like bonavena and foreman. Holmes was nasty with the thumb and lace. according to ledoux larry finished leroy boone's career. foreman pushed -a lot. lenox leaned. prety much all of them knew a thing or two. jack johnson liked to cuddle...