"Crafty" old-school infighting tricks?

[Eric Holder]

It seems like many old school fighers (throughout the weight classes) were highly skilled inside fighers that knew how to utilize clinches to inflict more damage or as a defense tool.

from on .

What are some common "crafty" techniques that boxers have effectively used in fights? And which fighters do you think have been the most efficient at using these tricks?

[Barn]

Jack Johnson was great at this.

[BattlingNelson]

I did a thread about the rough stuff of the old-timers.

//krikya360.com/forums/sh...d.php?t=239086

In an article from The San Francisco Call (1910) I found an article going through the tricks of the trade of the prize fighters. The article tells about the psychological warfare of Bob Fitzsimmons, Tommy Ryan, 'Kid' McCoy and others. This is stuff that is well known today as is hitting after the bell and so on.

I have made excerpts below telling of dirty tricks which isn't possible today and goes to show the nasty business the fightgame was. This is about 'Kid' McCoy:

"The rosin on the glove.
Notice the "Kid," for instance, lithe and amiable, strolling about the ring, immediately prior to a professional engagement. There are little heaps of rosin scattered about, the canvas-stretched floor, and the "Kid" wipes his feet in them, kicks them playfully, without the least apparent preconceived intent in the world. - He smiles at his friends and pleasantly, receives their applause. But the rosin in the ring becomes gradually "accelerated" in the direction of his corner, if there be none already, there.

The gloves have been chosen; and the seconds crowd about their men, carefully pushing the horsehair padding away from the center. They bend over
to fix them on the principle that accidents will sometimes happen —in fact they always happen in the "Kid's" corner. Before he has an opportunity, to
assume them they drop regularly into that rosinheap?drop there and are squeezed and twisted into it ere they are picked up and finally assumed. And a rosined glove may be made to cut like a knife in the hands of a McCoy. Infact it often has cut like a knife, and in nicely calculated places, too. 'This is
but a single one in the sum of tricks McCoy has practiced.

Bicycle tape.
It was McCoy too, who introduced the ingenious practice of putting a heavy layer of bicycle tape upon his hands. Then the "Kid," in dressinggown, would
pleasantly argue in the center of the ring as to the desirability of that tape's removal?would argue till the tape had become hardened like iron. He would
then smilingly take off as much of the tape as was possible. But bicycle tape has the unforlunate, qualification of adhering, when heated,and the final strand would still stay on.

McCoy would grirnace helplessly and his opponent would usually overlook the last and most dangerous strand of all. McCoy's knuckles would, however, be protected with bands like iron, which a trick of the trade had made possible. This ingenious little device has been the occasion of making the pugilist of the
present time doubly careful as to the hand bandages of an opponent. It is the legacy. of,McCoy to his profession."

The article ends with this:

"After such instances of artistry as these it would be almost inartistic to descend to the comparative crudeness of a "Young" Corbett, whose virulence and reflective character of language regularly put his opponents into a frenzy which made them easy to defeat or yet the unshaven and artificially wired
condition of a Battling Nelson's hair, with which to bore into an opponent's eyes. There could only be stated that one example of cunning, when an opponent of the latter went into a contest with the lightweight champion with gloves which were in an extremely acidulated condition. These completely blinded the courageous but human Battler and almost
defeated him.

It is, however, sufficient to indicate the tricks of a trade which is apparently severe in more ways than one. Most of these tricks are unfair, yes; but what
tricks are not? Many gentlemen of many desirable professions live in glass houses, it seems. Can they afford to throw stones at gentlemanly pugilists?"


The article can be found here:

And here's a pic of Battling Nelson showing the wear and tear of his style:

[Eric Holder]

I did a thread about the rough stuff of the old-timers.

//krikya360.com/forums/sh...d.php?t=239086

nice thread, I'm reading through it right now

I was more curious about tricks that didn't involve using illicit tape or things of that nature....I wanted to know about examples, like how Mosley for instance said that Mayweather leaning on him and pulling down on his head/neck tired him out

[Anthony342]

Well Bernard Hopkins is known for sometimes using his head as a weapon and landing low blows when he knows the ref is out of position and won't see it. Holyfield has been accused of headbutting as well.

[Heavy Bag]

Archie Moore was the master. He knew every trick in the book & then some.

[NChristo]

Archie Moore was the master. He knew every trick in the book & then some.

Jersey Joe Walcott as well.

[Eric Holder]

Jack Johnson was great at this.

the vimeo link I posted has footage of Johnson controlling his opponents elbows in the clinch and then launching inside uppercuts

[CarlosG815]

the vimeo link I posted has footage of Johnson controlling his opponents elbows in the clinch and then launching inside uppercuts

Ali claimed that when Cooper would punch him he would try to slip the thumb of his glove into Ali's eye to blind him, and he also said he stepped on his foot before he punched him which is why he went down in the 4th.

[Rockin']

some tricks............. every one knows the grab his elbow and spin him and then rap him with hooks. I used to bring my elbows high when a guy would come in on me, some times he'd ram his face right into them, opps sorry 'bout that. Bust'n the guy in the nutz when the ref is on the otherside. The bumping your shoulder up when the guy rests his head on you. Putting your head below the guys chin and bumping up a few times. When we were on the inside trading I would hit the guy in the back of the head if he was holding me. The ref would say quit hitting in the back of the head and I'd tell the ref to make him stop holding me. Both are against the rules. When slipping a right hand I'd bash my shoulder into his stomach. Theres a million and 1 things, it's not golf ya know...........Rockin'