They say showing off is the fool’s idea of glory. That saying most definitely holds true in the sport of boxing. There’s a reason why pundits emphasize that the boxing ring is no place for play. A split-second mental lapse in there can have devastating consequences.
Through the years, there have been boxers who have exhibited a certain flair for showmanship. You have Roy Jones Jr.’s behind-the-back rooster punch, James Toney’s hands down ‘defense’, and even the ‘Ali Shuffle.’ This display of confidence, however, can backfire, and there have been many times that showboating has proven to be a big mistake.
While special fighters have had success, despite their antics in the ring, lesser fighters have met unfortunate ends when they decided to showboat.
This list should serve as a reminder about those moments in boxing history when showboating led to disastrous results. The boxing ring should never be a place to get cocky. Let’s take a look at a few of the best examples of this.
Today, Evolve Daily shares five times showboating in boxing went wrong.
1) Adrien Broner Vs Marcos Maidana
You may never come across a boxer more cocky than Adrien “The Problem” Broner. The uber-confident Cincinnati, Ohio native overflows with self-esteem before each of his fights — in press conferences, media interviews, and in the gym.
In 2013, however, an undefeated Broner met his match when he ran into Argentinian powerhouse Marcos “El Chino” Maidana. After showboating every chance he got in every round, Maidana ultimately had the last laugh. He knocked Broner down for the first time in his career in round two, care of a vicious left hand, and again in the eighth. Maidana went on to win a wide unanimous decision.
Broner was supposed to be the second coming of Floyd Mayweather. He even had the style to match “Money May”, and the bad boy persona down pat. Sadly, he just didn’t have the skills to match.
You have to give Broner credit, though. Even though he showboats habitually in nearly all of his bouts, he remains super confident in himself, even after defeat.
2) Lucian Bute Vs Edison Miranda
Former cruiserweight Edison “Pantera” Miranda was one of Columbia’s best boxers of the 2000’s. He was an Olympic bronze medalist and had a pretty solid resume heading into this matchup.
Despite dropping some big losses to Arthur Abraham and Andre Ward, Miranda was still considered a very dangerous fighter when he met streaking Romanian southpaw, Lucian “Le Tombeur” Bute in 2010.
Bute, on the other hand, was undefeated at the time, and one of the fastest rising fighters in the world.
Bute was no doubt the sharper and smarter fighter of the two, and comfortably built a lead through the first few rounds. Unable to connect cleanly, Miranda grew more frustrated as the bout wore on. So he resorted to taunting, carelessly dropping his hands and goading Bute to attack.
We all know how this one turned out, and if you haven’t seen it yet, check out the video. A short left uppercut from Bute in the third ended the fight instantly.
3) Sam Maxwell Vs Sabri Sadiri
French boxer Sabri “Speed” Sadiri surely wishes he could have this one back. The previously unbeaten 26-year-old made a huge mistake against the United Kingdom’s “Super” Sam Maxwell just last year that cost him his unblemished record.
Sadiri was actually off to a blistering start, dominating Maxwell in the early rounds. He dropped Maxwell in the first and second, and seemed to be on his way to imminent victory. Although Maxwell recovered, he was well behind on points, and most expected him to lose a decision.
That was until the final round. After Sadiri landed a few good shots, which boosted his confidence, he resorted to showboating and taunting Maxwell around the ring, lowering his hands and exposing his chin.
With just a few seconds left in the fight — you guessed it — Maxwell landed a bout-ending punch that separated Sadiri from his senses. The referee stopped the fight, and Sadiri learned a very important lesson, the hard way.
4) Shane Mosley Vs Ricardo Mayorga
There are few boxers in history as cocky and as confident as Nicaraguan bad boy, Ricardo “El Matador” Mayorga. The brash and outspoken brawler often tried his best to get under the skin of his opponents, smoking cigarettes during faceoffs and blowing smoke in their faces.
His series against the legendary “Sugar” Shane Mosley will probably go down as one of the greatest boxing grudges of all time.
Mosley and Mayorga fought each other twice, once in 2008 and again in 2015. Mosley got the better of Mayorga, winning by knockout on both occasions.
In both fights, Mayorga did everything he could to get up in Mosley’s face and try to anger him, goading him to fight with his emotions. The cool, calm, and collected Mosley, however, was too much of a savvy veteran to fall for it, though, and instead used his skills and experience to overcome a tough challenge.
To give credit where it’s due, mental warfare was definitely part of Mayorga’s game plan, and sometimes it worked. Just not this time.
5) Marco Antonio Barrera Vs Prince Naseem Hamed
There is no greater showboater than the great “Prince” Naseem Hamed. His in-ring antics are the stuff of legend. The way he moves his head and torso, leaving his hands down, sticking his tongue out at foes, and just literally provoking them in the middle of a fight, it’s absolutely a sight to behold.
It worked incredibly well too, throughout his career. He managed to remain unbeaten after 34 fights, knocking out 31 opponents prior to meeting Mexican superstar “The Baby Faced Assassin” Marco Antonio Barrera in 2001.
That’s when one-third of the Mexican Trifecta effectively snuffed his torch and put an end to Hamed’s days of showboating in the ring.
Barrera would have none of Hamed’s tomfoolery and proceeded to dominate and practically obliterate the confident Brit en route to a unanimous decision.
Following his one and only loss, Hamed recuperated just enough to come back and win another world title the year after, and then retired into the sunset.
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