By Jermill Pennington: As we anticipation April being a fantastic month of boxing, at the moment I would say there’s a bit of a lull in the boxing world. Debates about Manny Pacquiao and Floyd Mayweather serve as substance that gets us through the down times, but there’s only so much to be said. I wanted to give fans a reason to put on their hiking shoes and get off the beaten trail.
Combing through the commenting forums indulging in the hilarity that ensues something dawned on me. There is a great divide in those who see trash talking as part of the entertainment, and those who find it to be unnecessary and distasteful. Now before we go any further let’s address Mr. Obvious before he gets going. Yes, there are likely cultural differences in people that sway their feeling towards trash talk one way or the other. Some would say many who do the trash talking embody the preconceived stereotype. Either way, trash talk has been a part of sport as long as it has existed. In a sport like boxing where two men hit each other hit the face, I would assume any psychological advantage to be had is welcomed. Let’s hop in our time machine and take a deeper look at the art of trash talking and how it has become synonymous with the sport of boxing.
Jack Johnson noted as the first black heavy weight ever is also regard as the originator of trash talking. Jack was in many ways sports first celebrity, embraced the press, combined with a crazy lifestyle Jack was a lightning rod for attention. At this time in the United States a black man being outspoken was something that was frowned upon. Johnson seemed to thrive off discrimination, married three times all to white and was rumored to have slept with dozens more. Johnson said to then champion Tommy Burns before their upcoming fight “who told you I’m yellow? Your white Tommy, like the flag of surrender”
James Toney was a trash talking extraordinaire. Having the fighting ability to back it up, once James got going he was never short on the four and five letter words. If not for sharing the era with a prime Roy Jones Jr. many would argue that either Bernard Hopkins or James Toney were the best fighters of the era. As James weight ballooned, his penchant for trash talking seemed to grow as he did. When asked about new venture into the heavy weight division Toney had this to say “everyone knows I’m the best heavy weight in the world. I aint worried about goin to Europe to fight the b****ko sisters or David Gaye”.
How could anyone forget likely the most ruthless trash talker of all time Ricardo Mayorga. When it came to straight going for the throat, Mayorga was as good as any. Mayorga did things we haven’t seen done since, like smoking a cigarette in the press conference following a fight. However his boxing ability wasn’t on par with his mouth (losing every time he face elite competition) Mayorga was able to assemble himself a decent career. “I would like to say publicly that Fatty Vargas has always feared me. I conceded to take this fight at 162 pounds because fatty couldn’t lose any more weight. I will do Vargas a favor by retiring him in this fight so his family doesn’t have to suffer every time he steps in the ring. I’m going to do his wife a favor and not let her cry anymore.”- Ricardo Mayorga. (Before his match with Fernando Vargas.)
You can’t talk about great trash talkers/showmen and not mention who many regard as the most celebrated feather weight to have ever grace the ring Prince Naseem Hamed. By far the most entertaining British fighter to have come along Hamed brought more than an awkward style to the ring. “I ain’t bragging, but I ain’t seen nobody, and I mean nobody, come to the ring in such style, with such flair, charisma, I’m talking about bringing it all, a full package. I mean who would you know that could come out in a flying carpet. Come out like a concert, dancing, with like, oozing confidence, and then get in and take somebody out. Come on, do you know anybody in the history of the sport, that did what Prince Naseem did. And I ain’t trying to brag, but I was bloody good at it.” -Naseem Hamed (When asked about a comeback.)
Before I conclude of course I had to mention the greatest Muhammad Ali. For the other fighters mentioned I gave some precursor, but for something as awesome as your about to read I don’t think any is necessary, until next time I’ll hola.
Quote from Ali:
“Last night I had a dream, When I got to Africa,
I had one hell of a rumble.
I had to beat Tarzan’s behind first,
For claiming to be King of the Jungle.
For this fight, I’ve wrestled with alligators,
I’ve tussled with a whale.
I done handcuffed lightning
And throw thunder in jail.
You know I’m bad.
Just last week, I murdered a rock,
Injured a stone, Hospitalized a brick.
I’m so mean, I make medicine sick.
I’m so fast, man,
I can run through a hurricane and don’t get wet.
When George Foreman meets me,
He’ll pay his debt.
I can drown the drink of water, and kill a dead tree.
Wait till you see Muhammad Ali.”
-Muhammad Ali. (A poem he recited for his fight with George Foreman, in what was billed as the Rumble in the Jungle.)
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