Trash-talk is a form of boast or insult commonly heard in competitive situations (such as sports events). Trash-talkers are athletes who save their antics for opponents and talk trash to intimidate the opposition and by doing so attempt to put them 'off of their game.' On occasions it can also be used in a humorous spirit. Trash-talk is often characterized by use of hyperbole, or figurative language, e.g. "You run like bambi on ice!" Puns and other wordplay are also commonly used.
Trash-talk was commonly used by the heavyweight boxing champion Muhammad Ali in the 1960's and 1970's. Since then, it has become common for boxers in particular, but also for other sportsmen to use trash-talk.
Mike Tyson:
As a trash talker, Tyson was at his best when his boxing skills were on the decline.
In one of his more memorable moments, Tyson had these words for Lennox Lewis after a warm-up fight against Lou Savarse that lasted just 38 seconds!
"I'm the best ever. I'm the most brutal and vicious, the most ruthless champion there has ever been. No one can stop me. Lennox is a conqueror? No! I'm Alexander! He's no Alexander! I'm the best ever. There’s never been anyone as ruthless as me. I'm Sonny Liston. I'm Jack Dempsey. There's no one like me. I'm from their cloth. There is no one who can match me. My style is impetuous, my defense is impregnable, and I'm just ferocious. I want your heart! I want to eat his children! Praise be to Allah!"
In 2002 Lewis knocked out Tyson in the eighth round at The Pyramid in Memphis, Tennessee, in what was, at the time, the highest-grossing pay-per-view event in history.
Scottie Pippen:
"Just remember, the mailman doesn't deliver on Sundays, Karl."
It was played on a Sunday and Chicago Bulls Scottie Pippen's 27 points in Game One of the 1997 NBA Finals paled in comparison to his one-line psych out with just 9.2 seconds left of the game - of the Utah Jazz's main man no less. After getting fouled, Utah's Karl Malone (also known as the Mailman) stepped up to the free throw line. Pippen walked up behind him and uttered that immortal taunt, and Malone missed both his free-throws, following this harsh reality check regarding mail on Sundays. The Bulls took the first game and went on to win the series.
Muhammad Ali:
"I’ll beat him so bad he’ll need a shoehorn to put his hat on." (ahead of a fight against Floyd Patterson)
On November 22, 1965, in yet another attempt to be the first to win the World Heavyweight title three times, Patterson lost to Ali by technical knockout at the end of the 12th round, going into the fight with an injured sacro-iliac joint in a bout in which Ali was clearly dominant. Ali called Patterson an "Uncle Tom" for refusing to call him Muhammad Ali (Patterson continued to call him Cassius Clay) and for this outspokenness against black muslims. Instead of scoring a quick knockout, Ali mocked, humiliated and punished Patterson throughout the fight.
Rod Marsh and Ian Botham:
When Botham took guard in an Ashes match, Marsh welcomed him to the wicket with the immortal words:
"So how's your wife and my kids?" Botham's retort was "Wife is fine, kids are retarded"
Antonio Langham:
"His mouth is writing checks that his ass can't cash"
Defensive-back Antonio Langham for Alabama on the trash talking by the Florida quarter-back before the 1st SEC (Southeastern Conference) Championship game in 1992.
Mike Tyson:
"I am many things. I am an animal. I am a convicted rapist, a hell-raiser, a loving father, a semi-good husband. You don't really know me."
Mike Tyson at a news conference where he cursed, jumped on a table, stripped off his shirt, complained about medication hurting his sex life and threatened to put "a (expletive) bullet" through the head of Lennox Lewis.
Michael Jordan:
In 1992, in a game against the Denver Nuggets, Jordan told rookie Dikembe Mutombo that he would shoot the free throw with his eyes closed. Before he did, he looked at Mutombo and said:
"This one’s for you."
Then he closed his eyes, hit the shot and told Mutombo:
"Welcome to the NBA."
Floyd Mayweather Jr.
"When I retire, I’ll get Ricky Hatton to wash my clothes and cut my lawn and buckle my shoes. Ricky Hatton ain’t nothing but a fat man. I’m going to punch him in his beer belly. He ain’t good enough to be my sparring partner."
In 2007, after he beat Oscar de la Hoya, Mayweather had these savage words for Ricky Hatton, the British champion, before beating Hatton in ten rounds.
Mario Balotelli:
Mario Balotelli, Italy’s hero in the Euro 2012 semi-final against Germany, is so pumped for the final, he’s talking trash via social media. He tweets the above quote to Spain defender Gerard Piqué, who dates rump-shaking pop goddess Shakira. Strong words from a guy who shags prostitutes.....and then cried when his side lost in the Final.
Muhammad Ali:
"After the fight I'm gonna build myself a pretty home and use him as a bearskin rug. Liston even smells like a bear. I'm gonna give him to the local zoo after I whup him."
And then he destroyed Sonny "The Big Bear" Liston on 25th Feruary 1964, in Miami Beach, to become the youngest boxer ever at 22, to take the title from a reigning heavyweight champion.
Viv Richards and Greg Thomas:
This incident took place during a county championship match between Glamorgan and Somerset. Glamorgan paceman Thomas had beaten Richards' bat a couple of times and informed him:
"It's red, round and weighs about five ounces, in case you were wondering."
The very next ball Sir Issac Vivian Andrews Richards gave him the royal treament and smashed the ball out of the ground, into a nearby river - at which point he piped up:
"Greg, you know what it looks like. Now go and fetch it."
Mike Tyson
"[He] called me a ‘rapist’ and a ‘recluse’. I’m not a recluse." (Tyson talking about writer Wallace Matthews).
There are great trash-talking athletes, and there are great trash-talking moments. Unfortunately, many one-liners used by some of these athletes were never recorded. In our day of viral video, we’re not sure if miking up every athlete would be a good idea or not. There’s no doubt, however, that doing so would provide endless hours of entertainment for the casual and not-so-casual sports fans.
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