29.10.07 – By Ted Sares: Mike Tyson’s is 88%. So is Bruce Seldon’s. Acelino Freitas retired with 85% and Ty Fields has 93%. Get this, the recently exposed Victor Oganov has fought 27 times and has a 100% chill factor.
What is it and what use, if any, can be made of it? First, it is simply the total number of knockouts divided by the total number of fights. Aleajandro Naco Berrio had had 31 fight with a 26 (KO 25) – 5 (KO 5) record in 31 fights. Thus, 30 KO’S divided by 31 bouts equals 93% which translates to pure excitement, and that is exactly what Naco is, pure excitement. Jason Litzau has an 87% mark and he too is very exciting. They bring to mind Tito, Gatti, Saad Mohammed, Jesse James Hughes, and other such exciting fighters..
On the other hand, Reggie Strickland has had 363 fights but has chill factor of 11%. Strickland knows how to extend his opponents and go the distance, but Strickland is dreadfully boring. Back in the 50’s, Teddy ‘Redtop’ Davis had 146 fights and a final chill factor of 18%. Teddy could extend his opponents, but unlike Strickland, he was not a designated loser and could compete at the top level.
A high chill factor can mean a number of things. It can translate to a KO artist as in the case of Edwin Valero who sports one of 100% or it can be an enigma as in the case of Marcus Rhode who has one of 83% but wins only against poor competition and loses when he steps up even a tiny bit. It can mean a fighter goes up against mediocre to poor competition as in the case of Ty Fields or the undefeated (but, I suspect, soon to be exposed) Faruq Saleem.
And what happens when two such fighters do battle with one another as in the case of the late Julian “Mr. KO” Letterlough and Richard “The Destroyer” Hall. Why a knockout happens, that’s what.
When I see a high chill factor, I immediately juxtapose it to the fighter’s won-lost record and then quickly can determine the possibilities with the most likely usually being a stoppage one way or another. If the factors are too low, I generally stay away. Said another way, I avoid Sinan Samil Sam’s fights as I do those of Charles Shufford and Malik Scott. Each is a very decent fighter, but their respective styles and low chill factors don‘t jive with my personal tastes.
What fighters can you identify that fill the bill as set forth above?