10 Trash Talkers Who Got Humbled

As much entertainment as trash talkers bring to the sports world, there is something satisfying about seeing such an athlete get thoroughly humbled at a major event. 

Trash talkers are a necessary evil, or a good thing depending on your opinion, in professional sports. These individuals draw attention to and "sell" events to casual fans who may otherwise have ignored a particular show, competition or game. 

The Ultimate Fighting Championship may be the best example of how trash talking can be done correctly. Ronda Rousey and Conor McGregor have become household names among sports fans who largely ignore UFC programs that air on FOX Sports, and not just because those two great fighters have notched quick and memorable victories. Both Rousey and McGregor have been featured on programs such as SportsCenter because they have been willing and able to talk trash in the faces of opponents. 

Trash talkers having to eat their words has, of course, spread across more than just combat sports. New England Patriots quarterback Tom Brady, who will be inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame five years after he retires, once wrote a check that the New England offense could not cash. Johnny Manziel, who still needs a ticket to be allowed into the Hall, never followed through on the words that he delivered to the quarterbacks coach of the Cleveland Browns on the first night of the 2014 National Football League draft. 

Maybe it has something to do with the fact that a lot of us were bullied by larger adversaries when we were young. Perhaps there is a part of us that makes us want successful sports starts to be gracious and humble in victory and in defeat. Whatever the explanations, there are always going to be some sports fans who will take joy in trash talkers getting hit with doses of karma.  

With that said, we will still pay attention the next time those trash talkers have microphones in front of their faces. 

Bethe Correia

You don't tug on Superman's cape. You don't spit into the wind. You don't cross an invisible line when attempting to talk trash to Ronda Rousey leading up to a fight against the Rowdy one. 

Bethe Correia learned that last one the hard way in August 2015. 

While promoting the fight in her native country of Brazil, Correia, per Lucas Rezende of Bloody Elbow, guaranteed to defeat Rousey at UFC 190.

"I promise you. I will beat Ronda and I will only need two punches to knock her out. One to rip off her mole and the other to actually knock her out.  You better believe it," said Correia.

There was nothing overly offensive about those words. Fighters talk trash to get themselves over among fans, to make names for themselves and also to get into the heads of opponents. Anybody entering a UFC cage for a bout had better be as confident as Correia claimed to be leading into UFC 190, or else he/she will probably be in for a bad night. 

Correia, though, then went too far. 

"I want to demoralize her, show the world she has no MMA game," Combate reported (h/t Bloody Elbow). "She doesn't have a good mindset, she needs to get help. There are a lot of people around her, because she is winning, when she realizes she is not all that, I don't even know what could happen. I hope she doesn't commit suicide."

Rousey's father committed suicide when she was young. It is a subject Rousey has touched upon in multiple interviews, and it is probably a subject that Correia should have stayed away from when promoting the fight. 

The cherry on top of this trash-talking sundae occurred at the weigh-in. Correia screamed while standing nearly nose-to-nose with Rousey, while the then-UFC Champion glared at her opponent without saying a single word. 

Rousey did all of her talking in the cage. She backed Correia up to a side of the cage early into the fight, and Rousey then connected on a knee to the body and then a straight right hand to the face that knocked Correia out. It officially took only 34 seconds for Rousey to shut Correia up, maybe for good. 

Johnny Manziel

The "Johnny Football" persona that has been associated with quarterback Johnny Manziel since his days at Texas A&M was about more than Manziel merely playing well and winning big games. Manziel, a winner of the Heisman Trophy, had swagger and even a bit of arrogance on the field. He and his Texas A&M teammates would perform the "money sign" celebration after touchdowns, something that was obviously noticed by at least some NFL players. 

Manziel fell down into the 20s on the first night of the 2014 NFL draft. It was about that time when Manziel, per Mary Kay Cabot of Cleveland.com, reached out to the man who was, in May 2014, serving as quarterbacks coach of the Cleveland Browns. 

"

Browns quarterbacks coach Dowell Loggains said in a radio interview Thursday that a text from Johnny Manziel during the draft helped inspire owner Jimmy Haslam to trade up for him.

"We're sitting there and they keep showing Johnny on T.V. and Johnny and I are texting  and he shoots me a text and he says, 'I wish you guys would come get me. Hurry up and draft me because I want to be there. I want to wreck this league together.'

"

Manziel received his first opportunity to start a regular season game for the Browns in December 2014 when Cleveland hosted the Cincinnati Bengals. The day couldn't have gone much worse for Manziel and the Browns. Manziel completed only 10 of 18 passes, and he was intercepted twice. What may have been even worse than Manziel's lack of production in the 30-0 loss to Cincinnati was that opposing players routinely taunted Manziel with his signature "money sign" celebration throughout the game. 

Manziel told reporters after the game that he was humbled by the experience. From Nate Ulrich of Ohio.com: 

"

“It’s the first game I’ve ever not scored a point in and been shut out,” rookie quarterback Johnny Manziel said Monday while reflecting on the Browns’ 30-0 loss to the Cincinnati Bengals. “I’ve played in a lot of games, I feel like, from high school through college.

“This game, obviously, it has its ups and downs, and yesterday was one of those days for us that didn’t go our way. It’s very humbling.”

"

Knowing all we know about Manziel in March 2016, one could reasonably suggest that he could use more humbling and also possibly some serious help for his off-the-field issues. 

LeBron James

Not every case of an athlete who talked trash only to then have those words thrown back in his face has involved that athlete being embarrassed. LeBron James is a perfect example. 

Unless you were completely ignoring the sports world in the summer of 2010, you probably saw at least highlights from the television special The Decision during which James announced that he was leaving the Cleveland Cavaliers to sign with the Miami Heat. James and fellow free-agency acquisition Chris Bosh later joined Dwyane Wade on stage for a welcome party that featured James saying those now infamous words about the amount of titles the Heat could win now that the club had the "big three." 

"Not 2. Not 3. Not 4. Not 5. Not 6. Not 7."

To James' credit, he and his new teammates did help the Heat reach the NBA Finals in four straight seasons. Miami lost to the Dallas Mavericks, but the Heat then won back-to-back titles by defeating the Oklahoma City Thunder and San Antonio Spurs. San Antonio earned revenge by beating James and the Heat in the 2014 NBA Finals that proved to be the final run for the Big Three.

James used Lee Jenkins of SI.com in July 2014 to tell the world that he was returning to the Cavaliers. Anybody who doesn't believe James had been humbled by all that had occurred while he was with the Heat need only reread what James told Jenkins.

"I’m not promising a championship. I know how hard that is to deliver. We’re not ready right now. No way. Of course, I want to win next year, but I’m realistic. It will be a long process, much longer than it was in 2010. My patience will get tested. I know that."

James was proved to be right, but probably not as he envisioned at the time. Both Kevin Love and Kyrie Irving were sidelined because of injuries during the 2015 NBA playoffs, and the Cavaliers lost the NBA Finals to the Golden State Warriors.  

Rick Dutrow Jr.

It is not surprising to see two opposing NFL players talk trash to each other during a game. A UFC fighter talking smack about a future foe has become part of that business.  

Horse racing, the "sport of kings," may not immediately come to mind when thinking about well-known trash talkers. 

Trainer Rick Dutrow Jr. called his shot in May 2008 after his horse Big Brown had successfully completed the first two legs of racing's Triple crown. Dutrow was speaking to reporters via a conference call leading up to the Belmont Stakes when he was asked if he was feeling nervous about the upcoming race. What followed, per the Associated Press (h/t ESPN.com), was as good an example of trash talking as you will see in the world of horse racing. 

"

I feel that he will do it. I feel like it's actually a foregone conclusion. To me, I just see the horses he's in with and I see our horse so I expect him to win this race. ...

I know that when that day actually does come, and if our horse is in good shape, it will be the most exciting, thrilling moment of my life. So I just ... I know that that's coming, but right now I'm just staying involved with our horse and what we think is best to get him there the right way and it keeps us plenty busy.

"

The 2008 Belmont provided Dutrow with a day to forget. Big Brown was in contention up until the final turn of the race, but he was stopped by his jockey before the end of the turn after the horse stopped responding to the jockey's urges to push ahead. The favorite to win the race finished dead last. 

Dutrow was left searching for words after the race, per USA Today. 

"

Nearly an hour after Big Brown's Triple Crown bid ended with a shocking last-place finish in Saturday's Belmont Stakes, the trainer tried to explain how his seemingly invincible colt had failed so badly.

"I got no idea," he said. "I was looking for a problem, and so far I can't see a problem."

"

Ronda Rousey

The buildup for the UFC 193 main event involving then-UFC Bantamweight Champion Ronda Rousey and Holly Holm was relatively tame. Unlike when Rousey was preparing to fight Miesha Tate and Bethe Correia, the baddest woman on the planet had no rivalry or history with Holm. 

All of that changed when Rousey and Holm went face-to-face at the weigh-in. 

Holm, known as "The Preacher's Daughter," stuck her fist in the champion's face during the traditional showdown that occurs after the fighters are weighed. Rousey felt disrespected, and she responded by pushing Holm's arm away. UFC President Dana White separated the combatants, and Rousey then cut a WWE-style promo on Holm that needs to be seen via the video posted above to be truly appreciated. 

Rousey wasn't done. Following the weigh-in, Rousey took to Instagram to vent about what had occurred, and she had less-than-flattering things to say about Holm, per MMA Junkie. 

“Fake a-- cheap shotting fake respect fake humility b---h – “preacher’s daughter” my a-- – I see through your fake sweet act now – you’re getting your a-- kicked tomorrow, and I’m really going to enjoy the beating I give you #andSTILL,” the post read.

A beating was delivered on November 15, 2015, but it was Rousey who was on the receiving end.

Holm used her footwork and punishing left jab to prevent Rousey from closing the distance and taking Holm down to the ground. The challenger also evaded Rousey's famous armbar during the opening round, a round easily won by Holm.

Rousey didn't make it out of the second round. Holm connected with a crushing kick to the side of Rousey's head 54 seconds into the frame, and the fight was stopped after Holm landed several hammer fists to her fallen victim. 

Tom Brady

Tom Brady and the New England Patriots were a perfect 18-0 heading into the Super Bowl XLII showdown with the New York Giants. In the days leading up to the game, New York wide receiver Plaxico Burress claimed that the New England offense that had set an NFL record of 589 points would be held to just 17 points on Super Bowl Sunday, and that the Giants would win 23-17.

Brady was amused by Burress' prediction, per the New York Daily News.  

"We’re only going to score 17 points?” Brady said Wednesday morning before chuckling. “OK. Is Plax playing defense?

“I wish he had said 45-42 and gave us a little credit for more points."

Brady continued.

“I learned a lesson early in my career: No matter what you say during the week — and God knows we say a lot this week — we’re going to be focused on going out and winning this game. We’re confident, but I don’t think we share our thoughts with everybody.”

Burress was inaccurate with his prediction. He had actually undersold what the New York defense would accomplish at Super Bowl XLII. 

The pass rush of the Giants harassed Brady early and often en route to picking up five sacks during the Super Bowl. New England's offense was held to a single touchdown in 57 minutes of game play until Brady connected with WR Randy Moss for a touchdown pass that put the Patriots up 14-10 with 2:42 left on the clock. 

You know how the story ends. 

New York quarterback Eli Manning escaped a sure sack and tossed a prayer of a pass down the field that David Tyree caught with the help of his helmet. Manning later hit, of all people, Burress in the corner of the end zone for what would be the game-winning TD. The Giants won 17-14, and New England's 18-1 record became a punchline that is mentioned by Big Blue fans to this day. 

Bryce Harper

The Washington Nationals had reasons to feel confident heading into the start of the 2015 Major League Baseball season. Washington had Bryce Harper, one of the best young players in the game. What was already a stellar rotation was bolstered when the Nationals acquired starting pitcher Max Scherzer in free agency. 

Harper believed in late February that the Nationals winning the World Series was a done deal. Harper was downright arrogant when talking to reporters about Washington's chances. 

"

I mean, that's unbelievable. So to be able to have a guy like Scherzer come in, I just started laughing. I was like: 'Where's my ring?' Cause it's just stupid.

It's absolutely stupid how good our staff is. To add a Cy Young, to add a guy that is unbelievable in the postseason. If you have to go into a five-game set in the postseason — looking ahead, like I told you I wouldn't — you have to go into a five-game set with a team, you're going to have to face [Jordan] Zimmermann, [Doug] Fister, Scherzer and Stras [Stephen Strasburg]. Good luck. That's just insane.

"

Harper is, one year later, still looking for that ring. 

Division rivals the New York Mets caught fire during the summer and then landed outfielder Yoenis Cespedes at the trade deadline. Washington, meanwhile, fell apart, and the Mets swept the Nationals in early August to grab sole possession of the National League East lead. The Mets clinched the division on September 26, ending Washington's hopes of a postseason berth in the process. 

Manny Pacquiao

It would be overly harsh to characterize the Manny Pacquiao-Floyd Mayweather bout that occurred in May 2015 as a "sham." Those who paid up to $100 to watch the fight via pay-per-view can only blame themselves for buying into the hype that those two would produce a true "Fight of the Century," as Mayweather's dominating defensive skills were always going to make for a boring affair. 

Even the trash talk that preceded the fight was unimpressive. Pacquiao did hit out at Mayweather during a television appearance that occurred in March of that year, per Fox News Latino. 

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Both fighters saved their trash talking for interviews on ESPN. When Pacquaio was asked on ESPN's "First Take" why Mayweather had dodged fighting him for five years, Pacquaio said, "He's afraid of losing." 

He said, "In my mind, I was more worried about the fight when I fought [Oscar] De La Hoya and [Miguel] Cotto than this fight." 

He added, "Cotto punches harder" than Mayweather does.

"

Mayweather didn't need an abundance of power to defeat Pacquiao. The undefeated champion landed more punches, did more damage and left no doubt in beating Pacquiao via unanimous decision. 

It was, truth be told, a dull event for sports fans who care little about the sweet science and who were hoping to see two warriors battle it out for 12 rounds. As ESPN Senior Writer Dan Rafael wrote after the fight, Mayweather's dominance of Pacquiao was impressive. 

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The CompuBox punch statistics really tell the story here as Mayweather connected on 148 of 435 punches (34 percent) while Pacquiao, one of the most offensive-minded fighters in modern times, had an anemic offense. He landed only 81 of 429 punches, a horrible 19 percent. That's how good Mayweather's defense is. Overall, Mayweather averaged landing 12 of 36 punches per round and Pacquiao a poor 6 of 35 per round.

"

Rex Ryan

We will give Rex Ryan credit for making the New York Jets relevant while he was the Gang Green head coach. Ryan helped guide the Jets to multiple AFC Championship Games, but those New York sides were unable to get past the Indianapolis Colts and then the Pittsburgh Steelers to make it to a Super Bowl.  

Ryan was also good for a soundbite per week that entertained the New York media and that landed his name in headlines. 

It was in January 2010 when Ryan stated that the state of New York football would be altered when MetLife Stadium replaced the old Giants Stadium. Per Mark Cannizzaro of the NY Post: 

“Let’s play this game in front of our fans and our stadium, the new Jets stadium,” Ryan ranted. “I can’t wait. We get our own stadium and we are not visitors in our stadium. This is our stadium. We are the biggest show in town, and that’s what it’s going to be.”

Ryan went one step further in February 2011. As Jenny Vrentas the Star-Ledger wrote, Ryan (once again) had one clear goal in mind when attending the 2011 NFL Scouting Combine. 

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“I believe this is the year that we’re going to win the Super Bowl,” the Jets coach said at Lucas Oil Stadium during the annual Scouting Combine. “I thought we’d win it the first two years. I guarantee we’ll win it this year.”

News? Not by definition. Ryan has built his reputation on speaking, promising and predicting a Super Bowl ring since he was hired by the organization in 2009.

"

Ryan was right about one thing. A New York team did win the Super Bowl for the 2011 season. The New York Giants defeated the New England Patriots at Super Bowl XLVI.

The Giants and thousands of fans gathered at MetLife Stadium in February 2012 to celebrate the team's second title in four seasons. Defensive end Justin Tuck had a clear message for Ryan and the Jets on that chilly afternoon, per Ralph Vacchiano of NY Daily News. 

“Last time we did this it was in Giants Stadium,” Tuck said, as he stood on a stage at midfield, behind the Super Bowl trophy. “Now we’re in MetLife Stadium.

“But one thing you can be sure of is whose house this is.”

Ryan and the Jets parted ways in December 2014, and he was named head coach of the Buffalo Bills the following month. During his introductory press conference, Ryan vowed that he would take the Bills to the playoffs. He also guaranteed "the pursuit" of a Super Bowl, as seen in the video above. 

Maybe Ryan did learn something from his stint with the Jets, after all. 

Conor McGregor

The UFC could not manufacture a more ideal superstar than Conor McGregor. McGregor is brash, he seemingly finds joy in talking trash to any opponent, and he happily accepts press invites that allow him to promote upcoming fights and to promote himself. 

Most important is that McGregor has repeatedly backed his words with highlight-reel victories. McGregor needed only 13 seconds to knock Jose Also out and unify the UFC featherweight championship at UFC 194 this past December. The outspoken Irishman was scheduled to challenge for the UFC lightweight championship at UFC 196, but champion Rafael dos Anjos had to remove himself from the show after he suffered a broken foot in training. 

Nate Diaz stepped in to replace Dos Anjos, and Diaz and McGregor agreed to a fight in the welterweight division.

McGregor and Diaz had less than two full weeks to promote the new fight before the night of March 5, and they didn't disappoint. McGregor criticized Diaz for having a "soft body" during the first press conference after the fight was made official, and Diaz responded by hinting that he believed McGregor was on steroids, per FOX Sports. McGregor and Diaz trash talked during an interview with CNBC reporter Jane Wells, and they nearly came to blows at the pre-fight weigh-in. 

McGregor's left fist did the majority of the talking in Round 1 of the fight. He repeatedly tagged Diaz with punches and left Diaz bloodied by the end of the round. McGregor remained in control at the start of the second round, but he eventually fatigued and was then rocked by a couple of punches landed by Diaz.

The beginning of the end of the fight occurred when McGregor shot in for a takedown on Diaz, the superior wrestler of the two. Diaz blocked McGregor, landed a few punches from the mount and then locked in a rear-naked choke. McGregor had no choice but to tap out, and Diaz celebrated his hard-fought victory as a stunned McGregor was left laying on his back. 

McGregor has, in the past, gotten into the heads of opponents with his pre-fight antics. According to Marc Raimondi of MMA Fighting, the opposite occurred this time around. 

"

Not only did McGregor's pre-fight antics not work, Diaz's coach said. They actually did the opposite of McGregor likely intended.

"It hypes [Diaz] up," said Richard Perez, the Diaz brothers' longtime boxing coach. "He likes to go talk stuff. It pumps him up even more. That's the way it is."

"