At the USAF Fighter Weapons School at Nellis AFB, Boyd earned his legendary nickname by offering a standing bet: he could defeat any pilot in simulated air-to-air combat in 40 seconds or less, starting from a position of disadvantage (with the challenger on Boyd's tail). He reportedly never lost. The bet was not mere showmanship — it demonstrated Boyd's emerging insight that aerial combat followed predictable patterns based on energy management, geometry, and tempo. The ability to start from disadvantage and win quickly showed that understanding these patterns mattered more than starting position or aircraft performance.