Something thats been puzzling me.........how come Sweet Pea's speech pattern has changed so dramatically where as Holyfield's hasn't ? both had extensive amateur careers, but Whitaker is seen as arguably the best defensive fighter of all time where as Holyfield is notorious was for going to war and has done on many many occasions, yet it seems to be Whitaker whos speech has changed not Holyfield's. I know Whitaker fought most of his career in the pocket but i still cant see how he took more blows than Evander who was in wars or tough fights with Dokes, Stewart, Cooper, Bowe 1-2-3, Qawi, Mercer, Tyson, De Leon, Tillman, Moorer, Ruiz 2 etc.

Its something that bothers me everytime i see and interview with Whitaker.

Holyfield is just a bad ass

Holyfield is one tough mofo.

Holy is a real tough bloke. Unlike the ballet boxer. What a whimp. Obviously never looked that durable.

it's basically luck of the draw man. how can jake lamotta and george chuvalo still be going strong and speak well, when both were face fighters and always in brutal fights. but yet defensive wizards like wilfred benitez need 24/7 care.

it's basically luck of the draw man. how can jake lamotta and george chuvalo still be going strong and speak well, when both were face fighters and always in brutal fights. but yet defensive wizards like wilfred benitez need 24/7 care.

Hilton and Curry probably have something to do with that :lol1:

The answer is how they took care of their bodies outside of the ring. Holyfield kept himself clean. Whitaker did not.

The answer is how they took care of their bodies outside of the ring. Holyfield kept himself clean. Whitaker did not.

but jake lamotta didnt take care of his body and is still going strong at nearly 90 years of age!

but jake lamotta didnt take care of his body and is still going strong at nearly 90 years of age!

lamotta is guilty of heavy drinking is all I'm aware of. All that does is **** with your liver, which you can have replaced. And if you got a tough ass liver, you're fine. And even if you lose the liver...not the end of the world. Whitaker on the other hand did hard drugs. Most notably cocaine. Any Dave Chappelle fans around here would be well acquainted with what cocaine did to Rick James.

The brain is a complex organ. Its not like it takes so many punches to make one man more punch drunk than another. One punch or one fight can have a man slurring his words.

Look at Bowe after Golota 2, Ali after Berbick. One fight made a difference! To be honest about Holyfield........he was never ever, really articulate.

I know people with little amateur experience who slur their words due to the few punches they have taken, streetfights etc.

George Foreman is very articulate and has taken some huge punches between the late 60s and the late 90s!!!! His brain has clearly not been ever perceptively damaged, but there would be no reason why he couldn't have been slurring his words in 1977 after being KO'd by Ali, and bounced off the canvas by Ron Lyle and Jimmy Young.

As for Mr Whittaker, he certainly didnt escape all Felix Trinidad's blows from what I remember......and we know what that man did to Fernando Vargas and David Reid's careers! You can dodge punches all your life then get unluckily caught late with adverse effects.

The brain is a complex organ. Its not like it takes so many punches to make one man more punch drunk than another. One punch or one fight can have a man slurring his words.

Look at Bowe after Golota 2, Ali after Berbick. One fight made a difference! To be honest about Holyfield........he was never ever, really articulate.

I know people with little amateur experience who slur their words due to the few punches they have taken, streetfights etc.

George Foreman is very articulate and has taken some huge punches between the late 60s and the late 90s!!!! His brain has clearly not been ever perceptively damaged, but there would be no reason why he couldn't have been slurring his words in 1977 after being KO'd by Ali, and bounced off the canvas by Ron Lyle and Jimmy Young.

As for Mr Whittaker, he certainly didnt escape all Felix Trinidad's blows from what I remember......and we know what that man did to Fernando Vargas and David Reid's careers! You can dodge punches all your life then get unluckily caught late with adverse effects.

Golota had nothing to do with Bowe slipping. He just met him on the way down. The most damage Golota did to Bowe was nuts.

Only Lyle put an actual hurtin on Foreman. Ali and Young just gassed him out.

Golota had nothing to do with Bowe slipping. He just met him on the way down. The most damage Golota did to Bowe was nuts.

Only Lyle put an actual hurtin on Foreman. Ali and Young just gassed him out.

Bowe was certainly slipping which was very evident in his past couple of fights (just look at his brawl with Herbie Hide) but the beating Golota gave to him certainly didn't do him any good. Bowe absorbed a sickening amount of punishment in both fights, especially the second, when he was also weight-drained.

Heavyweights should not be landing 50+ punches a round, not to mention over 70 (like Golota did).

The Holyfield fights must have done their damage as well. Bowe never had great defense so he ate punches in most of his bouts. He also led a terrible lifestyle outside of the ring.

Apart from the 6th Robinson fight and some of his later contests, LaMotta never took too many beatings in the ring. He was also smart to retire when he clearly didn't have it anymore.

Chuvalo said the reason he is so well now is because he took most of the punches on the top of his head, not to the side or the jaw. I'm not sure if there's anything to it but that's what he says.

Yea Hi Obama, I was talking about Bowe slurring.....not slipping! Thats what this thread is about. If you watch him speak after the first Golota fight his speach was fine. But I could barely understand him in the post fight interview after fight two, he took some sick punches to the head in that fight.

As for Foreman I was just indicating that perhaps he is lucky that his speach is as good as it is, I agree that Lyle was the hardest puncher who hurt Foreman the most out of the three I mentioned. But the point is, when you are dealing with a complex organ like the brain, there is no telling when the point will be when there is any damage.

Bowe was certainly slipping which was very evident in his past couple of fights (just look at his brawl with Herbie Hide) but the beating Golota gave to him certainly didn't do him any good. Bowe absorbed a sickening amount of punishment in both fights, especially the second, when he was also weight-drained.

Heavyweights should not be landing 50+ punches a round, not to mention over 70 (like Golota did).

The Holyfield fights must have done their damage as well. Bowe never had great defense so he ate punches in most of his bouts. He also led a terrible lifestyle outside of the ring.

Apart from the 6th Robinson fight and some of his later contests, LaMotta never took too many beatings in the ring. He was also smart to retire when he clearly didn't have it anymore.

Chuvalo said the reason he is so well now is because he took most of the punches on the top of his head, not to the side or the jaw. I'm not sure if there's anything to it but that's what he says.

Yeah i would be inclined to agree with this. Bowe took a lot of punishment in both Golota fights and he looked bad against Holyfield and Hide, albeit he still won.

I agree about Bowe in the post fight but i also believe that interviewing a fighter after a fight gives a false reading of their speech pattern. Does anyone remember Chris Eubank speaking after the 2nd Watson fight and how incoherent he was ?

I remember that interview with Chris Eubank too, he indicated that his babbling was down to taking some good shots from Watson. He was wanting to thank the fans for voting for him in some best dressed male award......then he wanted Watson's urine tested 'because no man can be that strong!' Talk about random.

I agree with Dynamite that right after a fight is not an ideal time for a fighter to perform elecution, the brain will have taken punishment only minutes before. Its often the first time we, the fans can see any slurring though.

its crazy how guys like holyfield, foreman, duran, chuvalo are not punch drunk at all no matter how many punches they took.......

Maybe Whitaker took a lot of punishment in sparring.

That's frequently overlooked. It's probably the main reason why Terry Norris slurs his words, he didn't take all that much sustained punishment in his fights.

its crazy how guys like holyfield, foreman, duran, chuvalo are not punch drunk at all no matter how many punches they took.......

Maybe Whitaker took a lot of punishment in sparring.

That's frequently overlooked. It's probably the main reason why Terry Norris slurs his words, he didn't take all that much sustained punishment in his fights.

Different fighters have different physiological responses to the punishment they've suffered. Im not sure a neurosurgeon could even explain why this happens.

Why is everyone over looking Whitaker's coke habit? It's CLEARLY the main reason. This isn't even debateable.

Why is everyone over looking Whitaker's coke habit? It's CLEARLY the main reason. This isn't even debateable.

I can see that, Whitaker destroyed his body with that ****.

Why is everyone over looking Whitaker's coke habit? It's CLEARLY the main reason. This isn't even debateable.

Its possible his drug use was a contributing factor, but I doubt its the main reason. A lot of fighters with drug issues and less defensively talented than Pea sound better than he does. Aaron Pryor come immediately to mind. He doesn't sound great, but he sounds much better than Whitaker at this point.

lamotta is guilty of heavy drinking is all I'm aware of. All that does is **** with your liver, which you can have replaced. And if you got a tough ass liver, you're fine. And even if you lose the liver...not the end of the world. Whitaker on the other hand did hard drugs. Most notably cocaine. Any Dave Chappelle fans around here would be well acquainted with what cocaine did to Rick James.

what about Aaron Pryor? did hard drugs, face first fighter, took tremendous blows..

he seems fine

Cocaine is a hell of a drug.