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Over the past 100 years or so we've had some truly awesome boxers. But what do you guys think makes a truly great fighter?
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you cant do sit-ups and get it, you cant do push-ups and get it, you have to be born with it. greatness cant be taught... -
No but I mean things like great heart, great chin, awesome punches etc.Comment
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if you could train to have a great chin, great heart and awesome punches then everyone would have it.
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NOOOO!!! Im completely aware of that!
What I mean is, which of these things than certain people have has conributed the most towards making them great fighters?Comment
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Heart, charisma, style, explosiveness.
Heart = Rocky Marciano, Evander Holyfield, Jim Jeffries, Joe Frazier, etc. These guys took a massive beating and kept coming back to grab the late rounds and a victory from the clutches of defeat.
Charisma = Muhammad Ali. Pretty much the standout in this category. His rhyming insults and creative antics in the ring generally instigated all sorts of emotions in the fans. Even if they hated him he was affecting the sport. Similar to the way Andy Kauffman behaved in the entertainment industry.
Style = Knockout fighters and unique styles. Most guys who have a lot of power tend to draw crowds just for the chance of watching someone get hurt. While that's not a subject to take lightly, it's fascinating to the masses like the gladiatoral games of Antiquity. Roy Jones Jr. gets into this category because he did all sorts of crazy stuff like chicken walk, egg on his opponents, throw insane combos in every direction that landed, etc. He was pure entertainment when he was young. Muhammad Ali had a strange style that hadn't been used much before, and it gave him an advantage over many opponents. It made for interesting viewing (when he was healthy), as well as case study for other fighters.
Explosiveness = Mike Tyson, Jack Dempsey. These guys kept fans on the edge of their seats as they waited for that moment. The moment would generally include an amazing surge of energy that involved a panorama of clean, powerful punches from such an otherwise calm, but intimidating demeanor. When a fighter of this nature is good at what they do, they will draw the biggest crowds.
As we can see from this short list here, there are many things that can make great fighters. Some have multiple qualities combined, while others really excel in one particular category. Greatness can also be defined by championships won or lost, hall of fame bouts, or records set by a particular fighter. I believe that to be professional is to be good. To be a good professional is to be great.Comment
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Dedication,ambition and a relentless pursuit of perfection.....If like puppydog said they are not Born with it.Originally posted by supaduckComment
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Will to succeed for me!
Great fighters are defined by their great fights, I mean there have been many long running Champions who by way of ducking certain opponents have always left themselves open to questions about how 'great' they were.
A good example would be Joe Calzaghe, he is an excellent fighter and to be fair he hasn't particularly ducked anyone but the big fights haven't happened, hence if he puts on a good show against Lacy then opinions will change.
Oscar De La Hoya by comparison seemed to be in defining fights every year, win or lose that becuase he has the will to succeed and went looking for those defining fights.
Another good example in Sugar Ray Leonard, quite a short career but was a 4/5 weight world champ with many defining fights!Comment
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OOOOOHHHHHHH, now i see
sorry
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Experience and Technique.
Technique is the better (or best) way of doing this or that. It came about as a way to use an individual's particular combination of height, weight, speed, and strength in an effort to beat the physical advantage or skills of an opponent. Foot movement, head movement, bobbing-and-weaving, crouching, hand feints, doubling up on jabs, straight punches, etc. are examples of technique that all of the OLD-TIMER trainers of yesteryear used to use.
Nowadays, which is sad, the trainers seem to be just fitness experts, or motivational speakers.Comment
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