Ann Wolfe is another great read.
Leo Santa Cruz's feature on Showtime was absolutely heartbreaking.
Honestly, most of these guys come from such fucked up places it's apples and oranges really.
Johnson and Louis had incredible lives as well. Very good article if you haven't read it:
http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/vault/article/magazine/MAG1136911/index.htm
Honestly, Toney has this now. Roy lost way more from age and James is actually getting into decent shape by the looks of it. They'll likely fight at cruiser. I got Toney by UD.
They REALLY emphasize balance in his conditioning which leads me to believe they're still just building on the basics. If he makes another improvement on the level of his jump from his ESPN days too the Alvarado fight we have a real interesting contender on our hands.
By that logic you can't consider MMA athletes fighters either. Martial arts were created to level the playing field with weapons. That's the entire point of grappling. Submit your opponent into a position where you can stab his face with a dagger or break one of his limbs so he can't continue.
Someone run at Rampage with a sword and show him what's up.
Despite all that he's accomplished I feel that Sergio Martinez could have done more if he started at an earlier age. He didn't start boxing until 20 and went pro at 22 after a years lay off due to a broken hand. I wouldn't say he hit his prime until his body started deteriorating.
People forget that he's a small middleweight that belongs at 154. He said it himself that he only moved up because no one would give him big fights. I'd imagine age was the main factor here. Who do you pick besides Floyd to beat him at this weight?
Arum said it himself that he could have been a household name and a star if he had better management.
Emotionally dealing with setbacks by far. Not just losing a fight...this is a dangerous sport where anything can happen. I just got back in the gym after a long layoff and am out again on a fractured rib a couple months later. I'm 22 years old and barely have half a dozen amateur fights.
No illusions of going anywhere big, but my time as a fighter is nearing an end. Including my bum knee, shoulder, foot, and now rib my body is breaking down hard. Might be time to hang 'em up for good and look for long term employment. If it wasn't for osteopenia (a complication of Crohn's) I'd keep fighting for sure.
Imagine if there were big name fights @ 154 for Sergio. You guys wouldn't even be talking about MW Sergio, but calling him one of the best JMWs in a long time.Truth. I hate calling Sergio a waste of potential because of all that he's accomplished, but with a better promoter he would have been a household name @ 154.
To anyone who thinks the Margarito fight was a good measure...Martinez had been pro for barely two years at the time and boxing for less than five.
It's not fear...just awkwardness. Ruslan is a humble guy who's eyes don't sparkle in front of the "Money" persona. Their entire conversation was probably a greeting and some acknowledgement but I can't imagine them having any more to say.
Let's not forget that Sergio should have been a career junior middleweight. The man started his career at welterweight in his late 20s...he's a small dude. Against any ATG middleweight Sergio would be disadvantaged from the start.
He hasn't a clue, could just as well put a pepsi in his hand and tell him it's the future, always been a puppet and always will.Quote of the year right here 😂😂😂
Amateur boxing I feel people treat as a stepping stone. That part of your career where you build fundamentals and gain experience until you go pro and play with the big boys.
And then you make your statement. At least in modern times.
Amateur any other sport (collegiate+) these guys got all of their fundamentals and experience at a younger age through school, so now it's time to prove something so they CAN make it to the big leagues. The time to make a statement is NOW.
The difference in attitudes is probably why people have fun watching one but not the other. There just seems to be a bigger sense of urgency.
Edit: I mean this for the general public. As anyone here knows top level amateurs are something to behold.
Including the bias that people have mentioned against Fury, my assumption is that people are waiting on the rematch. If Wlad comes back strong and wins they can call it an off night for him. If Fury does a repeat then there's no reason to doubt him. Politics...
One problems is Mayweather tends to step to southpaw's left. Throughout the years Mayweather has never done what JMM/Morales did well vs Manny, and that is to gain dominant foot position, and turn away from Pac's left. Mayweather likes to the opposite even in his most recent fights against Ghost, Ortiz.That's part of Mayweather's style. Neither guy had an amazing left straight, so he circled their left to slip them like he would a jab and counter over the top with his right. That way he could neutralize right hooks to the face with a shoulder roll and null the ones to his body with movement if he doesn't catch it with his low arm.
If Manny's left proves too speedy you can bet he'll readjust and fight him more orthodox.
Watch Floyd's last few bouts against southpaws and watch how he adjusts. Instead of circling clockwise like most people do to null the straight left he goes the opposite way and slips it like he would a jab to counter with a right hand over the top. His left is low for hooks to the body and he shoulder rolls only the right hook. The style is fine against southies because of how much confidence he has on his reflexes...anyone else gets clobbered all night.
vitali has no power so why would it matter if he kept hitting briggs? its like malignaggi hitting you over and over. nothing would happen.Hoping sarcasm.
Jones-Hall as someone mentioned was the most one sided beating that comes to mind. If you lookup the highlights it's almost the entire fight and it's all Roy teeing off.
Having a chin and no ability is much deadlier than taking a highlight reel KO...
It would have been more telling if they had fought the first time the fight was brought up. Coming off a 1.5 year layoff with a different trainer I'm not sure how impressive an early knockout would be. I'd be much more impressed if Kirkland showed up obviously game and Canelo scored a late KO after a good back and forth.
Hard to triangle theory this fight because I don't think anyone Canelo beat would have Kirkland's number other than Lara and the Angulo's they fought were three years apart and obviously different fighters. Hell, the Angulo who fought Lara was a different fighter from what Canelo got.
Kirkland's lone loss was against Ishida, but it's important to mention that he had already fought three weeks prior and two weeks prior to that. He also didn't have Wolfe for that fight and looked soft...like he only made weight through extreme dehydration, which effects punch resistance and explains why a normally featherfisted fighter could do what he did.
Ishida has never replicated that performance before or since and seven months later you can see the difference in the first round onslaught of El Perro.
That's why it's an interesting matchup and there's no point in guessing for this one. Only thing to do is tune in. I do expect that if Kirkland looks like garbage Canelo won't get any credit though. We want competitive fights and if it disappoints the first thing people will mention is why he passed on Cotto.
Great example is Shawn Porter, he's very physically strong but doesn't have amazing power.And a great reverse example would be Andy Lee. Amazing pop but no one would ever describe him as particularly strong.
A fighter's prime and his physical prime are two different things. Physically you're at your peak for speed/reflexes around 25 and 35-40 for muscle and bone density. Old man strength is real up until around 50 when your testosterone plummets.
Interesting. What do you think led him to the point of disregarding his once great status in boxing? aside from his loss, i think Nonito realised his love affair with his lead left hook was blinding him.
I have been reading a few articles stating that he can reach 126 comfortably, but he might be moving up once again in the near future. Only having one fight at 126 to analyse, do you believe he can carry his power to featherweight and beyond? or would his goal of moving up in divisions stagnate his power? Also, was leaving Garcia a good move? idk.. I want Donaire to be remembered as a great champion and its quite sad to see how far off he strayed from his path in my opinion.I think it's the same situation that hit Hamed. Both were knockout artists that looked unbeatable and probably got told that everyday until they believed their own hype.
Most fighters know they aren't going to be Duran or Leonard but do it anyways. I don't think that was the case with Nonito. He probably entered the Rigo fight feeling unbeatable and got humbled in the worst way.
The fact that he hated boxing in his early career and didn't love it until he had a fan base supports this. Once your legacy is taken away and you have a family priorities just change. Greatness isn't as important as the paycheck anymore.
I think leaving Garcia was a mistake.