How far can fundamentals take you?

[BigStereotype]

How great can a fighter who relies purely on fundamental boxing skills become? I've started to notice that those guys who are very well rounded but not exceptional in any one area tend to be elite contenders but fall short of all time great status. Do you need to have at least one spectacular attribute to be an all-time great or can being solid all around take you there?

[letsgobrady]

fundamentals can take you all the way to the top most of the best fighters were all considered to be very fundamentally sound

[JAB5239]

How great can a fighter who relies purely on fundamental boxing skills become? I've started to notice that those guys who are very well rounded but not exceptional in any one area tend to be elite contenders but fall short of all time great status. Do you need to have at least one spectacular attribute to be an all-time great or can being solid all around take you there?

Heart and determination are the only attributes I can think of that are a necessity to becoming an all time great. We've had fighter who were slow, sloppy, weak chinned, lacked skills and everything else you can think of rise to the level of all time greatness because of these two assets. Its what seperates good from great.

[letsgobrady]

Heart and determination are the only attributes I can think of that are a necessity to becoming an all time great. We've had fighter who were slow, sloppy, weak chinned, lacked skills and everything else you can think of rise to the level of all time greatness because of these two assets. Its what seperates good from great.

what fighters?the biggest names in boxing history have to be ali, frazier,foreman leonard,robinson,duran,hearns,hagler and louis and alot of people would probably say the best boxers out that bunch would be louis leonard,ali and robinson and all of those fighters were known to be very skillful

[BigStereotype]

fundamentals can take you all the way to the top most of the best fighters were all considered to be very fundamentally sound

Muhammad Ali, Roy Jones and Manny Pacquiao would have something to say about that...

And JAB, I agree that heart and determination are the most important attributes. And thinking about this, I can't believe I overlooked Marquez. He's the poster boy for phenomenal technical skills and a big heart overcoming (relatively) average athleticism.

[DarkTerror88]

Ezzard Charles knew the fundamentals like the back of his hand and used mostly fundamental skills to win his fights. There are many other fighters like Charles who were able to do the same. That's as far as it goes for learned skills.

Physical and Mental attributes: Heart, Chin, Strenght, Reflexes, etc are natural.

Here's the difference though. Someone is born with strength, reflexes, an iron chin. Someone is taught the basics.

You aren't born knowing how to slip a punch, and you can't learn strength. That's where I draw the line.

I understand where JAB is coming from. Natural attributes are complimented by the fundamentals you learn in the gym.

[JAB5239]

what fighters?the biggest names in boxing history have to be ali, frazier,foreman leonard,robinson,duran,hearns,hagler and louis and alot of people would probably say the best boxers out that bunch would be louis leonard,ali and robinson and all of those fighters were known to be very skillful

Those names are a mere drop in the bucket. And Ali LACKED fundamentals, Frazier could only fight one way, Foreman was crude, Hearns lacked a great chin and Louis' footwork is thought of as poor. What did they ALL have in common though? Heart and determination. It is the two things you will never find that ANY all time great didn't possess.

[Miburo]

Fundamentals alone can maybe take you to the contender level. Some combination of athleticism, timing, power, will, chin, and intangibles is what makes champions.

[JAB5239]

Ezzard Charles knew the fundamentals like the back of his hand and used mostly fundamental skills to win his fights. There are many other fighters like Charles who were able to do the same. That's as far as it goes for learned skills.

Physical and Mental attributes: Heart, Chin, Strenght, Reflexes, etc are natural.

Here's the difference though. Someone is born with strength, reflexes, an iron chin. Someone is taught the basics.

You aren't born knowing how to slip a punch, and you can't learn strength. That's where I draw the line.

I understand where JAB is coming from. Natural attributes are complimented by the fundamentals you learn in the gym.

Exactly. But the most important things all great fighters have cannot be learned....heart and determination. You either have it or you don't and no great fighter has been without it.

[DarkTerror88]

[/B]

Exactly. But the most important things all great fighters have cannot be learned....heart and determination. You either have it or you don't and no great fighter has been without it.

I agree 100%.