Biggest career transformations

[Steak]

What fighters changed drastically from one style to another during their career? I dont mean along the lines of them becoming shot, but as in the changed their style and were equally as successful past prime as they were pre prime.

Ill go ahead and mention Barrera. Was rewatching his old war against Kennady McKinney, and the guy was just a brutal brawler. compare that to his technical war against Marquez, its a huge change. yet both those versions of him were still very good. I think his transformation started in motion after the Junior Jones fights, where he learned to have a lot better defense and started gaining a lot more boxing ability.

any other good ones? and go ahead and name when you think they started to change, if you have any idea.

[DarkTerror88]

What fighters changed drastically from one style to another during their career? I dont mean along the lines of them becoming shot, but as in the changed their style and were equally as successful past prime as they were pre prime.

Ill go ahead and mention Barrera. Was rewatching his old war against Kennady McKinney, and the guy was just a brutal brawler. compare that to his technical war against Marquez, its a huge change. yet both those versions of him were still very good. I think his transformation started in motion after the Junior Jones fights, where he learned to have a lot better defense and started gaining a lot more boxing ability.

any other good ones? and go ahead and name when you think they started to change, if you have any idea.

Young Foreman was a slugger who tried to KTFO as quickly as possible. But the Older Foreman used his Jab to set up punches and (short) combos in a style like a boxer puncher. emphasis on puncher.

Hopkins became more technical and counter puncher-y as his career advanced.

[Steak]

Young Foreman was a slugger who tried to KTFO as quickly as possible. But the Older Foreman used his Jab to set up punches and (short) combos in a style like a boxer puncher. emphasis on puncher.

Hopkins became more technical and counter puncher-y as his career advanced.

actually young Foreman liked to set up his punches too, as shown in his fights with Peralta and Chuvalo. He kind of got full of himself and after the Frazier fight, and got a lot more wild.


Hopkins is a good one however.

[NChristo]

Wlad Klitschko, when he hooked up with Steward obviously became a much more cautious boxer to preserve his stamina and not put himself in as much risk.

Hector Camacho after the Rosario fight, way more defensive and couldn't pull the trigger.

2 most obvious ones that first came to mind.

[DarkTerror88]

actually young Foreman liked to set up his punches too, as shown in his fights with Peralta and Chuvalo. He kind of got full of himself and after the Frazier fight, and got a lot more wild.


Hopkins is a good one however.

This is true but as i know Younger Foreman would also wing off punches and hookercuts in an array to overwhelm his opponent, even though he was able to set up punches and did at times (pre championship). But older foreman HAD TO change his style to set up combos because he didnt have the stamina or ability to wing punches and have it work. You know what i mean?

[Steak]

This is true but as i know Younger Foreman would also wing off punches and hookercuts in an array to overwhelm his opponent, even though he was able to set up punches and did at times (pre championship). But older foreman HAD TO change his style to set up combos because he didnt have the stamina or ability to wing punches and have it work. You know what i mean?

yup, Foreman also changed up to that cross armed block which was a pretty big change.

I sort always just jump at the opportunity to say that Foreman wasnt always a wild crude brawler, because in some of his fights he was more controlled and would set up his shots.

[NChristo]

Forgot Lloyd Honeyghan as well, changed his style after the Curry fight, he changed from a boxer puncher into a slugger and more of a crowd pleasing style.

[DarkTerror88]

yup, Foreman also changed up to that cross armed block which was a pretty big change.

I sort always just jump at the opportunity to say that Foreman wasnt always a wild crude brawler, because in some of his fights he was more controlled and would set up his shots.

I agree. But after he beat Frazier he thought that just throwing flailing swinging wide a** punches would always work. As evident in the Fights with Ali and Lyle and maybe the Young fight. I cant remember that fight too well so im not gonna cite it. I think that his pre title run, his jab and combos were magnificent and would have been much better that way for the rest of the 70s.

[Flo_Raiden]

Hopkins, Camacho, and Barrera, as already mentioned.

Juan Manuel Marquez also had a little style adjustment, who started as more of a safety first fighter early on but has since then became more hittable while at the same time more exciting.
Pacquiao and Duran are also obvious choices since they both started from a rampaging slugger to a more refined boxer puncher with controlled aggression.

[IronDanHamza]

Obviously very recent but the first one that actually came to my mind was Floyd Mayweather Jr decideing to stop throwing combintions when he moved to 147.