Is the Soviet style the best style ?

[crimsonfalcon07]

What about Inoue or Crawford? Could throw Canelo in the mix as well.

What ties all those fighters together? IMO, discipline and humility when it comes to craft. All of the fighters you've named have spent their entire lives in the gym honing their craft. Not a one of them is known for partying, getting bored and staying out of the gym, doing coke, committing crimes and getting arrested, etc. The people who take it seriously and train like professionals and keep learning and practicing new tools will always have a leg up on the competition. What we see in the ring is generally that they have more tools in the toolbox. Forget style, the science of boxing has a variety of skills. Many boxers don't even master the basics. And under stress, you'll default to the lowest level of training. Hours count, and all of those fighters are known for being back in the gym immediately. I suspect they have vastly more training time than their peers.

[uppercut510]

they fight in armatures for a very long time gives them an edge; but they dont usually fight well on the inside; because in those areas the ref usually breaks it up as soon as they are on the inside, something ive noticed from just watching them

[_Rexy_]

I just looked at Golovkin in the Olympics, seems to resemble Bivol a lot more.

It's the Soviet Pendulum, Bivol usex it to perfection.

[_Rexy_]

they fight in armatures for a very long time gives them an edge; but they dont usually fight well on the inside; because in those areas the ref usually breaks it up as soon as they are on the inside, something ive noticed from just watching them

Guys like Usyk, Loma and Beterbiev are very underrated in the clinch. Beterbiev is due to his experience in other combat sports (Wrestling, Judo etc.) if you watch, he uses wrestling angles to avoid getting clinched. Usyk showed how underrated he was this weekend when Fury found out he wouldn't be able to grab him and lean.

[daggum]

soviet super soldiers pumped with roids before guys like floyd and canelo started to copy them

[crimsonfalcon07]

Guys like Usyk, Loma and Beterbiev are very underrated in the clinch. Beterbiev is due to his experience in other combat sports (Wrestling, Judo etc.) if you watch, he uses wrestling angles to avoid getting clinched. Usyk showed how underrated he was this weekend when Fury found out he wouldn't be able to grab him and lean.

Loma is the best technician in the clinch that I've seen in boxing. Obviously there's Muay Thai fighters who are better, but they have more tools available as well.

[Inspired]

-growing up fairly poor but not poor enough you can't afford to eat. These guys eat very well, lots of meat, fish and micronutrients aswell as clean air.
i have friends from norway and sweden, they are much healthier than us brits, but they are too soft in mindset, there is no fighting mentality there anymore.

-already having strong genetics.

-a culture that encourages fine arts and analytical thinking in children and pushed them to succeed.

-governments who invest in olympic/amateur boxing and training because they have a sense of pride...
the US government used to invest, it hasnt for 25 yrs.

[Eff Pandas]

I'd argue the Cuban style is the most optimal to winning fights.

But obviously if some of these high level am countries allowed guys to turn pro sooner or currently its a history game changer.

[K--]

Maybe it looks that way because you're mostly watching guys who made it to the elite level. But there are plenty of fighters from ex-Soviet countries who couldn't transfer their amateur skills to the professional code.

I don't think there is a best style considering the rock/paper/scissors outcomes we get in boxing. The guys you named mostly fight with different styles though, have talents that the average fighter doesn't have. Those step-arounds Loma does are associated with elite amateurs, but I don't know that the Soviets used them more than anyone else. Ernesto Marcel was using some of the same footwork as Loma in the 60s and he was from Panama. The world is smaller than ever and lots of boxers are influenced by tape of guys fighting thousands of miles away.

Interestingly (to me at least) the 'Cuban style' still used by guys like Lara and Rigo was taught to the country by a Soviet boxing coach decades ago, even though most Soviet guys didn't really fight with that style, at least from what I've seen.

I think the Cuban style is a mix of the Soviet style and North American professional styles (and Salsa of course!). There is significant cross pollination I think. Perhaps someone more knowledgeable can expand on or correct this but, I believe Sugar Ray Robinson was heavily inspired by the Cuban boxer Kid Chocolate.

Of course, it is reductive to assign styles to geographical regions. Nonetheless it makes for interesting discussion!