Comments Thread For: Johnathon Banks Q&A: Sparring Wladimir And Vitali, Foreman Hitting So Hard They Had To Put More Padding In The Gloves And The Intricacies Of Good Coaching

[BoxingUpdates]

Johnathon Banks, a former heavyweight contender, is now a renowned trainer following in the footsteps of the great Emanuel Steward. Currently working with Badou Jack, Banks also discusses his own professional career, his time spent sparring the Klitschko brothers and the science of hitting hard.
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[Roberto Vasquez]

I always want to know if Foreman really hit as hard as people say? Because I've seen a lot of fights where he stops a guy but he usually has to hit them a lot. Reminds me more of Anthony Joshua in that respect than Deontay Wilder. And in fact his knock out% is about the same as Joshua and Foreman has fought more bums. But then he did have a lot more fights so that evens out.

I remember that Ali film (When We Were Kings) when they really had to make Foreman out as a monster for the sake of the film. To be fair - he kind of was at the time but they went too far with it. I think that's why a lot of people over-rate Foreman's power without having seen his fights

According to box rec Wilder's KO percentage is 97% and Foreman and Joshua's are 89%. Both Parker and Breazeale are on record as saying AJ's right hand is good but pretty standard for a HW but his left jab is very hard - which fits with what I said above where he has to hit people a lot to KO them. BUT everyone says Wilder has freakish power even Parker. Only person who didn't was Zhang

[trippleupper]

I would rather be hit twice by Joshua than once by Foreman

[Roberto Vasquez]

I would rather be hit twice by Joshua than once by Foreman

Worth remembering today's HWs are lot bigger. Joshua comes in a lot heavier + bigger than the Foreman who went in against Ali.

That's not really my point though - I'm not saying AJ does hit harder than Foreman. I'm questioning why Foreman needed to hit his opponents so many times to stop them (like AJ does)

[MusoMeanderings]

Worth remembering today's HWs are lot bigger. Joshua comes in a lot heavier + bigger than the Foreman who went in against Ali.

That's not really my point though - I'm not saying AJ does hit harder than Foreman. I'm questioning why Foreman needed to hit his opponents so many times to stop them (like AJ does)

Men were tougher back in the day.

[wrecksracer]

I always want to know if Foreman really hit as hard as people say? Because I've seen a lot of fights where he stops a guy but he usually has to hit them a lot. Reminds me more of Anthony Joshua in that respect than Deontay Wilder. And in fact his knock out% is about the same as Joshua and Foreman has fought more bums. But then he did have a lot more fights so that evens out.

I remember that Ali film (When We Were Kings) when they really had to make Foreman out as a monster for the sake of the film. To be fair - he kind of was at the time but they went too far with it. I think that's why a lot of people over-rate Foreman's power without having seen his fights

According to box rec Wilder's KO percentage is 97% and Foreman and Joshua's are 89%. Both Parker and Breazeale are on record as saying AJ's right hand is good but pretty standard for a HW but his left jab is very hard - which fits with what I said above where he has to hit people a lot to KO them. BUT everyone says Wilder has freakish power even Parker. Only person who didn't was Zhang

Wilder fought a bunch of stiffs. That's why his KO percentage was so high. Foreman wasn't "made out to be a monster." He was a monster. Evander Holyfield said that just bumping into George Foreman hurt. Mike Tyson flat out refused to fight him in the 90s. You're way to wrapped up in percentages here. Wilder wasn't knocking out guys like Joe Frazier. He never fought the quality of opponents that Foreman fought.

[MulaKO]

Banks was one lucky mofo to be taken under Stewards wings
Steward was really the whole package and when he spoke , people stopped wtv they were doing to gain his knowledge

[CarlW]

KO percentages listed on BoxRec are misleading. They use "# of KOs/ # of wins" when they should be using "# of KOs/ # of fights". If you have 20 fights on Box Rec and win one by KO then lose or draw the rest it will show KO% = 100. Their KO percentages are correct only for fighters who have never lost or had a draw.

[Roberto Vasquez]

Wilder fought a bunch of stiffs. That's why his KO percentage was so high. Foreman wasn't "made out to be a monster." He was a monster. Evander Holyfield said that just bumping into George Foreman hurt. Mike Tyson flat out refused to fight him in the 90s. You're way to wrapped up in percentages here. Wilder wasn't knocking out guys like Joe Frazier. He never fought the quality of opponents that Foreman fought.

But again that's just nonsense. Holyfield was a Crusierweight originally so bumping into any HW hurt him. I am not an expert on Foreman but I am an expert on Ali and as great as the guy was he fought a ton of bums and often won fights he shouldn't have done later in his career - he got obsessed with rope a dope and just ended up getting hit a lot. Seems unlikely that Foreman would have a better record. People are too stuck in the legend of "golden era" to admit this. Even in that "When We Were Kings" film they said Foreman went into depression after his loss to Ali and was never the same again.

And for the record I do think Ali is the greatest HW ever - I am just saying there is also realism to look at instead of legend. Legend is created after the fact

KO percentages listed on BoxRec are misleading. They use "# of KOs/ # of wins" when they should be using "# of KOs/ # of fights". If you have 20 fights on Box Rec and win one by KO then lose or draw the rest it will show KO% = 100. Their KO percentages are correct only for fighters who have never lost or had a draw.

It's got to be somewhat accurate - if someone is winning a lot of fights and going the distance, it does show their punching power isn't that great. What are the actual figures then - usually your correct method?

[Phase III]

I wish writers would not be so lazy and do their homework when preparing for an interview.

Case in point:

BS: What is your greatest boxing memory?

Banks: Everything I ever did was a great memory, but especially the things I was able to do around even the late great Emanuel Steward was my greatest memory.

Emanuel was not fond of JB. Manny thought he was lazy and several times told him to leave the camp.

You may ask why then did he become Vlad’s trainer? Vlad was lied to and was told Manny wanted him to be his trainer when he passed. That was an inside job and a complete lie.

Also, Vlad was so embarrassed sitting at ringside watching JB fight while JB was his trainer. JB was getting schooled by Seth Mitchell in their second fight and same with Tarver.

Cecilia Braekhus lost 2 times against McCaskill, who has no defense and is wild as sheet with no footwork under JB. The correct game plan was for Cecilia to box and counter, instead she fought McCadkill’s fight. Then the same with GGG in his corner. When Vlad fought Joshua, he hurt AJ badly, Manny would have been screaming for Vlad to finish him. Instead Vlad took his foot off the gas and got KO’ed with JB in his corner.

JB, is one of the worst trainers in boxing.