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I'm not hating on the guy. I am sure he is a nice guy. I am leery of trainers who never boxed themselves. It just doesnt make any sense to me. How can you claim to be an expert at anything you never did? Its paradoxical. Andre Ward is Andre Ward. He just needs someone to hold the punch mits for him and spot him when hes working out. Amir Khan and Alfredo Angulo will find that Virgil Hunter was just a lucky guy to work with Andre Ward since he was a kid and he isnt a miracle worker. Again, all the best to the guy.
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Man you couldn't be more wrong. Let me just say that the trainer I work for/with, knows Virgil Hunter very well and he tells me he's an excellent trainer.
Also, you don't necessarily have had to do something to be a good trainer in that same sport. Joe Goosen never boxed, Nacho Berenstein didn't either, both are GREAT trainers.
Being a great trainer is about understanding the sport, and then more importantly relaying the info in a way that the pupil will understand. Just because Michael Jordan and Larry Bird were great players, it didn't mean they would make great coaches. On the contrary, they were terrible coaches.Last edited by Cuauhtémoc1520; 10-09-2012, 12:44 PM. -
Andelo Dundee and Cust De Mato never boxed.............just sayingComment
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Can you not study the in's and outs of a sport..observe and train a fighter??yes you can..Comment
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bull****... Jose Mourinho (probably the best manager in football/soccer) never played pro football, but he is where he is today because he is a student of the sport and understands how to deal with people. Its no different with boxing...Comment
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idk...I guess for me its kind of like somebody whos never been in combat telling you what war is like. I'm not taking anything away from the guy personally, or de mato, or dundee... The point I made with Hunter is that it seems to be more related to who he was lucky enough to be hooked up with from a young age. Theres a ton of wannabes who have boxing gyms and take in juvenile delinquents, very few are ever successful and they are the ones weve all heard of. They won the lottery and had a good prospect.Comment
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On the other side of the spectrum, im not saying only muhammad ali, mayweather, leonard, pacquiao, tyson, or chavez are qualified to train fighters. There is definitely something to be said for some credibility. I dont care if you were the worst professional fighter or veteran amateur in the history of the sport. I understand that a lot of guys know what is supposed to be done, but dont have the skill/athleticism to make their own bodies do it. I wouldnt follow a leader into combat whos only experience was they are a big fan of war movies, nor would I hire a doctor to take care of me who didnt go to med school. Its just that simple.Comment
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If I'm not mistaken you can throw Angel Garcia in the mix too.Comment
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Generally, I would say your right. A professional or higher class sportsperson turned Coach/Trainer should have a higher level of knowledge/input to someone than somebody who hasn't performed at the highest levels. I listen to the likes of Tarver, B-Hop, RJJ and they are all intelligent, knowledgeable guys who you'd think could relate to a top-level fighter more than someone who hasn't boxed professionally.
On the flipside, I think to be a top coach, you have to apply your knowledge in the right way, otherwise theres no point you been there. Hunter has probably been observing and studying around boxing gyms for years and can probably teach the correct fundamentals, but doesnt have the ability to apply them himself otherwise he'd be world champion and not Ward! Also other non ex-pro trainers, the likes of Adam Booth, Pedro Diaz et al. have sports science and/or psychology qualifications, so can earn the respect of a fighter in a different way than somebody who was an ex-champion in your corner.Comment
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