"Slick Boxer" The Most Abused and Misused Term in Boxing

[Sweet Jones]

Sad part is I actually think he knows better. In his defense, the media has to dumb down boxing to make it understandable to casual viewers. Casuals in other sports like football and basketball seem to have a better understanding of the sports and have actually participated in college/high school. They understand how points are scored, what penalties are, what a good move is, etc.

In boxing, there is no scoreboard and if you don't know what you're watching it can become hard to understand. How many times have you walked out of a live event and overheard people talking about a "robbery" in a 118-110 schooling?

Agreed. See HBO's newfound love of the term 'Mexican Style', whether it actually fits or not, for reference.

[CubanGuyNYC]

But you are looking at it from the fans prospective. What do you think his opponents would say? After 12 rounds, probably less, of having him right in front of you but all your punches miss, glance, parried, blocked, you'd be amazed just how slick he was.

I agree. I posted a quote from Carlos Palomino attesting to that. Duran was a hard target. My opinion of labeling someone like Roberto as "slick" has more to do with aesthetics and with categorizing someone like him that way. "Slick boxers" are elusive; they dance; they fight on their toes; they flick jabs, etc. When you think of slick boxers, Duran simply isn't a name that comes to mind.

One guy I think of when I hear the term "slick boxer" is "Sugar" Ray Leonard. In their second fight, Leonard's true slickness was on full display versus Duran, who couldn't lay a glove on him. And on the flip-side, Roberto couldn't avoid Ray's fast hands.

All you have to do is watch the first round of the sequel to see what I mean. Duran practically standing in place, while Leonard had all of the above mentioned qualities working. That's what I think of when I hear "slick boxer."

https://*************/watch?v=x7aChC6U3Ks

[Lester Tutor]

Barthelemy, Rigo, Ward, Broner

[Citizen Koba]

Barthelemy, Rigo, Ward, Broner

Surely to be slick you actually have to make guys not hit you. It ain't just a look. Not so sure you can say that about Rances and Broner.

[Lester Tutor]

Surely to be slick you actually have to make guys not hit you. It ain't just a look. Not so sure you can say that about Rances and Broner.

??? Broner, the way he fought Khabib woukd beat Porter this time around. He went through a mental discipline I'm sure after Haymon shouted him on his debauchery and wildlife. Rances, against DeMarco, I have him beating Victor Postol. Cmon man, Rances is even better than Ward at switching Southpaw to Orthodox. Broner doing upoercuts on Khabib and flying from the ropes so gracefully. That's boxing! Hence we were talking about slick styles.

[Citizen Koba]

??? Broner, the way he fought Khabib woukd beat Porter this time around. He went through a mental discipline I'm sure after Haymon shouted him on his debauchery and wildlife. Rances, against DeMarco, I have him beating Victor Postol. Cmon man, Rances is even better than Ward at switching Southpaw to Orthodox. Broner doing upoercuts on Khabib and flying from the ropes so gracefully. That's boxing! Hence we were talking about slick styles.

Don't get me wrong, both have shown slickness (or at least they way I define it) but against their best opponents they've not really pulled it off. Broner's good but his failings don't need to be elaborated on, though maybe you're right and the Khabib fight represents the turning of a corner. Rances I really like as a fighter, but did you watch the Shafikov bout?

[-PBP-]

Don't get me wrong, both have shown slickness (or at least they way I define it) but against their best opponents they've not really pulled it off. Broner's good but his failings don't need to be elaborated on, though maybe you're right and the Khabib fight represents the turning of a corner. Rances I really like as a fighter, but did you watch the Shafikov bout?

Lol. Yeah. They both got to show me more. Showboating and counters against **** opposition doesn't convince me of anything.

[SplitSecond]

Are you guys just making this sht up? I've been on this shtty forum since 2008 and most people have always categorized slickness with slipping/parrying punches, in-pocket elusiveness. If slickness is all this fancy dancing then James Toney surely can't be slick.

[bojangles1987]

I agree. I posted a quote from Carlos Palomino attesting to that. Duran was a hard target. My opinion of labeling someone like Roberto as "slick" has more to do with aesthetics and with categorizing someone like him that way. "Slick boxers" are elusive; they dance; they fight on their toes; they flick jabs, etc. When you think of slick boxers, Duran simply isn't a name that comes to mind.

One guy I think of when I hear the term "slick boxer" is "Sugar" Ray Leonard. In their second fight, Leonard's true slickness was on full display versus Duran, who couldn't lay a glove on him. And on the flip-side, Roberto couldn't avoid Ray's fast hands.

All you have to do is watch the first round of the sequel to see what I mean. Duran practically standing in place, while Leonard had all of the above mentioned qualities working. That's what I think of when I hear "slick boxer."

https://*************/watch?v=x7aChC6U3Ks

I highly disagree with that. Slick isn't a certain style, and it's not dancing and flicking jabs and avoiding your opponent, it's the ability to stand in range and manipulate the fight with your upper body. It's that ability to make a guy miss by inches over and over when you're right in front of him and come back with your own punches. That's what Toney and Whitaker and every great slick fighter did. That was Roberto Duran.

[DJ Enerate]

I agree. I posted a quote from Carlos Palomino attesting to that. Duran was a hard target. My opinion of labeling someone like Roberto as "slick" has more to do with aesthetics and with categorizing someone like him that way. "Slick boxers" are elusive; they dance; they fight on their toes; they flick jabs, etc. When you think of slick boxers, Duran simply isn't a name that comes to mind.

One guy I think of when I hear the term "slick boxer" is "Sugar" Ray Leonard. In their second fight, Leonard's true slickness was on full display versus Duran, who couldn't lay a glove on him. And on the flip-side, Roberto couldn't avoid Ray's fast hands.

All you have to do is watch the first round of the sequel to see what I mean. Duran practically standing in place, while Leonard had all of the above mentioned qualities working. That's what I think of when I hear "slick boxer."

https://*************/watch?v=x7aChC6U3Ks

Duran was way under prepared for the second Leonard fight due to heavy partying between fights and having to cut a tone of weight. Even Leonard said Duran was no where near the same guy he fought in Montreal. This has a lot to do with Leonard getting away with clowning Duran the way he did.

As for Duran being slick. He is widely considered in boxing to be one of the slickest boxers of all time. You might not think this because he doesn't fit the skin tone of the stereotypical Slickster but he is infact one of the best examples of 'slick'. Even Floyd Sr has been on video saying Duran was "Slick as hell, man".