Is the ability to recover after being hurt a result of great conditioning?

[Sugarj]

We all know Ali was just a phenom! I'd say in a general sense its the conditioning factor. It's certainly possible for a chin to deteriorate, though. Leonard once said on an HBO telecast that a fan had asked him if he worked out his jaw for taking punches. I think some fighters may even believe gum chewing could improve their chin. I also noticed, Chavez sr. would almost always work his jaw during the pre-fight introductions..

The jaw stretching is often done to help relax the neck muscles and keep them supple. De La Hoya was always doing it. Its no surprise......the nerves before a fight must be quite something.

Chewing gum, tar (Jack Dempsey) etc might well strengthen a jaw, but I'm sure it would have no benefit to punch resistance.

[BennyST]

It's a few things. Great conditioning comes about as a result of serious determination and the ability to recuperate is a by-product of serious determination to train well and go on and come back when hurt, plus the conditioning necessary to do it from said determination and heart during training.

A classic example I've always used is Fenech. He was able to take a monstrous punch and during his prime was one of the most determined fighters I've ever seen. His training was atrociously brutal. When he lost that little spark of determination for training and heart to go through what was necessary (due to the politics of the sport), his punch resistance and ability to recuperate literally disappeared completely.

He went from beating down greats like Nelson, Zaragoza, Zarate to being laid out by Nelson, and worst, guys like Holliday and Grove whom he would have beaten easy years before.

[michaelquinlan]

If you noticed, fighters who are able to make comebacks in a fight after being hurt or knocked down were fighters with superior conditioning. Fighters such as Holmes, Holyfield, and Leonard all did it and as we all know they were always known for being tremendously conditioned practically every fight...

without a doubt you have to be in good shape to recover

[Mintcar923]

Tyson earlier in his career never got knocked down. And, if he got stunned he would come right back. But, when he got older it changed. Foreman, was quite the opposite. He was stopped and got knocked down a bunch of times back when he was young. But, no one could quite move him when he was older. Pretty interesting contrast. Also, if you recall Foreman had said he had not partied since the '70's...