How good of a trainer was Lou Duva?

[ShoulderRoll]

Who did he apprentice under to learn his craft, who were some of his best fighters, and how does he stack up against some of the great coaches of the sport?

[boxingnut712]

Who did he apprentice under to learn his craft, who were some of his best fighters, and how does he stack up against some of the great coaches of the sport?

I do not know who taught him, but I believe he, and Al Certo worked Marciano's corner. Maybe it was Certo who taught him. I do not know who all he trained. I know Holyfield, and Golota. Other then that he was in a lot of peoples corners

[Zaroku]

Lou told Taylor he was behind & made him go toe to toe with Chavez, not a great Duva moment. He denied giving this advice but he did.

[Scott9945]

Lou told Taylor he was behind & made him go toe to toe with Chavez, not a great Duva moment. He denied giving this advice but he did.

He also distracted Meldrick after the knockdown, which may have contributed to Taylor not responding to the referee who was anxious to pull the trigger on him.

[Zaroku]

He also distracted Meldrick after the knockdown, which may have contributed to Taylor not responding to the referee who was anxious to pull the trigger on him.

Exactly!

Tokyo will be crazy this Halloween. It is gonna be crazy!

[ShoulderRoll]

I do not know who taught him, but I believe he, and Al Certo worked Marciano's corner. Maybe it was Certo who taught him. I do not know who all he trained. I know Holyfield, and Golota. Other then that he was in a lot of peoples corners

I remember Al Certo for working with Buddy McGirt and making him a pretty damn good fighter.

Presumably Buddy is passing on that knowledge now that he is a trainer (although he has been hit and miss with some of the guys he trains.)

[BennyST]

He also distracted Meldrick after the knockdown, which may have contributed to Taylor not responding to the referee who was anxious to pull the trigger on him.

He was an excellent trainer, but that was definitely a mistake on their part that really made Steele's mind up. Obviously they were trying to help with advice to just hold, or move or whatever, but unfortunately it backfired rather badly.

As to the OP, he had a lot of really good, top champions. Some of which he built up and others which came to him later. Either way, he was a great trainer and really fought for his guys.

[billeau2]

Isn't Loui's daughter also in the game? Its rough these days to figure out the relative merits of a trainer technically speaking. In the old days you went to a doctor...now you go to a stomach doctor, or a brain doctor...its the same in the gym. I often coached MMA guys in traditional aspects of Japanese Ju Jutsu. These guys inevitably also had boxing coaches, strength coaches, a wrestling coach, a nutritional coach... Things are so fragmented.

Change is not necessarily good or bad. I know that exerscize trainers now a days are much more knoweagable than when I was a Nautilus trainer. hence most athletes learn about all aspects of training....yet when we look at a boxing trainer and speak of his imprimatur, his mark or excellence, its very hard to see in a fighter.

I tend to think that guys like Duva have some talents because of when they came up, but we see Duva with guys like Golata and one has to woder how much knowledge gets through. Fighters also jump trainers a lot more these days...Virgil Hunter, is a good example of a guy sought out because of Ward. But how much does a fighter actually develop the tools a trainer seeks to give him/her?

Compare Stewart modifying Vlad's very basic European style, to a trainer like Blackburn taking Louis from the ground up and molding him. Again, there is a similar situation in the martial arts. Because of MMA 90% of combat training involves concepts that people have validated as useful because if some jerk annoys you in a bar, a great chokehold, a good punch and a basic understanding of ground and pound will make you invincible lol. And...most people are more apt to get into a contest like this, than come up against a professional intent on doing them harm.

In other words it makes sense. A famous boxing trainer (name escapes me) once told the story of a kid who came in the gym and told him he wanted to learn how to box. After a few minutes of conversation the trainer, a wise and decent man understood that this puny runt of a kid didn't want to box! The trainer took him aside and told him "I will show you how to throw a good punch so if one bullies you you can protect yourself.

Trainers and combat teachers of all stripes have had to adapt to change. Some of it good some of it not so good..Duva was right on the line of guys who saw how it was done back in the day.

[Scott9945]

He was an excellent trainer, but that was definitely a mistake on their part that really made Steele's mind up. Obviously they were trying to help with advice to just hold, or move or whatever, but unfortunately it backfired rather badly.

As to the OP, he had a lot of really good, top champions. Some of which he built up and others which came to him later. Either way, he was a great trainer and really fought for his guys.

Do you remember when Duva was working Pazienza's corner in his fight against Roger Mayweather? There was some controversy at the end and Duva charged at Roger, who promptly punched him in the face. Good times...

[boxingnut712]

Do you remember when Duva was working Pazienza's corner in his fight against Roger Mayweather? There was some controversy at the end and Duva charged at Roger, who promptly punched him in the face. Good times...

I remember Lou Duva getting beat up in the aftermath of Golota - Bowe I.