Insight from a former champ

[granberry]

from:

The Complete Book of Boxing
by Curtis Cokes with Hugh Kayser
1980, ETC Publications, Palm Springs, Calif.

On page 88 Cokes writes of Ali:

"Many fighters and most spectators fail to realize what he is doing. When in a clinch Ali leans on his opponent, grabbing him behind the neck with his left hand and forcing his head downward. After a few rounds of this, the opponent becomes weary and cannot continue to fight effectively. He also leans on his opponent and wears him out by placing his right glove on his adversary's shoulder as he continues to pull the neck down with his left glove."

[skelp]

By placing his hand on the shoulder Ali was effectively restricting the movement of his opponent's shoulder muscles so they could not lift their arm to punch. A true fighting genius.

[TheGreatA]

The old timers used the clinching techniques very effectively to wear down opposition. To the modern boxing fan it looks boring and dull but it was part of the game then and still can be. Look at Ricky Hatton or John Ruiz for example. Neither of these men would have been as successful as they were if not for their ability to use the clinch to their advantage. Ali figured this out to make up for his legs having gone. He was not going to turn into an inside fighting technician overnight so he had to come up with something else.

[granberry]

By placing his hand on the shoulder Ali was effectively restricting the movement of his opponent's shoulder muscles so they could not lift their arm to punch. A true fighting genius.

Ali's 'genius' deserted him completely when he fought Jimmy Young.

Young was completely prepared for everything Ali tried along this line and completely stopped Ali from using this 'technique.'

[BoxBuzz]

The rope ducking was so ill advised. It's likely the only reason he did not attain the championship that night.

[Collins2000]

The rope ducking was so ill advised. It's likely the only reason he did not attain the championship that night.

Absolutely!

If he was trained to do that, his "trainers" must have been, to use a word that is getting a lot of airplay in here today, clueless.

If he did it of his own accord, that suggests he was under a bit more pressure than one fellow would have us believe.

[Collins2000]

Let's add a bit of beef to this lame thread.

[Robinson]

I fear it was youth and not so much genius that eluded Ali
against Young. It was an ugly fight any way you wish to
spin it.

Yes Ali did things that as a bigger man he could get away
with... ie the pulling down on fighters shoulders and his
general cliunch antics. Lewis would also employ such tactics
years later. I think a lot of great and not so great fighters
are not innocent of bending the rules.

The Cokes book would be a good read. I am always interested
in the opinions of fighters on such matters.

[granberry]

When buz arrives to start the trashing of a thread

boxrec sicko collins is not far behind.

The two work in tandem to destroy boxrec.

[Robinson]

I would like if you could put up anything else from this book
Gran.

Much appreciated.

I shall however do my best to dig up a copy of the book.

[SaadOffTheDeck]

Why do you start a thread with the same thing 50 times? Am i supposed to believe that this is the demeanor and attitude you have while you shoot the shit with Jimmy Young and Harold Johnson?

You act like a two year old and add nothing to this place. If it's so ruined, why don't you pick up and leave? I've noticed BroughtonBlahBlah has finally left, join him. You're just as bad and even more childish.

[granberry]

buz and collins and the collins clones have been working overtime today to trash the Curtis Cokes quotes threads.

They CANNOT ALLOW anything to do with actual boxing to appear on boxrec.

[Collins2000]

Why do you start a thread with the same thing 50 times? Am i supposed to believe that this is the demeanor and attitude you have while you shoot the poop with Jimmy Young and Harold Johnson?

You act like a two year old and add nothing to this place. If it's so ruined, why don't you pick up and leave? I've noticed BroughtonBlahBlah has finally left, join him. You're just as bad and even more childish.

I find it inconceivable that great fighters like Young and Johnson would sit around talking crap about other great fighters with a clown like granberry.

I think it's just more of the sad old buffoon's fantasies.

[granberry]

collins is desperate to trash any thread that actually discusses the techniques of boxing.

Seeing the quotes from former welterweight champion Curtis Cokes has driven collins wild.

collins CANNOT ALLOW any discussion of actual boxing techniques on boxrec.




Locked due to VIOLATION: 5. No personal insults