Best and worse at keeping in shape or training properly?

[Controversial]

There are some fighters known for keeping themselves in good condition and others renown for not training properly. Who would you name?

BHOP, Klitschko's, Froch, AJ and FMM off the top of my head for appearing to doing everything right, not ballooning in weight and training hard.

Who do you name for not taking training too serious?

[littlepug]

Kirkland laing springs to mind

[Syntax Error]

Not training properly:-

Dereck Chisora
Tony Tubbs
Odlanier Solis
Ricky Hatton (He trained like a titan, but he didn't keep in shape in between fights)
Lawrence Clay-Bey

Best:-

Bernard Hopkins
David Haye
Wladimir Klitschko
Marvin Hagler
Ken Norton
Rocky Marciano
Evander Holyfield

[Tony1244]

Boxers are athletes and they should live like them. Never understood this ballooning between fights.

No excuse not to run, power walk, or do some consistent form of aerobic activity between fights.

White collar workers who are not athletes do. So should all boxers.

[Seamus]

WORST
Kirk Johnson
James Toney
Tim Witherspoon

BEST
Barry McGuigan
Michael Spinks
Fighting Harada. Really the list is endless when you consider the lightest weights.

[Seamus]

Shame on us all
JOE CALZAGHE !

[littlepug]

Boxers are athletes and they should live like them. Never understood this ballooning between fights.

No excuse not to run, power walk, or do some consistent form of aerobic activity between fights.

White collar workers who are not athletes do. So should all boxers.

different kind of athletes though arent they ? boxers tend to be a bit mad ha ha

[BitPlayer]

Not training properly:-

Dereck Chisora

Other than his first fight with Tyson Fury, I can't think of many cases of him being in that bad shape. He's got a pretty good engine, though a lot of that is shear heart I think.

[Bodyshot3]

Even though I was a young fan... I can clearly remember Tim Witherspoon arriving in London for the Bruno fight looking decidedly portly and the British tabloids baiting him by asking why he trained in a baggy sweatshirt; so what are you hiding Tim and are you going to take your top off?

Think a few of them called him the Pillsbury Doughboy and that Witherspoon was taking being a heavyweight far too literally. And they talked-up Frank's chances by saying that Witherspoon was going to be blowing after three rounds against a 'specimen' like Bruno.

Did not work out that way of course - Witherspoon was seasoned, tough and the far better boxer - but he rocked-up in London looking anything but an athlete and although Tim was never 'ripped' he clearly had left it late for the Bruno fight.

That whole fight was interesting regarding this question; Bruno had pretty much lived under the Spartan regime of the late George Francis and looked as if he could knock down a wall and Witherspoon looked...well, rather lardy.

The fight was a (relatively) rare case of a totally dedicated, powerful man like Bruno who had lived and breathed the fight-game being beaten by a guy who had done seemingly very little of the same hard grind but had the boxing nous to get the result.

[Counter-puncher]

Good post

[Kalan]

Even though I was a young fan... I can clearly remember Tim Witherspoon arriving in London for the Bruno fight looking decidedly portly and the British tabloids baiting him by asking why he trained in a baggy sweatshirt; so what are you hiding Tim and are you going to take your top off?

Think a few of them called him the Pillsbury Doughboy and that Witherspoon was taking being a heavyweight far too literally. And they talked-up Frank's chances by saying that Witherspoon was going to be blowing after three rounds against a 'specimen' like Bruno.

Did not work out that way of course - Witherspoon was seasoned, tough and the far better boxer - but he rocked-up in London looking anything but an athlete and although Tim was never 'ripped' he clearly had left it late for the Bruno fight.

That whole fight was interesting regarding this question; Bruno had pretty much lived under the Spartan regime of the late George Francis and looked as if he could knock down a wall and Witherspoon looked...well, rather lardy.

The fight was a (relatively) rare case of a totally dedicated, powerful man like Bruno who had lived and breathed the fight-game being beaten by a guy who had done seemingly very little of the same hard grind but had the boxing nous to get the result.

It wasn't so amazing... James Smith was slow as all fkking get out---but he knocked Bruno out as well... Bruno was chinny and slow---and couldn't defend himself well... Just like Mike Tyson FB had 5 losses -- and just like Mike Tysonevery loss was a KO loss.. I also don't think Bruno lived the fight game or was totally dedicated -- and he wasn't too bright.. He had as many or more mental issues as Tyson Fury, as far as mental illness goes.. He was always lifting weights and building up his body, and it takes much more than that to be a boxer.

Witherspoon was a gifted athlete.. He was very smart, fast, and a natural counterpuncher.. He had fairly good size and strength, even though he didn't work hard at it.. I always thought he looked like a much younger Sonny Liston with that impassive and expressionless face of his.. He would size his opponents up in a couple rounds, and if they were vulnerable he'd get rid of them.. like he did Darroll Wilson.. He noticed immediately that Wilson was a converted southpaw who pushed his jab---and could be set up for the right hand.. Witherspoon was in his 40's but the fight didn't last long.. If Spoon had any real ambition he would have been a great fighter.

[SaadOffTheDeck]

I think Hagler, Hopkins & Mayweather set themselves apart for me. A guy like Holyfield looks can be deceiving, not saying he was poor, but he woke up looking like that. Some of his fights he appeared to wind quickly. Hearns, Mosley and Leonard are another three guys that come to mind.

Worst: benitez, Tubbs, Spoon, Toney.

[Kalan]

Tunney did well... He said conditioning is the one thing a boxer can control absolutely, so it doesn't make any sense not to be in perfect condition

Toney was the worst... JT said "I went for 8 years without doing any roadwork. I won many Championship Fights in terrible condition" ... I believe you.

[Controversial]

Bruno was chinny and slow---and couldn't defend himself well... Just like Mike Tyson FB had 5 losses -- and just like Mike Tysonevery loss was a KO loss..

I disagree that Bruno was chinny, his problem was he lacked stamina, ideas and never really worked out how to tie guys up and get himself out of trouble. He was never sparked with one punch, Tyson hit him with some tremendous blows and he stayed upright.

[Kalan]

Yeah? ... Well Oliver McCall was no defensive master either.. He was never shaken.. Man had a very strong chin.. If you do it holds up.

[Rexob]

Bruno was chinny and slow---and couldn't defend himself well... Just like Mike Tyson FB had 5 losses -- and just like Mike Tysonevery loss was a KO loss..

I disagree that Bruno was chinny, his problem was he lacked stamina, ideas and never really worked out how to tie guys up and get himself out of trouble. He was never sparked with one punch, Tyson hit him with some tremendous blows and he stayed upright.

Bruno's trouble was when he did get hurt he didn't know or couldn't hold on until his head cleared and only did it once when Mcall rallied late in the fight.

[Rexob]

Second career Foreman was overweight
Woodhall was always in great shape.

[Controversial]

Yeah? ... Well Oliver McCall was no defensive master either.. He was never shaken.. Man had a very strong chin.. If you do it holds up.

I never said Bruno could take a punch like McCall, I just said he wasn't chinny.

[SaadOffTheDeck]

Poor Frank was on the wrong end of the only hook I ever saw lennox toss.

[DannyMCR]

Eubank Jr. I'm not his biggest fan but you have to admire his dedication. You could pick any random day of the year in between his fights and he'd be ready to go again

[BitPlayer]

Billy Joe Saunders is pretty terrible at keeping in good shape.

[Ade L]

I heard that Buster Douglas trained for the Holyfield fight by "by eating pizza in the sauna"?

Steve Robinson is one who comes to mind as always being in tremendous condition (including after retirement)

[bwu]

Riddick Bowe, Leon Spinks and Roberto Duran at welterweight and beyond didn't exactly live the Spartan lifestyle.

[Bodyshot3]

You've missed the point of the post Kalan and also this thread too.

We were discussing fighters who kept in shape and those who did not....and the Bruno-Witherspoon fight was an example of that.

[Kalan]

That was my point. Bruno didn't train that well...

Just because a guy lifts weights like crazy doesn't mean he's training properly... Bruno looked muscle bound as Hell for Tyson II.. He was fkd.. You work mitts for a lot of rounds... you do tons of shadow boxing...You get good sparring with a lot of mates, all to tune up your defense... Strength is only one part of the game and he didn't even do that right.. Flexibility, speed, defense, cardio, balance, strategy, and the mental game have to be part of your training.