Better than Sum of his parts?

[SaadOffTheDeck]

Sucks I can't remember. Google didn't help either. I used the quote years ago in a blog.

[Counter-puncher]

Andries remains my prime example but thinking back I would suggest another Brit light-heavy who is much-maligned....namely Clinton Woods.

Clinton arguably had a wee bit more in his locker than Dennis but he was still something of an over-achiever in my book and a great deal of folk were frankly gob-smacked that he got as far as he did.

There was just something about Clinton that ensured that he somehow graduated from being a hard-strong lad from Sheffield who could win a British/Commonwealth belt through to world class.

He had the knack of delivering a bomb when he needed it (Klemetsen and Hoye) and had all those fights with Johnson and Gonzalez when he often did not look that good at all; a tall-ish and rangy guy who often got bogged down in the trenches and did not manage to fight from distance.

Admittedly, Johnson was bloody brilliant at turning any fight into a life-and-death-scrap and should probably have a nod on this thread too

Woods and Johnson both good calls mate

[Stevieb8006]

Carl Froch. He often looked crude and slow and very hit table on the way up.

The first name that sprung to mind. Facing him and watching him were obv two different things

[Ambling Alp II]

Froch might be a good call.
don't know about Woods or Johnson. They each has a bit of ability and had solid careers but were hardly legends.

If you look at Fullmer, he wasn't fast, really didn't have much power, and had mediocre boxing skills. The one thing he did have was tenacity. He just kept kept coming and throwing punches. Maybe that is what is underrated. Sounds simple, but if you throw more punches than the other guy you will usually win.

Trevor Berbick really didn't anything that well. Yet he had wins over several guys who seemed to have a lot more talent. He had wins over John Tate, Greg Page, and Pinklon Thomas.

[Tomasino]

Why is it that all the fighters from back in the day were great for a quote and came out with something quirky,clever and funny yet fighters today talk absolute bollocks?

Even the fighters who grew up with no education said some great quips,todays fighters all talk the same bland crap

Social media mate. Everyone's a carbon copy wee fanny nowadays

[Bodyshot3]

Froch might be a good call.
don't know about Woods or Johnson. They each has a bit of ability and had solid careers but were hardly legends.

Clinton is an interesting fella...he actually came to the sport fairly late as far as I can remember and without much amateur experience.

He was scrapping on the streets of Sheffield (after a beer too many) and often getting into bother....so some of his mates encouraged him to go down to the gym and work off his aggression usefully/legally.

Interestingly for a Sheffield lad...he did not work with the Ingles either and primarily traded on his fitness, strength and heavy-hands.

I saw a good number of his fights and Clinton did have plenty of ability; but there was always a very raw side to him and he often got involved in a brawl when his height and reach suggested that working from distance was the smarter move.

Clinton was definitely better than the sum of his parts and went a heck of alot further than anyone expected.

Hoye came over to the UK pretty much to 'collect' the belt of Clinton and got one hell of a shock.

[littlepug]

george foreman

[Stevieb8006]

Froch might be a good call.
don't know about Woods or Johnson. They each has a bit of ability and had solid careers but were hardly legends.

Clinton is an interesting fella...he actually came to the sport fairly late as far as I can remember and without much amateur experience.

He was scrapping on the streets of Sheffield (after a beer too many) and often getting into bother....so some of his mates encouraged him to go down to the gym and work off his aggression usefully/legally.

Interestingly for a Sheffield lad...he did not work with the Ingles either and primarily traded on his fitness, strength and heavy-hands.

I saw a good number of his fights and Clinton did have plenty of ability; but there was always a very raw side to him and he often got involved in a brawl when his height and reach suggested that working from distance was the smarter move.

Clinton was definitely better than the sum of his parts and went a heck of alot further than anyone expected.

Hoye came over to the UK pretty much to 'collect' the belt of Clinton and got one hell of a shock.

howard Rainey was his coach wasn't he?

[ElJefe]

I'd say Ricky Burns is/was better than the sum of his parts as well. Has some good skills but I'm sure not many people would have predicted he'd be a fight away from becoming a 3 weight world champion after losing his first 2 attempts at the British title.

[Bodyshot3]

howard Rainey was his coach wasn't he?

Clinton did his fair share of switching around as I recall; Richard Poxon and Glyn Rhodes and Rainey for a long while?
Rainey was the 'other' Sheffield trainer of note who got a bit overshadowed by the more flamboyant Ingles.

[witherspoon]

Good thread. I can only think of Winky Wright that I would add to those already mentioned.

[Cutman Scabbers]

Dim Sum!

[Bodyshot3]

I'd say Ricky Burns is/was better than the sum of his parts as well. Has some good skills but I'm sure not many people would have predicted he'd be a fight away from becoming a 3 weight world champion after losing his first 2 attempts at the British title.

Definitely agreed....Burns is a serial over-achiever.

There was always talent and ability there but I don't think many people felt there was enough top-drawer stuff for Ricky to be regularly winning world title fights or to comeback from some bad, potentially career-ending defeats.

I can remember a young Ricky being very mobile and sharp against Alex Arthur - who could really fight - but also wondering whether he had enough bite on his punches to get to world class and when he lost to Johanneson the same question cropped-up.

Somewhere along the line though Billy Nelson made sure that Ricky hit hard enough not to be bullied out of fights and also got him so fit and strong that he fought at a pace that seemed to sicken/demoralise plenty of guys as well.

Ricky deserves a great deal of credit - someone destined to be a neat, decent domestic operator - found a way to max-out everything he had.