BoxRec

I am thinking of fighters who don't have a great deal of tangible talent, no big punch or pretty feet or size at their weight, or whatever, but still carved a carer at world level.

These guys have always fascinated me. You might term them overachievers, I guess, at least in relation to their God-given physical gifts.

So lets pay tribute to the guys who make us all, as boxing fans, think 'fvck yes, hes *just a normal dude who happens to be really good at fighting*

I'll chuck a couple of names out:

Brian Mitchell. Name a massive talent he had, I dare you, name a single thing that set him apart from the 12-odd guys he beat in world bouts, other than, ummm, knowing how to win fights. He was no flying machine, couldn't punch that hard, etc, but he was a great problem solved, had a great knack of maintaining a good workrate without taking risks

Greg Haugen. You see ESPN level guys who are obviously more talented. Imagine Mitchell without footwork or head movement. Good jab and good counterpuncher, to be fair, but still I would say his success was greatly in excess of his physical gifts.

Myung-Woo Yuh (apologies if I got his name wrong). Very like Mitchell, he did 'nothing more than' consistently find a way to outwork his opponent for round after round, though even less of a puncher at lightfly than Mitchell was at 130, mist of the time he really looked like he was merely pushing his shots out. I suspect both he and Mitchell had distinctly good stamina even for world level fighters, as it happens.

Anyway over to you all, lets hear it for the dudes who dont have the flashy gifts, the genetic lottery in their favour, and who just it done anyhow.

Oh, and Jim Watt, too, very much so.

Barkley and Carl Thompson.

Both of them could really punch though, so they weren't without godgiven physical gifts.

Albeit, given that both of them tended to move like their bootlaces were tied together, they weren't 'gifted' per se. Still, a Mitchell or Watt would kill to have their punch, p4p.

Any more (strictly nonpunchers only, lolz)?

Baby Jake matlala ?

Yup, good one.

Dave McCauley
Billy Hardy
Colin Dunne
Shea Nearly
John Keeton
Tony Ekubia
Jon Jo Irwin

John Ruiz

Gianfranco Rosi. Like most of the guys listed so far, always came in the ring in great shape.

Counter-puncher wrote:Both of them could really punch though, so they weren't without godgiven physical gifts.

Albeit, given that both of them tended to move like their bootlaces were tied together, they weren't 'gifted' per se. Still, a Mitchell or Watt would kill to have their punch, p4p.

Any more (strictly nonpunchers only, lolz)?

Yeah true. I still think Barkley is the biggest overachiever in boxing. Tough man to look across the ring and see scowling at you.

Jamie McDonnell?

How about Charles brewer and Jeff chandler? Admittedly chandler could hit but wasn't a monster puncher, he could box too.

McDonnell is a good call, no obvious talent beyond that great engine (which seems to be a.common denominator)

Zaragoza had seemingly little by way of God-given talents, I would say. Again, he 'just' won fights.

Clinton Woods didn't seem to have anything special about him but got a world belt and gave Glen Johnson some tough times.

Yup Woods is a good example of what I had in mind

Winky Wright fits here too, I'd say?

Manuel Medina definitely fits into this category, not a big puncher, not a highly skilled boxer. But won his world titles by simply outworking his opponents with high punch output and hard work

Great call on Medina, Ian, hopefully mention of his name will bring datsue in, he does a brilliant summary of him.

paul hodkinson

duke McKenzie

troy dorsey

Marciano?

Steve Robinson
To some exstent hagler not the fastest

wayne mcculloch

johnny tapia

joe bugner

injin chi

Counter-puncher wrote:Winky Wright fits here too, I'd say?

I reckon winky had some talent - could box like a master when he wanted to

He might be a master but Rigodenaux has to be mentioned.

keithmoonhangover wrote:Marciano?

Ezzard Charles and Jersey Joe Walcott said he was the hardest puncher they had ever faced by far including Joe Louis and Archie Moore.

Cruz Carbajal. Nothing special about him other than his ability to outwork opponents from start to finish.

mercman wrote:

misterpunch wrote:wayne mcculloch

johnny tapia

joe bugner

injin chi

Can't agree on the Joe Bugner front. To me, he's the classic example of somebody who had all the tools - big, durable, athletic, fast hands, good skill, etc. - but very rarely got it done. Really, he seems the antithesis of what the thread's about.

hmmm, y'know you may be right - maybe joe just didn't make the most of what he had. cant agree about him rarely "getting it done" though. he ruled European heavy scene and was heads above any other brit at the time. only at world title level he didn't get it done.