Jimmy Young's Strength and Weakness

[kovit]

Since the passing of former heavyweight contender Jimmy Young, I would please like to know what was his strength that gave him the victory in every fight and what was his weakness that led to his lost to Ali, Norton, Shavers, and other future heavyweight champions in Young's big fight?

[crooked nose]

Let's not focus on the losses. He scored some big victories. Two W12 over Lyle, W12 Foreman. Obviously, the weakness was lack of power. He had Ali for the taking. If Jimmy had poured on the combinations against a woefully out of shape Ali in the last rounds, the title would have been his.
But even without power, Jimmy was one of the most skillful heavyweights of a tough era. Against other tough opponents: KOby1 Shavers (that happened to a lot of guys) D10 Shavers, L15 split Norton, L15 split Ali, W10 Stinson, KOby5 Cooney.

[KOJOE90]

Since the passing of former heavyweight contender Jimmy Young, I would please like to know what was his strength that gave him the victory in every fight and what was his weakness that led to his lost to Ali, Norton, Shavers, and other future heavyweight champions in Young's big fight?

Jimmy Young

Strengths - Chin, defence, jab, cute & subtle Boxing Skills, good body puncher. Stamina.

Weakeness - Lacked one punch power, dedication to training and clean living during last half of career.

His points loses to Ali and Norton were very contraversial. The lose to Norton broke Youngs heart (some claim that fight was fixed). When he was KO'd by the huge power puncher Earnie Shavers, Young was a mere novice professional at the time Shaver could KO anyone. Youngs lose to Big Gerry Cooney was on a cut and Young was shot by then anyway, Young had a great chin.

[Chuck1052]

Jimmy Young and Muhammad Ali were the two boxer-types among the top heavyweights in the 1970s. But Young and Ali had very different boxing styles. Unlike Young, Ali relied on more on athletic ability than on solid boxing fundamentals. Moreover, Ali was a very flashy boxer while Young was anything, but flashy.

Although Young was shifty on his feet, he didn't dance around his opponent. Yes, Ali would lay on the ropes and put his hands up
in a peekaboo defense in order to get some rest in the latter part of his career, but he would continue to dance around his opponents at times(remember his second bout with Leon Spinks).

Besides being very good at slipping punches well on the outside, Young relied alot on clinches or staying inside in order to smother or avoid punches. While on the inside, Young was able to throw fast combinations to the body. As a result, Young was an effective in-fighter for a boxer with little punching power.

Young also was a very effective counterpuncher who often used combinations to both the head and body in such situations. He had a great deal of success in the counterpunching department even against Ali.

- Chuck Johnston