BoxRec

Hey guys what is one thing that you would instill in some of your fave fighters, if it was possible, to complete there game to make them just that better.

For me, It would be working on Floyd Patterson's jab. Getting him to use it more and to develop it into his game and arsenal.

Kym

In the case of Patterson I think the most important thing would be to improve his defense. With that chin, it really wasn't tight enough. I also think his style was more aggressive than it needed to be. He could have been a pretty damn decent boxer, rather than a pressure fighter in the mould of a swarmer.

George Foreman is my favourite fighter in history, but I'm not sure how much you could change him without taking away what made him great. If you set him up as more relaxed like he was when he was older & gave him better stamina as a result, he might lose that explosive edge that allowed him to take so many opponents out of a fight before they knew they were in it. I suppose I would have liked to see him throw straighter, & tighten his punch angles. Joe Frazier showed that with less power but more precision in the punches, the rope-a-dope was beatable.

Among the current crop, Oscar De La Hoya has been my favourite for years. He should probably retire now, but at his peak a little more focus on his right hand, & maybe build his game a little more around boxing & less on punching, even though he was always a good boxer anyway. IMO, it was excessive aggression that cost him the first fight with Mosley. I think he wanted to make a point after all the criticism about the bout with Trinidad, & it hurt him.

for me it would be prince naseem hamed the ability to listen and train hard.... if he had of been able to do that after he won his first world title he would of been a true great of the sport IMO

I would give my favorite Ingemar Johansson a better jab and a bigger interest to train i think if he would have trained harder and had better focus Patterson wouldn't have been a two time world champion.

Well with my jabbing, counter punching Patterson against your better jabbing and in better shape training, I would pick the Robinson trained Patterson.

Though it woild be a great fight.

For Larry Holmes I would take away some of his pride, which I feel at times made him get involved in fist fights wehn he should have been jabbing and boxing.

Kym

..for heavyweights in the late 40s and early fifties i would have Al Weill be their manager.

Jaclem wrote:..for heavyweights in the late 40s and early fifties i would have Al Weill be their manager.

Blinky Palermo & Frankie Carbo in my corner, thanks ;)

If I were Riddick Bowe's trainer. Every town we visit would have to shut all of their restaurants down.

Jaclem wrote:..for heavyweights in the late 40s and early fifties i would have Al Weill be their manager.

interesting how you call al weill such a "overprotective" manager, despite the fact the he threw marciano in against five # 1 contenders, and a # 2 contender during his title reign. that doesnt look like protection to me.

..aha buster boy...i thought that would snap you awake and get your attention in time for me to say happy holidays....and good luck with your wrestling .....but don't let your brain shrink in the same way you're doing to your body

Jaclem wrote:..aha buster boy...i thought that would snap you awake and get your attention in time for me to say happy holidays....and good luck with your wrestling .....but don't let your brain shrink in the same way you're doing to your body

thanx, merry christmas and happy holidays to you too. I hope to see more of you on that other message board, lots of ezzard charles talk.


I think al weill was the best manager for bringing up a fighter the correct way, however he defintley wasnt overprotective as say cus d amato.

I'd hide Salvador Sanchez's car keys

Jaybird wrote:I'd hide Salvador Sanchez's car keys

BOOOOOOOOOOOOOO :x

Understanding and Experience.
Something like that.

Or a DVD collection of boxing for 'older' fighters to study
to help give them that edge.

Another improvement with Patterson, I would try to minimise
his lunge.

Kym

Marciano is my favorite fighter of all time, but the way I figure it, considering Charlie Goldman was just about the best trainer in the history of the sport, if what we seen out of Marciano is the best that Goldman could do with him, then I really can't say I could ask for more improvement.

There is only so much you can do for a man with a 68" reach, whose 5'10", and who started late in the game himself. Not unless you could do bone lengthening surgery on him, lol.

But I think in general, any knowledgable fan can look at any fighters record and know when they should have quit, who they should have fought, who they should have avoided, etc.

For Patterson, he shouldnt have been babied so much on the way up. Had he been tested more under fire as a contender and champion, who knows, he might very well have been a better fighter for it. Its clear, least in my mind, that he did get better after he was champion, and fought the better opponents.

Many say that Marciano should have had better defense, and while that may be so (really all fighters no matter how good they are, should always try to better themselves on the defensive level), if you really watch the fights, most of the blows landed on Marciano was on his arms or on the top of his head. Sure he might get hit with a flurry of punches, but out of those six or so punches, one or two might have landed solidly to have counted.

Ask Roland LaStarza about that example, and see the difference. By the time he had retired, he had the bobbing and weaving quite down to a science, then throw in the sheer volume of punches he thrown, it was hard to match the tempo. He was a very difficult man to fight with.

Oh btw, long time no see Brocky!

..the dedication to training had by marciano, tunney and ezzard charles. that last name doesn't usually come up in this subject, but when he was a light heavy he was almost a fanatic on training. he complained that when he was a heavyweight he had to curtail his training before he reached his peak because it made him lose too much weight.

I would take Roy Jones Jr to the fountain of youth...

Is there any footage of Charles training about the place?

Marlin wrote:I would take Roy Jones Jr to the fountain of youth...

I'd settle for him learning to use his jab again...

Eric the Viking wrote:

Marlin wrote:I would take Roy Jones Jr to the fountain of youth...

I'd settle for him learning to use his jab again...

i would just like him to retire, i dont like seeing him get beaten against guys a few years ago didnt belong in a ring with him

The thread about fighters who weren't the same after their first loss makes me think of Gerry Cooney. I'd give Gerry, and his management, a good shot of confidence.

for me it would be prince naseem hamed the ability to listen and train hard.... if he had of been able to do that after he won his first world title he would of been a true great of the sport IMO

agreed, same with Tyson

My favorite was Roy Jones and was perfect the way he was. Can you improve upon perfection?

RJJ could be less arrogant.