BoxRec

There are lots of rules in the SWEET SCIENCE that I have heard through the years. One of them, I do not agree.

Here are 3 of the most quoted rules

1. "Styles makes fights"
2. " A great bigger fighter always beats a great, but smaller fighter"
3. "The best offense is the best defense"

I agree with rule #2 more than any of the 3. It's been proven a lot through the years, and to me, it is the one that makes the best logic. Here are some examples at what I am getting at:

Joe Louis vs Billy Conn
Bob Foster vs Dick Tiger
Marvin Hagler vs Roberto Duran
Joe Frazier vs Bob Foster
Muhammad Ali vs Bob Foster
Carlos Monzon vs Jose "Mantequilla" Napoles
Rocky Marciano vs Archie Moore
Archie Moore vs Bobo Olson
Bobo Olson vs Kid Gavilan
Jack Johnson vs Sam Langford
Jack Johnson vs Stanley Ketchel
Jack Johnson vs Bob Fitzsimmons
Sam Langford vs Joe Gans
Willie Pep vs Manuel Ortiz
Salvador Sanchez vs Wilfredo Gomez

It's been a fact for so many years...Is the rule "THE BIGGER AND GREAT MAN ALWAYS BEAT THE SMALLER AND GREAT FIGHTER" the most common or acceptable?

What you guys think?

Well, I guess it depends on what people mean by these sayings.

For example, "styles make fights".-Well, I think the two fighters styles have a lot to do with the type of fight that occurs. A fight between a "boxer" and a "pressure fighhter" is probably going to be different than two "pressure" fighters or two "boxers".

However, it isn't the only factor. The skill level of the two fighters matters as well. For example, far better fight will usually beat a fighter that has a style that one would think would beat him. He might have a lot of trouble, but he will usually win.

" A great bigger fighter always beats a great, but smaller fighter"

First of all, of course it's not always.
Some examples of the smaller man winning:
Fitzsimmons beat Corbett
Ketchel beat O'Brien
Armstrong beat Ross (Both times)
Robinson beat LaMotta (5 out of 6)
Griffith beat Tiger (Both times)
Duran beat Leonard (Once anyway)
Leonard beat Hagler
Ali beat Foreman

There are levels of greatness. Not all great fighters are exactly even pound for pound. The smaller man also has a much better chance if he has a few fights at the higher weight class to get used to it before he fights the great fighter at the higher weight.

"The best defense is a good offense" - Depends. A fighter with a great jab can use that to score points offensively as well as keep his opponent at bay. However, its hard to beat a good opponent entirely with a jab.

And there are a small percent of fighters that can overwhelm some other fighters sheerly the amount of punches that they throw. (This sort of takes us back to styles make fights)

However, generally I don't really believe this phrase.