Who was the prototype "leap amateur"?

Andre Berto was the prototype imo.

 

Jean pascal imo

 

Yeah. Berto. Agree.

 

Berto was on the scene before Pascal.

And Pascal turned out to be a lot better than Berto.

 

As far as this board is concerned, the first time someone used the words "leap amateur" was Jermain Taylor

 

Taylor Was Never a Fast-Twitchy "Leapy" Fighter Though...

Above Average Handspeed, But His Footwork was Rather Deliberate...

Berto's Probably the Poster Boy...Khan's Fitting...Andre Dirrell...




REED

 

I don't disagree, but the first time I read the term leap amateur on here was on a Taylor RBR thread... I believe he was called a leap amateur, and a deliberate hunter

 

Andre Dirrell doesnt apply, imo.

Dirrell had all the talent and skill to be a top fighter. He wasnt what I would call a leap amateur.

He was a mental midget, that was his problem.

I still feel Dirrell was robbed in the Froch fight, btw.

He clearly outboxed that clumsy farmer.

 

Probably didn't help guys like Berto and Thurman that they grew up in Florida watching Roy.

Not the best style to try and emulate considering Roy had once in a lifetime talent.

 

I had Dirrell winning the Froch fight 115-113. I was annoyed at the time because I'd bet money on him to win, but in retrospect it should never have been that close. Dirrell lost it more than Froch won it, but I can't really get annoyed by it, you had one talented guy trying to stink it and one guy who only had heart going forward, but at least he was trying to win, by you know, fighting.

 

Not for me. I knew of pascal before berto was a thing

 

Hamed

 

The change in the Amateur scoring system created the leap amateurs

Jermaine Taylor was absolutely a leap amateur

There isn't really a prototype.. the problem arose mostly as a result of the retarded amateur scoring and then partially out of young fighters attempting to emulate two extremely unorthodox fighters: Roy Jones and Naseem Hamed

 

Isn't Roy an example of leap amateurism too? He is also a great example of why said style is not automatically a problem, either.

I'm not sure if Amir Khan had had any more success with more traditional style either, in fact vice versa

 

Taylor wasn't a leap amateur

He tried to fight in a classical style, and was fairly skilled, but his nerves were almost always getting the best of him, hence his approach was contrived and made him expand a ton of energy

 

No, Roy wasn't a leap amateur. Roy falls into the same category as Ali - two unbelievably athletic/talented guys who fought by their own roles, and did so very effectively in their primes, then became vulnerable once they lost their speed/reflexes.

In my mind, the hallmarks of the leap amateurs are guys with speed and athleticism who have no brains, no real boxing skill, and shitty defenses. They make flashy moves, and throw flashy punches, but have no purpose behind either. They all have terrible infighting ability as well.

Roy doesn't fall into that category, because Roy had a high IQ and knew how to use his talent. There was a purpose behind all of Roy's movements, and punches, and he was a very elusive target. He could also infight effectively.

 

Not Sure How he Doesn't???...

Dirrell was Every Bit a "Leapy" Point Fighter...Anthony Isn't, But Andre Certainly Was...The Quintessential "Rent-a-Roy" w/Out Even 1/10th of the Ring IQ and Nuance to Consistently Pull it Off...





REED

 

There's an Undeniably AFFLETIC Quality to "Leap Amateurs" that Escaped Jermain Taylor, in REED's Opinion...

Totally agREED w/Your Thoughts on the Spawn of "Leap Amateurs", However...




REED

 

A Fixation w/Roy's STYLE is @ the Root of "Leap Amateurism", as McDogg Pointed Out, but Roy Himself Doesn't Qualify...






REED

 

Taylor may not have had the "affletisizm" of the classic leap amateur (like a zab judah) but his style... the skittish, exaggerated defensive reactions; the "explosive" haymakers that miss by miles 95% of the time... total leap amateur

 

Exactly

Roy's style was wholly original when he used it and worked because of his extraordinary talents and his innate ability to find logic in what on paper is a totally illogical series of strategies... the leap amateurs were trying and largely failing to emulate him

 

Taylor was absolutely a leap amateur.

 

When did Amir Khan fight "traditional"?

Roy was a completely unorthodox freak but while he was an inspiration to leap amateurism, he's not guilty of it himself ... his style wasn't without logic at all; it just requires extraordinary physical talent to pull off... when he still had that talent, it took him to the very top of the sport

 

If Taylor qualify, I guess david reid also does

 

Amir Khan never fought traditionally, what I meant was, had he done so I don't think he would have achieved more than he did now.

I guess my Roy question was mostly about what we mean by leap amateurism, is it a certain style or does the success of the fighter and/or mental capacity come to play.

If I have gotten it right, Ali fought exactly like a leap amateur (no infighting, plenty of movement, very little traditional technique etc.) but since he was successful, he can't be considered as such

 

Absolutely

 

Skittish overreaction is a key component

Ali was as cool as a cucumber and his footwork and jab were classical, not leap at all

Absolutely not a leap amateur

 

Zab Judah would show flashes of a skilled operator. It's not that his tools weren't there, his brain wasn't there.

Judah was more a mental midget than a leap amateur. But then again, I did say a characteristic of leap amateurs is low ring IQ...