Is Juan Manuel Marquez the greatest combination puncher ever?

Juan Diaz hurt Marquez in the first fight as well... Marquez has always been a guy who can get hurt... but he has a ton of heart and recuperative powers

 

Pryor's greatest talent was combination punching... seriously, I have never seen anyone else throw or even attempt some of the combos he let loose... Pryor didn't throw 3 punch combos, he threw SIX punch combos... double jab, right hand, left to the body, left to the head, right to the head... FAST and Hard... seriously one of the best ever in that category, utterly unique

 

Not disagreeing at all, but pac being the freakishly abnormal boxer he is now would probably hurt marquez early and go for the kill.

Pac could be the first man to stop/ko him inside the distance.

Would be a very entertaining, but possibly, very one sided fight.

 

Couldn't agree more. The more i watch the guy, the more i like him.

He's becoming a favourite of mine also.

 

I agree... I think Marquez is fading and Pac is still fresh... if they fight again it might be the only decisive match they have

 

just so entertaining... a great style... manic and busy

 

Guys like Pacquiao, Pryor, Leonard and Taylor have amazing combinations.

Physically, they're also incredibly gifted.

Marquez is a bit different.

JMM's combination punching is quite pleasing to watch because it's a purer manifestation of skill not tremendously aided by physical ability. His combos have a certain deliberateness to them, a rhythmic and surgical quality you can't find in other equally great combination punchers.

In a way, I think that is more impressive. And thing is, Marquez is getting long in the tooth (he has been for quite some time now), and in all of his recent fights, that's what's really gotten him through, his skill.

 

I dont know, man

Thomas Hearns had all the talent you could ever want, but it wasnt just talent that enabled him to throw the type of combos he did... it was great punching technique... Arguello too had flawless technique and generated a ton more power than JMM... that has to count for something

A guy could be as fast as Aaron Pryor, but he's got to have the mind to throw those combinations, the skill

 

I think Hearns and Arguello were more physically gifted than JMM.

In addition to his exquisite boxing ability, Tommy had ridiculous speed and one-shot KO power in both fists.

Arguello had the advantage of towering above most everyone in the divisions he was primed in, apart from his excellent technique augmented by tremendous punching power.

JMM enjoys no such advantages. He's gotten by more on sheer boxing ability.

 

I was saying that Hearns and Arguello had those things... but that wasnt my point... they used the technique every bit as well as Marquez but with even better results... I dont think its fair to downgrade them because they had a natural advantage in power, speed or both or anything else naturally occuring... to me it would be like saying Terry Norris was braver than Marvin Hagler because he had to be legitimately frightened of getting knocked out by anybody with even a little power and Hagler didnt

 

I don't think it's a case of "downgrading" per se (because yes, there indeed other guys who are just as technically capable but just so happen to be more gifted), but more like in the context of skill development.

I agree that guys like Benitez, Hearns, used the technique every bit as well as Marquez, but it's because of their natural physical talent that their results are even better, more effective, than Marquez's.

It's part of their package.

Because of his inherent physical limitations, it's not difficult to surmise the greater (and more focused) effort it took for someone like JMM to polish his technique (which is one reason why it looks so damn good) to a degree enabling him to overcome his opponents (especially those beyond his comfort zone weight-wise which is what he's done this late in his career) as opposed to, say, the more talented (but equally skilled) boxers.

And to me, (with all due respect to other great boxers) that is more impressive.

But in the end, appreciating combination punching is still an aesthetics thing.

Marquez is not the greatest combo puncher ever, but he's on par with the greats.

And in a way, they're all unique in using the technique.

 

thats well said, man, I'll buy it:kidcool:

 

This is an excellent post.