The only good inside fighter is Andre Ward and he is not a great inside fighter but a real good one. Not ONE of the other 5 have any skills inside whatsoever and it frustrating and disheartening to me that the sport of boxing and trainers are not teaching guys how to fight inside anymore. None of these guys want to fight inside and would rather clinch or step back whenever their bodies come into contact. Even the body shots are for the most part with right hands from the outside. Does this trouble anyone else here? Its like the whole NFL running the west coast offense and no one running the ball anymore :doh:
Ward having inside abilities is going to aid him well against the scandinavian cabbage-patch doll, so long as he can slip Kessler's sporadic uppercut,.. Ward can do this, obviously if I were him, I'd be looking at the Calzaghe fight very closely, a secular attack numbs Kessler's mind.
Sports change and you are probably correct about this. In boxing just like in all sports styles develop and old techniques are removed. The good question is, is there a reason that fighters should learn to fight inside, if mastering the outside game brings better results. It is just like those some old-timers who complain about how fighters can't do shoulder-blocking anymore: if a side-step gets you the same result, then why to learn that? And why to study a lead left uppercut, if your one-twos are enough to win? So at this moment the change happening is that boxing techniques are turning to more simple and narrow direction. If a new generation of fighters and trainers find some new use to the old tricks, then the course might change again, who knows. Another thing is whether or not we should create some rules that would keep boxing from changing, for example try to completely remove clinching or back-pedalling. Personally, I prefer fights that are fought mainly from outside
If Andre Ward is such a good infighter when why did he hug the shit outta Miranda? Theres really nothing wrong w/the tournament. You guys are being too critical. The decision last night was somewhat questionable, but it wasnt a robbery... and no Froch-Dirrell wasnt exciting, but we cant expect action everytime out. The only thing that needs to happen is a replacement for Taylor.
:: Kessler was sooo mystified by Calzaghe's angles and was visibly thrown off by that Aboriginal who moved a little in his last fight. I think Wards movement and angles will make Kessler look average. Ward will win this fight and maybe the tourney.
Your right he's not that great but he's better than any other super 6...and im not being critical I love this tourney and I like all the fighters involved especially Ward and AA. I just think that if fighters like Direll and JT especially were taught early how to fight inside it would make them better rounded fighters and translate into better fights. I'm not unhappy with the tourney I LOVED the fights last night I was in heaven bro I can't wait till the next fights!
I agree with most of what you said but it seems to me that the changes made in boxing make it easier to beat the majority of fighters like you said but when you fight someone of higher caliber or when your not clicking from the outside a fighter should be able to go to a plan B and step inside and test the guys inside game. This would change the complexion of the fight. It has a lot to do with confidence and training to be able to do it. I don't like these days when a fighter is obviously not having success from the outside but he doesn't adjust and just keeps trying the same thing because he hasn't been taught anything else. Just something I've observed.
Couldn't possibly agree more. Its why I spend more time watching old fights than new fights. Holding and olympic scoring are equal culprits, IMO.
Fighting style is one thing but this super six is a fantastic idea. It would cool if they could convince the top 6 of each division to fight each other, no more ducking and diving :hammert:
I hate to be a thread nazi but you really could have put this in the super 6 discussion thread. We don't need another thread that is just going to go off subject and wind up having another discussion on this tournament. Now we've got what, about 6 fucking discussions on this thing in 6 different threads and I want to address something and don't know which one to put it in. :doh:
yup. But as I said the change in amateur scoring contributed as well. Either way its starting to ruin the sport.
I think it's a generalization to say that fighters don't know how to fight inside anymore. Look at Israel Vazquez. Floyd Mayweather. JL Castillo not so long ago. Pavlik knows how to fight inside. So does Paul Williams. Andrade can fight inside. So can Cotto. Juan Diaz. JuanMa. There's no shortage of inside fighters today. It's a good point concerning the fighters who happen to be in the Super 6. None of them have shown any great inclination or ability to fight inside, and that includes Ward who hasn't fought anyone. But to conclude from the styles of six fighters, who together aren't necessarily even the best fighters in their division (does anyone really think that Froch, Taylor or Dirrell would have a shot against Andrade for example?) is a pretty big stretch. Especially when you consider that 168 has always been a division with a large European presence. And Europeans have historically never been in-fighters. There's plenty of top fighters today who are accomplished inside fighters. There just happens to be none in the super 6.