are there any fighters you initially couldnt stand, or just plain disliked, but over time won you over? i was never that big a calzaghe or hatton fan to begin with, but over time i could see that joe had a unique style which i liked seeing bamboozle fighters. whilst ricky may not have been as talented as joe, i liked the fact that after he split with warren he was going looking for the big fights, he may have fallen short but he gave it a go. i didnt like hopkins until the pavlik fight, i respected him, but the pavlik fight was the first time i enjoyed watching him in a fight. i have more but im going bed now, just like to see some of your examples. SnD
I was never a big fan of Fernando Vargas because I thought he talked way too much shit early in his career for a guy who had something like 17 pro fights... and he always seemed to me to be the kind of asshole who starts brawls at parties But the enormity of his courage in the Trinidad fight was damn inspiring, and I couldnt help but cheer for him that night... he was a pretty overrated fighter relative to how it all turned out but he had a lot of guts in the ring When I saw Pac-Man really jump into the spotlight at 122, I figured he was an exciting KO loss waiting to happen... I was sold on his entertainment value and huge punch, but not on his ability... but the Barrera beating (MAB was one of my faves) was stunning and I have admired him as a fighter since I wasnt a big Hopkins fan, either until the second Antwun Echols match, where he basically dominated him with one arm and that convinced me he wasnt a paper champ, but every bit the real deal
It's never happened to me. I can always spot whether a fighters style interests me or not. Either that or I'm just a psychosclerotic cunt.
Hatton I always thought of him as an ESPN caliber fighter who would lose to the first elite champ he fought. But the Tszyu fight proved me damned wrong. Then, I started liking him more, now I root for him. Pacquiao grew on me too. I first saw him against ledwaba, but it wasn't until the Barrera fight that he won me over.
i used to think khan was hype. 99% of people still do, however i see something, and i think he is going to prove everyone wrong. trust me. i just know.
Hopkins not so much as a fighter.....he's never been great to watch ...but i used to hate him, especially post-Tito....he negotiated himself out of some big fights....he considered himself the biggest and most important person in boxing, and no one else shared that view. For a long time it was said that by beating Tito, he had won the lottery, but by not following it up with anything, he had forgot to cash it in. He was fortunate that the DLH fight came along. That was the one fight he was happy to take less than 60 percent for. And then the Jermain Taylor defeats (even though i think he edged both) knocked him down a peg or two and he became motivated by proving the doubters wrong, rather than just by money. And that is what you have to admire. He is well into his 40s now, but he is still doing his thing.
Agreed on Calzaghe,.. he skull fucked alot of people that night when he stood square on, toe to toe with Kessler, and outboxed him,... I dont ever remember being so pissed off,... because,... I've never ever seen Calzaghe fight like that before,... never,.. it was like,.. where the fuck did this shit come from?.. where was the evidence to suggest he was such a complete fighter in the course of his whole career?... whereas Mikkel had fought consistantly well and dominated everybody he had ever faced. Calzaghe was mighty impressive that night,..he showed top notch boxing skills, on a 100 punch per round engine.. and didnt need to essentially cheat in order to beat his younger opponent who had barely lost a round in the course of his own career up until then. When Kessler introduced the uppercut,.. and easily got the better of the exchanges in the 'handspeed' battle early,.. ..I thought you fucken beauty :crafty: !!!... ........................
