Big or Tall fighters with great inside skills

[Legend X]

Originally Posted by Seamus

Riddick Bowe, Riddick Bowe, Riddick Bowe... yeah, I know we are all supposed to rave over his inside game, but it was partly this same game that caused him to absorb huge shots and be done by 29. A six foot five guy with 82 inch reach fighting down to his opponents limitations. Bravo.

Absorbing bombs is more to do with his lack of defense. Which I guess means his inside game wasn't all that anyway - good offensive arsenal, lousy defense.

[emallini]

Bernard Hopkins

[Seamus]

Originally Posted by Legend X

Absorbing bombs is more to do with his lack of defense. Which I guess means his inside game wasn't all that anyway - good offensive arsenal, lousy defense.

Yeah, that's my point.

Don't get me wrong, I loved his action style against Holy. It was entertaining as hell. But he might have been able to exploit his physical advantages better.

[TheGreatA]

Bowe probably had a more effective defense in close than at a distance. He just didn't seem to have the defensive reactions that are necessary to be a good defensive fighter.

Mike McCallum could be considered a tall light middleweight at 5'11½, but he was certainly effective on the inside.

I wouldn't call Buddy Baer a great inside fighter by any means, but he was 6'6" yet did some of his best work at close distance.

[Steenalized]

Originally Posted by Seamus

This sometimes can be read as tall fighters who don't properly exploit their advantages.

Yes and no. It can be that, but it can also be a fighter having a strong gameplan if someone does get inside on them

Edit: But I'd say the Wlad/Lennox approach is the better way to go than really trying to trade inside.

[TartanSoldier]

Ray Robinson was pretty tall compared to a lot of his opposition at MW.

[greynotsoold]

Little red lopez. Hearns didn't know how to fight inside. He got away with his left hook only because guys were scared of his right hand; when they didn't fear the right hand, they made him pay.

[Bigcat]

Originally Posted by Seamus

Riddick Bowe, Riddick Bowe, Riddick Bowe... yeah, I know we are all supposed to rave over his inside game, but it was partly this same game that caused him to absorb huge shots and be done by 29. A six foot five guy with 82 inch reach fighting down to his opponents limitations. Bravo.

Bowe also only lost one pro fight at heavyweight and was involved in one of the best trilogys in heavyweight history... Remember that... That is why many applaud his skills... It made him a great heavyweight... we are not here to analyse how he was damaged longterm because every fighter knows those risks.. he did what he did and should be appreciated as a tremendous athlete... So BRAVO to a brilliant Heavyweight champion with a sole loss on his resume...

[TartanSoldier]

Originally Posted by Bigcat

Bowe also only lost one pro fight at heavyweight and was involved in one of the best trilogys in heavyweight history... Remember that... That is why many applaud his skills... It made him a great heavyweight... we are not here to analyse how he was damaged longterm because every fighter knows those risks.. he did what he did and should be appreciated as a tremendous athlete... So BRAVO to a brilliant Heavyweight champion with a sole loss on his resume...

He ducked Lewis though. I think we shall call it two losses for all intensive purposes, maybe 4 in case they fought a trilogy.

[Seamus]

Originally Posted by Bigcat

Bowe also only lost one pro fight at heavyweight and was involved in one of the best trilogys in heavyweight history... Remember that... That is why many applaud his skills... It made him a great heavyweight... we are not here to analyse how he was damaged longterm because every fighter knows those risks.. he did what he did and should be appreciated as a tremendous athlete... So BRAVO to a brilliant Heavyweight champion with a sole loss on his resume...

In reality, he was on his way to losing two fights until his more skilled, more talented opponent let his ten-cent brain take over. He also had to rely on low blows to put away a decidedly ordinary and toothless Pierre Coetzer. He also got taken to class by an old coke-snorting donut enthusiast in Tony Tubbs. Then he picked a succession of the most ridiculous title defenses in Dokes and Ferguson. All the while, he avoided the number 1 Heavyweight threat in Lewis, staging some campy, contrived trash can routine.

On the plus side, he did fight an epic series with Holyfield, but a series I that was made more epic by his decision to compete by Holyfield's rules. Styles make fights. And those fights were great, he probably fought the wrong style.

[albinored]

...sugar ray robinson had the greatest height advantage when he was a welter. ...although he was taller than some of his middleweight opponents. archie moore thought the one aspect that ray was not superior in was in infighting, and i'm inclined to agree...although he really didn't need that as part of his arsenal.

[Absolutely!]

Originally Posted by Bigcat

Bowe also only lost one pro fight at heavyweight and was involved in one of the best trilogys in heavyweight history... Remember that... That is why many applaud his skills... It made him a great heavyweight... we are not here to analyse how he was damaged longterm because every fighter knows those risks.. he did what he did and should be appreciated as a tremendous athlete... So BRAVO to a brilliant Heavyweight champion with a sole loss on his resume...

Are you trying to say his two wins over Golota were emphatic and defining victories? Have you seen those fights?

[Absolutely!]

Originally Posted by TheGreatA

Bowe probably had a more effective defense in close than at a distance. He just didn't seem to have the defensive reactions that are necessary to be a good defensive fighter.

Mike McCallum could be considered a tall light middleweight at 5'11½, but he was certainly effective on the inside.

I wouldn't call Buddy Baer a great inside fighter by any means, but he was 6'6" yet did some of his best work at close distance.

B. Baer was another example of a tall fighter giving up his size to fight his opponent on their own terms. He could have made things very awkward for Louis by using his jab and staying on the outside, but he immediately gave up his sole advantage by closing with Louis and trying to compete with him on the inside. It actually got him a bit of success in the early going, but it also got him planted on the canvas shortly after, something that probably would have happened anyway, though later in the fight, had he opted to maintain his distance.

[Absolutely!]

Originally Posted by Steenalized

Yes and no. It can be that, but it can also be a fighter having a strong gameplan if someone does get inside on them

Edit: But I'd say the Wlad/Lennox approach is the better way to go than really trying to trade inside.

I agree with this (first para). It's always good to have the ability to fight your way out of any situation, which doesn't of course mean you have to put yourself in that situation in the first place. Lennox was the perfect example of a good inside fighter who fought to his strengths, and only utilised his in-fighting to hurt, rough up or dissuade his opponents from getting on his inside in the first place.

With Wlad his lack of in-fighting abilities hasn't hurt him yet due to his strong clinch, but there have been times when he's looked more than a little vulnerable in there with large or slippery opponents who, for one reason or another, he's not been able to consistently tie up. It's also boring as hell, but that's another issue.

[Bigcat]

I was at both the Golata fights and yes he was on his way to losing them, but we can talk all day about fights and what we thought would happen, Andrew never had the savvy or discipline to see each fight through to the finish without resorting to his crazy reactions.. Same against Mike Grant he walked away without seeing the finishing line.. You are in a fight , and even against Coetzer , Bowe did fight rough but in heavyweight boxing you have to do things to pull you through to victory... Are you telling me that Lewis was all so neat and tidy against Grant and Billups, he is one of my idols but i am always straight down the line, Lennox could be a filthy fighter , but it made him a feared champion ... Bowe did avoid Lewis to a point but we are talking about how he was a great inside close in fighter for a tall guy... Riddick Bowe did in fact only lose a single pro fight.. Golota threw his two chances away.. The Lewis fight wasnt made... yes he is extremely punchy these days and he did look horrible against Zumbrun a few years ago but a fabulous in fighter he was... Around 1993 when Bowe opted to ditch the belt in the trash can , Lennox was getting by on refloxes and speed and was soon exposed by Oliver, who knows, Bowe might have clipped him if they had met then, Yes Bowe avoided that meeting but its by no means a loss... God Bless.. on another note, Mike McCallum was indeed a brilliant in fighter.. Mister Futch taught both men most of the slick tools to get into close range and keep the mands moving productively...