What quality do you most appreciate about a fighter?

The ability to counterpunch because it shows a vast array of skills

To counterpunch well one must have a good eye in the ring to know what your opponent will do next. Needs quick foot movement in order to position yourself correctly to throw a hard and concise counterpunch. And general ring smartness

I cant choose one fighter that does it best, but Il mention Joe Louis for his monstrous counterpunching power

 

What do you mean in terms of character? Character and mentality in the form of counterpunching, or do you mean character in general?

 

Heart

 

Determination.

Rocky Marciano, my favorite fighter and personal role model, was the very definition of determination. The harder things got the harder he fought. He didn't let anything deter him from his goals, he'd just blast his way right through them which is something that I greatly admire.

 

Heart was the first thing that went through my head before I posted. But when I thought about it, I found that talent was more appealing to me.

What got me interested in the sport in the first place was the sweet science of it, watching two fighters think in the ring is mesmerizing. Watching a fighter go through hell is extremely admirable, and it does win fights, but it is not consistent.

 

Balls (no homo).

Morales' last round stand against Pacquiao for instance.

 

Thats at the top of my list.

 

Honesty and integrity - Talent can be honed, stategic errors corrected, but how many times have hard working Joe Public paid their hard earned money, in the belief that they are getting a well trained determined athelete, only to see a dud effort, and a subequent revelation about an injury. Taking money under false pretences. thats why an erratic fighter like Henry Cooper was so respected, he paid the public the compliament of training like a sparton, neve entered the ring less than 100% fit, and win lose or draw he always tried his best, Honesty and integrity should be the foundation everything else is built on - I suspect its not only the fighters themselves who should remember this.

 

He dominated Bodell over the championship distance when he was pushing 36, was 36 when he took all eight completed rounds over Urtain, and did nothing to embarrass himself in his swan song with Bugner. As you say, he never let himself go. Patterson was another who stayed in great shape. Both would have been monstrous in a 190 pound CW division.

 

Most fighters have solid heart and quite a bit of determination. Thats a stone cold fact most don't acknowledge. Spend more time in the gym around lots of professionals with dreams training your ass off. It reminds you why boxing is the best sport on the planet and why its athletes are heroes.

I could say I admire those guys with that one iota more, and certainly most champions fall into that category, but so do guys you've never heard of. I've been around the best of the best for 20 years, and recently spent time with a 15-5 middleweight. Said middleweight trains harder and smarter than ANYBODY I've ever seen, has a huge heart, fights like an absolute warrior- And would be lucky if he ever made it to gatekeeper status on a televised fight or two.

Not to say I dont admire heart and determination in this sport. I do. Took me over a decade to learn and develop the character necessary to do anything at all in pro boxing. Its just that if I appreciated it most, I'd appreciate 80% of fighters to ever don gloves. Just my perspective on it. I truly admire the men and women who make this game their lives.


Now, to answer John's terrific question: Footwork. The biggest technical flaw in modern boxing is directly related to training our amateurs to succeed in this horrid scoring system. The strategy is simple: Move the hands, score the points.

In gyms everywhere, young boxers are being taught boxing from the waist up, moving only in spurts, planting their feet hard, and ripping off shoeshine flurries to get those points. Its awful.

People focus to much on the hands, because they are what is doing the damage. They are the tip of the spear, and its the most fascinating to watch them make contact with the enemy. Too many fighters and fans don't realize that your hands are only a very small piece of the boxing puzzle: All punches are born first in posture and ultimately, footwork.

I admire men like Bernard Hopkins who step with every punch, pivot the half inch perfectly, and are never out of position to throw or defend.

I watched Joe Calzaghe's feet most of the night when he schooled Calzaghe. I missed most of the big punches, but had as good a night as anybody else watching a masterpiece.

Watching Joe Louis turn over his back leg for right hands, push off his left foot for left hooks, and I can SEE why he hits so very hard, not just admire it. The physics, the truth behind a murderous punching machine are revealed, and his artistry as a technician is enhanced.

Ali, never standing still, dancing, floating, moving his feet everywhere, yet never crossing his legs, never off balance, never out of range. Controlling whole fights against very good fighters with just his skillful footwork.

Punchers can be made. The feet and the legs provide leverage, and when they are in perfect position, and push off with perfect timing, and the hips are turned over into the shot, its gonna be hard, and if it lands right, its gonna stop somebody.

The feet control everything. A fighter skillful below the waist is a skillful fighter with an effective means of defending himself, strong punching power, sharpness, and command of angles.

Good footwork isn't taught from the ground up near as often as it should be. When I start training full time, I am going to do my part to change that.