This always baffles me. who is the expert? You insist Lennox because he often employs it, successfully, in his era. In Dempsey's era training with world class wrestlers in camp was the norm for overall strength and technique purposes. He also trained in Judo. Dempsey also formulated a hand-2-hand fighting system and trained men for the Coast Guard during WWII which was an amalgamation of Boxing, Wrestling, and Judo. Ever seen that video of Lennox sparring Jeremy Williams who also fights MMA and is a Judo Blackbelt? Lennox keeps leaning on him and JW gets pissed and uses his Judo. 2:35-3:20 - Williams ****ing ragdolling Lennox to the ground 2X. Lennox is lost. [ame]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WxfaOOWNHKg&feature=related[/ame] Now obviously i'm not saying Dempsey would do that but point is that for the throws and grappling Judo is built around using your opponent's size, strength, and momentum against him and putting him off balance. How often today do you actually see guys work or do anything in the clinch? As soon as they get there they just lay on eachother content to wait for the ref to break them, perhaps throwing the odd punch. Lennox does have a size advantage but no doubt Dempsey is the expert when it comes to clinching. UFC 170lb Champion Georges St.Pierre who trains with World Class wrestlers on Canada's Olympic team vs Georges Laraque NHL enforcer and top 5 fighter for over a decade. Hockey fighting involves alot of grabbing, grappling holding your opponent. GSP - 5'10 fights at 170lbs walks around at 185-190lbs Laraque - 6'3 260-280 lbs GSP gets about 8 takedowns, Laraque 0. Listen to what Laraque says afterwards at 8:00-8:20 "I can't imagine fighting somebody my own size, for his size he's stronger than me" [ame]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eLAcvgVqlGQ[/ame]
Thats exactly my point. The big punchers of the 90s are over rated as finishers, because they lacked technique. Power on its own is not worth two buckets of warm spit. Its a matter of simple physiology that a man is not going to be more durable in his 40s.