Do boxing fans lose interest due to subpar skills from boxer today?

No doubt, SRL was too damn fast for Duran to slip or take the steam off of and counter everything; he got his shots in. Really separate point from the one you were making anyway regarding the skill displayed by both. I just couldn't help myself. YOU brought up Duran-Leonard.

 

True the shot captured it perfectly. Ali was blessed with a great chin man. :yep

 

:thumbsup

 

[ame="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qH6wI11zy2g&feature=youtube_gdata_player"]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qH6wI11zy2g&feature=youtube_gdata_player[/ame]

 

Way to hijack the thread with NaS & Duran.

 

I know right, this thread is about skills and I'm posting vids of basic brawlers.. Oh wait, Duran was Slick As ****. Show me a fighter that matches Duran's aggression, offensive arsenal and is that difficult to hit. You can't, he doesn't exist. You'll miss. AND Pay. :deal

 

I tend to be overly critical with modern fighters, minus the greats of this era (usually). I need to just sit back and appreciate their efforts and what they bring to the table more instead of comparing them to eras long gone.

 

The Germans and the Klitschkos don't make Heavyweight Boxing sweat, with trash talking and drama.

 

No argument there!



(Though Chavez does have a case in terms of offensive-defensive ratio...)

 

It's amazing how Duran beats srl is the best win. Makes you think that srl making Duran quit in the second even the more incredible win. Making him quit flat-out is an amazing thing

 

Could see that. He probably gets the edge in terms of pure infighting ability and skill. I just love Duran's slippery movement and cat-like reflexes, a very educated pressure fighter: great use of his jab, a mastery of feinting, very economical and effective footwork, always in position to throw punches; ability to slip, roll and counter shots with scary accuracy. As natural and instinctive a fighter as Ray Robinson. He looks as though he doesn't even need to think about it, and putting it together at that type of level is extraordinary. It's really a lot more noticeable during the second half of his LW reign up to the first Leonard fight, I think: DeJesus III, Palomino, Leonard... He slipped a lot of shots by mere milimeters At first glance on a lot of film, he looks like he's getting hit more often than he really was. It's funny because I think it's possible to overrate him defensively but from a casual or general (forum) perspective, he's probably massively underrated and stereotyped (like JCC). Taking into account how aggressive-natured and offensively skilled as he was, it's his defense in conjunction with it that made him an absolute terror.

 

Not as much anymore. People supposedly enjoy watching Pacquiao fight, a man with zero skill. He relies on supreme speed and power but has god awful footwork and technique. He's bad at boxing. Good at juicing.

Some people do appreciate the technique in fighters like PBF, JMM, BH, AW, EM, etc. Those are called boxing fans and they still exist today, but in decreasing quantities it seems

 

Absolutely. A case can be made for Chavez having the superior fundamentals on the inside, and he had great instincts, but Duran also looked just so damned savvy, particularly at mid-range. I think that's why in these "modern vs classic" debates with Duran, people fail to see what's so damn special about him, because he makes people miss by an inch, or less, not a mile. It's not flashy bolo-punching and exaggerated side-to-side slips on tip-toe, it's a jerky but fluid response to the opponent's punches, and not just the punches, but the body positioning as well; the opponent ducks, and Duran, instead of standing straight up and trying to open up holes from the original upright stance, bends right down with them, nearly matching their timing, and finds holes at the angles the opponent is trying to obscure.

I also admire Chavez's instincts for body positioning as well. Both had great movement, and Duran tended to mirror his opponent more actively and fluidly, but Chavez's level of awareness speaks loudest when he's not even moving; he can stand in the pocket while his opponent throws and misses a 1-2 by his own accord just out of range, and Julio doesn't even flinch. But the next hook that comes flying an inch closer, and he's back to flexing his rubber waist.

Man what I would give to watch those two go at it.