Can Big Punching Prelim Fighters Be Improved By Trainers?

John, a few years ago Gallup did a worldwide study, questioning few thousand managers, from all walks of life. One of the things that came out of their combined experience managing and developing people, was that trying to turn a guys weakness into a strength is total waste of time. Best you could hope was to help overcome a critical weakness (if possible) and focus your attention and resources on building on strengths.

I guess, if true for most every profession, it should hold true for boxing too.

 

Or jaw shattering Cunningham, despite all the bodybuilding. I guess if your have a talent for something you improve much quicker, then if it's a weakness.

 

George Foreman told once how when he first turned professional he'd like to train to be slick and box and dance a bit like Ali, and his trainer Dick Sadler would indulge him and let him do some of that stuff and give him a few pointers ..... then when the actual fight time arrived, Dick Sadler would tell him in all seriousness words to the effect of : "Forget all that boxing stuff, we can try that for next time. This time just go out there and smash the guy as hard as you can !"

 

While I do agree somewhat with the "you are what you are" theme here, I also recognize that a good trainer can get a fighter with a significant limitation - like limited skills, a weak chin, poor punching power, etc. - to compensate for that limitation.

Look at both Lennox Lewis and Wlad Klitschko. Both of them were able to develop techniques to compensate for their poor punch resistance. While Manny Steward tends to get overrated as a trainer, largely for his role in turning these two around after devastating losses - it IS a significant accomplishment.

 

Steward is great for teaching fighters how to fight tall, clinch and lean. It's an effective tactic, and had he tought it to Hearns he would have been even better.

Though he might have lacked the strength.

 

Bump

 

Sometimes the Big Punching prospect will revel in his power, and the spectacular early results, not fully appreciating low grade caliber of opponent being fed to them, the results may make the trainers job actually harder in producing the patient more well rounded pro, it usually takes a defeat by a wily old pro to help the trainer reinforce the lessons to be learnt,
David Price and David Lemieux are a couple undergoing this process at the Moment Nigel Benn became more well rounded after the Michael Watson fight
some may not learn these lessons i think Engels Pedrosa could not adapt
we all love a KO "Gunslinger"...but you need to be an educated " Sniper" on occassion to survive in the upper echelons.