Not always . Steroids didn't stop Vargas from getting his ass kicked , dropped 2x , knocked out by Oscar .
PEDs don't improve your skills, but they can improve your strength, speed, fitness etc which when fighters are close in terms of boxing skills can tip things into the favour of the fitter fighter. Some PEDs help with recovery and thus you can also spend more time working on your boxing skill.
Well, they certainly allow you to train harder, longer, and use far more intense techinques becuase they encourage muscle repair shortening recovery time. I'll say this for roids.... From 33 to 39 I had lost 1 1/4 inch around my calve muscles. 1 1/4 in.. nearly 10% and my calves had turned to jelly. Since being on 100mg test/wk Ive gained 1/2 inch without increasing exercise, just walking, and theyre rock solid again like when I was 25-30. They might not make a fighter smarter or more hungry, but they make his body stronger, faster, and more capable of enduring punishment/pain.:think
Mike is right. Think of all the MLB, NFL, NBA players that are on PED's (and it is A LOT of them) and they can't fight for ****.
All things remaining equal, the hell they don't. Besides increasing your physical capabilities, which does make you a better fighter, you can increase your workload and workout frequency, which means you can put more time into skills work. If you neglect your conditioning and skills work because you just want to look ripped, you will get worse. There's a huge difference between someone who stacks their peds smartly and tailors their workouts accordingly and the knuckleheads who simply take "steroids" with minimal concern about dosages and the actual affects of the substance they're taking so they can bench more and look more swole. Heavyweight boxers in the 90's typically (but not always) fell in the latter category.
peds don't make you into a special fighter........many figthers have been busted for using peds and they were nothing more then bums........
Mike Tyson always speaks the truth. Athletes get better and what makes exciting fights is the desire to hurt the opponent, fighting is about violence and hurt, not the desire to preserve health. You can preserve health by staying out of the ring.
Power doesn't make you a great fighter. Skills dont make you a great fighter. Speed doesn't make you a great fighter. A chin doesn't make you a great fighter. Just because 1 single attribute cannot transform you into a great fighter doesn't mean it doesn't help, its just 1 ingredient in a recipe, and to be a great fighter you have to have as many of the ingredients as possible.