Been watching a lot of Jose Napoles..one of the best fighters of all time

Care to elaborate? What did you find so impressive about him?

 

Yup, I pick him to beat Whitaker, Duran, Mayweather etc. basically everyone other than SRR, SRL, Hearns.

People make too much of the 'cuts' thing though..although I do agree that he cuts easily, but people make out that his skin is paper thin.

 

Have you just started following boxing?

 

No. I know that he's an ATG legend and I've seen a few of his (less impressive) late-career fights, but I wanted to hear more of Suze's take on him. I just don't get much out of the "he's amazing! he's an ATG!" type of banter.

 

Brilliant footwork going both backwards and forward, solid chin, quick, and one of the the best combination punchers of all time (a little left hand dominant in a Olivares sort of way). He could lead but is a very underrated counterpuncher with his best punches being his hook and his right uppercut.

The bad is that he could cut and he was undersized at welterweight. But good enough to be great there as well.

 

Thanks! I look forward to checking out some of his classic performances.

 

The knock on Napoles was that he would only fight just as hard as he had to to win. So quite often he would fight down to an opponent unless something necessitated himstepping up a gear. A prime example would be his second fight with Adolph Pruitt, which is on youtube. Pruitt went right after him and Napoles obliged with some of the most pin-point punching I've ever seen. He turns Pruitt into a shambles in 2 rounds and Pruitt was an excellent fighter. Also, another example would be his bout with Ralph Charles. Napoles was content to coast along until Chales tagged him with something in the 6th. I think it really ****ed off Napoles, who went right at him in the 7th and knocked him out. His first fight with Hedgemon Lewis was very good. Very tactical. But he negated Lewis' slick boxing with some really hurtful body-banging. There is also a good youtube highlight of his first fight with Ernie Lopez. He decked Indian Red 3 times and I think they show those 3 rounds. Educate yourself with some of those fights and I promise you you won't be sorry.

 

Also Napoles by the 70's had a bad alcohol problem stinking like
alcohol during training with bad attitude toward his seconds
When he challenged Monzon for the title he put up a good fight
when he failed to answer the bell around the middle of the fight
he knew in a couple more rounds he was gonna be knocked out
He still has over 50 ko's on his record

 

Ok, it's cool,...I wasn't trying to be snotty with you or anything.

 

Next time make sure you add the Mantequilla.

 

Napoles skill set make's modern day greats like Floyd and Pac look average.
He was immense.

 

Just like a dancer has natural rhythm Napoles had a groove about him in the ring. He knew that a punch only needs to miss by an inch, and the result was this fluid yet subtle style that kept making little adjustments to the feet and head, not those obvious resets where gloves are banged together or a fighter drops his arms. It was poison to by-the-book boxers which is why Cokes had such a rotten time.

Then there was his punching which was just as unpredictable as his movement. Jose threw combinations in title fights that few have in the gym.

 

Napoles was one of a kind. If he wasn't cut-prone, he would be the perfect fighting machine at 140-147. Even with the cut problem, I don't favor many at those weights against him. Only SRR, Basilio and maybe Duran.

 

Napoles was peerless.