Susceptibility to cuts and lack of punching power (presumably due to the hand issue) are really his only weaknesses. Complete fighter otherwise.
Probably the hand issue helped make his left so perfect too. I guess he lost something to gain something. I do think he wasn’t that elusive either sort of like Buchanan in that he was a beautiful, slick boxer but tended to be upright and pull back quite a bit.
Pretty sure he was tired of the constant Marciano / Heavyweight / Size threads, so he left. Shame really, he was one of the best posters here.
Yeah, I used to think of Winstone as a pure boxer but he was more of a boxer-puncher really, he was quite aggressive. Very smooth and a great mover-jabber but hittable albeit defensively smart and well-schooled. I think he was excellent at defending against hooks, he kept his hands up with his right always by his chin and his chin down with his shoulder angled across it. He had good movement from his knees and waist too but his head movement was more inconsistent and he didn't have brilliant defensive reflexes, so although he was good at slipping and blocking/parrying hooks he was,much like Buchanan, more susceptible to straight punches. Unfortunately for him, Saldivar had one of the heaviest, fastest and most accurate straight lefts of all time and Winstone was defenceless against it in the late rounds when Saldivars earlier body punching had caused him to tire and lower his hands. He looked more upright and static and dependent upon a more earmuff like guard at that point. A marvellous fighter though, just about knocking on the door of great in terms of pure ability, possibly inside it. A horror show to face if you didn't have power and very skilled aggression to track him down; the type of fighter who I think could trouble, beat or upset quite a few greater fighters if the styles were in his favour. The Saldivar fights really took a lot out of him it seems, he never quite looked the same after the second fight. I know his hand injury evolved and determined his style in a way but I still think he could have maintained that style at that level if he'd had greater natural power to go with it. Would've made him one of the great formidable h2h forces at feather imo and prevented Saldivar from mowing him down in the late rounds.
Lets hope he returns he is a fine poster! I've tried making threads about more obscure, lighter weight boxers ,but most aren't interested ,so its rather a" go with the flow ,"forum for me.
Good read this thread ,Howard's name is quiet rightly still ledgendary coming up to 20 years after his death ,he done us proud and I had the pleasure of meeting him on several occasion ( true gentleman ).. Ps I have a photo somewhere of me as a younger man down a pub in cardiff wearing his belt and for some bizarre reason I've a French rugby shirt on .lol