Is Inoue a genetic freak?

Decent bone density and solid fundamentals will get you power. If you look at some of the featherfists they don't have great technique like Inoue. It's a twisting/stepping/pull/push balance of your whole body from the toes-up to torque a good punch with proper extension. The movers with good fundamentals also have enough power to keep someone off, like Bivol and Usyk. Meanwhile someone like Tim Bradley is real muscular but wings and pushes/slaps his shots, bad form, lots of arm punches. Danny Jacobs got monster power when he's not slapping his punches, but otherwise not that much power. Gabe Rosado got middling power but doesn't extend enough. Shawn Porter looks and fights like a beast but doesn't KO. Wilders right hand is a perfect synergy of his whole body snapping that hand forward at high speed, well it's an off-switch on the opposition. Danny Garcia no-look-hook, same story, off switch of a punch. Etc...

Meanwhile Inoue has the fundamentals down to a mastery, AND is aggressive. Hence a monster is born.

 

To dominate other fighters at the elite level the way he does, you have to be some kind of genetic outlier. But he's not a Pacquiao , RJJ, Hearns or Tyson. Donaire is a bigger hitter and probably faster in his prime.

 

I would say he obviously is by any standard: how many men of his size and generation tried boxing? A very large number no doubt and he was probably the most talented, certainly the most successful.

Then you consider he's a former Ring P4P No.1 and is probably considered the best fighter in the sport right now by most hardcore fans...while being an Asian who fights in weight classes that most people, even most hardcore boxing fans, typically pay little attention to.

 

"RJJ, Hearns"

Fragile chins

"Tyson"

Badly undersized

Inoue is also probably significantly more intelligent and more disciplined than those fighters, which are also genetic gifts.

 

Ring IQ can be learned from watching tons of tape and practicing in the ring.

Discipline can be innate but also can be taught.

 

To a certain degree. You can learn as much as your brain will allow you to. Someone with a better brain can learn more and process information more quickly, work out the patterns faster. You can study as much chess theory as you like, you won't be Magnus Carlsen.

Discipline can be imposed externally with authoritarianism. But over time a fighter's character is revealed and if he's undisciplined (as Tyson allegedly was vs Douglas, though he was apparently undisciplined before other fights) then it will probably catch up with him.

A tendency towards being delusional or underestimating your opponents is also an innate deficiency. The brain isn't any more exempt from genetic determinism than the rest of the body.

 

Part of what makes Tyson such a genetic freak is that he was badly undersized. Knocking out guys 3-8 inches and 10-30 pounds heavier than you isn't easy. Golota dwarfed him, as did Frank Bruno, and he still put them away. Of course they're not the best of the best, but they're good, very big fighters. Not many 5'10 guys in history would beat those guys. Maybe Tua, but who else? Probably no one.

 

I see what you mean but Tyson was a HW so I'm judging him as a HW. Was he a more talented fighter than Lewis or Holyfield? I'd emphatically say no. Part of the reason why Tyson was so fast was because he was so small but that was also a liability for him. He had more speed and power than Holyfield but was inferior in numerous respects, hence he got beaten up (Tyson also lost their gym war in 1984).

 

"Pacquiao"

KO'd twice by nobodies on the way up, frequently won by decision rather than stoppage.

"Donaire is a bigger hitter and probably faster in his prime"

How do we know that Inoue wasn't pre-prime? Arguably his most impressive performances (Donaire 2, Fulton) have come since then. Donaire had a massive experience advantage, was underestimated going in and barring Inoue 2 has been having an Indian summer at 118 lbs extending back to late 2018. And even so, Donaire 1 lost 8-4 with a KD.

Donaire is also a naturally bigger man than Inoue (started at 115, despite being 15 months younger than Inoue when he turned pro). So prime Donaire was simultaneously bigger, a bigger hitter and faster than Inoue? We also know Donaire's got a strong chin and a good workrate. Strange then that he got UD'd by Rigo, Magdeleno and Frampton, as well as stopped in 6 by Walters. Something isn't adding up.

 

No, he’s just a dedicated, well trained boxer who knows how to punch correctly - a skill which many in his chosen profession seem to be devoid of.

He’s also has the fortune to have avoided any serious injuries which might have stalled his progress.

 

He is 9-10 in footspeed, handspeed, power and reflexes. His reflexes aren't talked about that much since he doesn't do a lot of head movement, but he's extremely fast at spotting openings. He'll counter even before the opponent gets his punch off.

I'd say Jones's speed was even more spectacular and maybe Pac's around those weights as well, but Inoue's great fundamentals makes the whole package just look amazing. A privilege to follow his career as it unfolds. A fantastic fighter to watch that also wants to face everyone.

 

looks to be. hamstrings and thighs are jacked

 

He's the whole package but his focus on fundamentals and technique give him the best platform to use the talent.

 

You know it’s interesting that people have mentioned about his fundamentals and you guys are 100% right. More than genetics, his work ethic and fundamentals are key and it’s another nod to his father and trainer.

Watched a documentary about him a little while ago and his father makes sure that he practices every punch until it’s perfect. According to his father, more than flash and the ability to throw several flashy (but poorly thrown) combinations and punches, he makes sure that the few he does throw, he throws them perfectly.

I dunno, I thought that was cool and Inoue himself credits a lot of his success and work to his father Shingo.