Fighters that could achieve proper balance regardless(Ali)-guys you never see get set

Sure, he sets himself, it's pretty much impossible to deliver the type of punching i'm talking about without being set, but you don't see him set, or if you do it is done so quickly that it is meaningless. In that regard you are correct to say it is "more to do with speed than anything else".

But there is more. I think it's special kind of athelete that feels those rythyms so precisely. The timing and fluidity involved in making these moves and still getting the punch across at exactly the right moment as regards the larger movement is awe inspiring. And Ali made a bigger "show" of doing this than anyone else, I think.

 

Good eye :good

 

Right.

That's what interests me. I'm going to take a look at Ricardo Lopez in this thread I think, he does it the "proper" way, and I dearly love him as a fighter, but it's not the most interesting way...how these guys generate this sort of power with these techniques, which as you say, are far from textbook, is fascinating. Also sometimes hard to pick out.

I'll get to Pep and some of the other boys you fellas have mentioned another time, i'm doing about six things at once here. And it's approaching midnight Boss.

 

He has wondeful balance; but this thread isn't about balance. Cotto has no place in this thread aside from as an example of what not to do. Cotto is a victim of hos own excellent punching technique. He takes an age to get set on occasion, long enough that his opponent can get out of the way of his technically excellent punches. An example of a fighter for whom technical perfection represents a shortcoming on occasion. He needs to get dirtier in terms of delivery and footwork.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d0zjUfLXhao

At five minutes Cotto throws a right hand and sees an opportunity for a left uppercut behind it. But because Jennings is a quick fighter Cotto, a fighter of high class, ends up throwing a heavy punch at thin air. He's an economical and precise fighter. It's my opinion that it's the time during which he transfers his weight from one side of the body to the other during which Jennings makes his move away. There's a little bit of this with Cotto every time he fights someone with decent feet. You can see him reset.

 

cheers, you might be right.

I'll get to it. And there are other good posts in this thread I want to respond to too.

 

I wouldn't question that for a second. I just think he's "over-educated" if that's a reasonable thing to say. You play chess? Sometimes creating counter-chances against a strong opponent can be more about adopting a dirty pawn structure in an active position. A technically sound position sometimes represents a target.

Similairly, in boxing, technically perfect pressure can present a target, or become a flaw, especially if you have other physical attributes that technical perfection doesn't allow you to embrace (see Ali) which I think Cotto does.

 

I actually had a look at Gomez this morning when I saw your response, but I had to run. I want to have another look at him before I respond. Also, there are some other guys I want to look at.