What Are British Fighters Lacking Compared to Our Foreign Friends????

Agree with the chin comment actually but also feel that most of what has been discussed comes back to training. The word mentality has been used a lot and this is an integral part of what a good trainer should instill in his fighter. Sad to say it but the best hope for most of the up and coming talents is to move across the pond. Better trainers, training, sparring and choice of opponents

 

Respect!
But i also agree, some top flight trainers wouldnt go amiss either.

 

I think chins as well.

I know the old saying rings true that you cannot put muscles on your chin, but the American fighters (and Mexicans, Germans as well) all seem to have better chins.

Take someone like Shane Mosley. A natural brawler/slugger - fought most (well, pretty much all) of the bigger punchers in and around his weight class and hasn't been KO'd, despite jumping from 135 to 154.

Antonio Margarito is probably the most hittable fighter in the world at the top level, yet took hidings from Cintron and Cotto before breaking them, and took nine rounds of a sick punching display from Mosley before being rescued for his own safety.

Evander Holyfield - again, a small-ish heavyweight, yet fought all the punchers, Lewis twice, Bowe three times, Tyson twice - only stopped by Bowe the 3rd time and the shocker against James Toney well past his best.

Do these guys do exercises on their neck muscles.... put more weight on their legs?

Plenty of our guys have solid beards - Froch, Calzaghe, Woods..... but a lot of the others aren't so well equipped - Haye, Maccarinelli, Khan etc.

I think a fair proportion of fighters would benefit if they are matched with bigger punchers earlier in their career. That way, you have to tailor your training to be able to deal with them. By this I don't mean sticking your guy in with a Julian Jackson type..... but these Afro/Eurobums come over, take half a dozen shots and get the referee's arms waived in their face.

What does that actually achieve, other than making a guy appear to be a devastating puncher when in fact their power is merely respectable.

 

In no way exclusive but another thing to consider is the need to make money...

The promoters are looking for their prospects to make money from the off (the olympians/khan). Their fights are watched by all with a hawk-eye putting pressure on them to perform every fight, and that means knocking an opponent out...Look at the flack DeGale got for his first fight...If Warren didn't market them so intently then not many people would have watched his first fight and he could just focus on the boxing instead of pleasing the fans.

Another thing that strikes me is the lack of respect from fans, and even some fighters, for fighters. Khan permanently getting crap, Calzaghe, one of our greatest ever, getting crap for just about everything, no charisma, slaps, etc. I think this is a cultural thing too...American's are proud to be American, support their fighters, we are much more akin to criticising, and it's the same with the football team and other sports. Andy Murray is british when he wins but Scottish as soon as he loses...it's just the way the majority think. Ricky Hatton has had one of the best careers any fighter could have, let alone a british fighter and people are now describing him as typical to the not being able to compete on world level...wtf...He's beat some World Class fighters and only lost to 2 fighters who will be at the very high end of ATG's...

 

probably the same reason as why England doesn't develop that many world class footballers...lack of quality technical training and over reliance on physical attributes

e.g Hatton screaming and pounding away on the body bag

 

I think working away on a body bag can have it's benefits - it would work your arms, your heart etc - but I agree technically it doesn't achieve anything.

Perhaps we could look at moving away from the idea that unless you are completely knackered and **** wet through at the end of your session you haven't achieved anything.

Not knowing much about the way a boxer trains etc, coming from more of a rugby background, players generally swim first thing in the morning, then do the technical work - moves, tackling drills, kicking after that, then the weights later - most players generally go for a gentle jog around the block late in the evening.

From the outside, it seems most British boxers go to the gym, whack the hell out of some pads, then sparring, then running in the evenings - some will prob go first thing.

Sometimes you have to challenge the status quo and look at new ways to improve rather than just doing it because you always have.

Adam Booth generally seems way ahead in this department, despite not having all that much of a background in boxing, and has turned out an undisputed champion.

A piece Brian Lawrence wrote in Boxing Monthly struck a chord with me for that very reason.

 

haha

im a thinking fighter, not very athletic but technically sound with good tactical brain. Only thing is i couldnt hit the stew off a bap.

Great point. Guys sometimes watch the greats say Ali. And try to imitate it and tend to lose out there wn unique strengths

 

when i look atthis post it brings me back to my interview with Craig McEwan .Hi asked him if he feels most of the time he has to justify why he wentto america nad fights exclusivly over there,he said yes .

then i read this thread and i dont see why he would wont to figth over here .

 

British fighters fail here.....

1. They dont travel no more, early days. They get padded records fighting at home against afro-bums. This is done to maximise money potential. Mexican, Puerto Rican, American fighters are usually form very poor backgrounds and are forced to fight decent opposition from the off, due to the fact that there is so much competition coming from such poor neighborhoods. Plus the standard of low level fighter is far superior in America to that of our own. Fighting in America infront of a hostile crowd would benefit our young fighters even if it were to result in a loss.

2. British fighters do not have enough dedication outside of training. Brought up around cocept that to get smashed out of your head is a cool thing to do, when not training its far easier for them to get drawn in to going down the pub and getting tanked up with there mates, than it is to stay in and maybe have a social drink at home - this is partly down to society in the UK than the fighters themselves, ie-Hatton's 'One of the boys attitude'

3. Sports in schools :deal The British in general just aren't as naturally gifted as they used to be. Fat kids in schools are being told constantly that taking part is good enough. On the annual 'Sports Days' at schools now, they have stopped giving winners medals out because they dont want to alienate the other kids . Its bollocks. Thats why this country has an attitude to love the loser. When I was a child everybody love the winner at school, no matter what it was in. I tried out around 15 different sports when I was a kid and my father used to be involved in a lot of sports when he was young. I'd like to think that I am very good at sports naturally, as I can grasp techniques very well and put them into practise. This will no longer be a trend for the next generation of Brits until they are encouraged to try new sports out and encouraged that they should strive to be the best that they can be.

"Show me a happy loser and I will show you a constant loser" :deal

 

I blame Gerrard, if it wasn't for the media obsession of fitting "Stevie Me" into the team at any cost we'd have got far more out of Scholes!

 

Whatever Tim Bradley is doing people need to sit up and take notice. That guy is ripped like a mother****er yet still in 12-15 round shape, and he improves fight by fight.

 

I actually like the gloves on the sticks. That has really got to improve your sense of distance and defence over and above what you'd get in a fight. It reminds me of cricketers batting in practice with a half size bat. Same theory in essence, if you make it even harder for yourself in training nothing can be a surprise in the fight.