Top five most physically gifted fighters

Howard Davis Jr.

Julian Jackson.


You can't be taught lightning speed nor lightning bolts in your gloves.

 

Answer is obviously Hearns...

His size, reach and power in a welterweight are physical gifts that were hard to overcome.

I'd add Saddler.

 

That's what i'm saying, it was natural gifts more than technical skill for him. On the Mayweather point, well my comment still stands, i think it's definitely not right to have him in here. His technical skill far outweighs his natural physical gifts, regardless of what we can point out about some of his natural/physical talent/gifts, i don't see it as anything that gets him in here. The man's technical profficiency is sky-high imo.

 

I agree with the others. Aside from Mayweather, I think that's an excellent list.

 

No doubt. Perhaps he belongs on a list of overall skilled fighters, but when talking strictly physically gifted fighters he's not in the top echelon.

 

No one mention Hector Camacho? Tyson, Judah, Ali, Jones Jr, Leonard, HEarns, McClellan, Robinson, Whitaker, Foreman. Can't limit it to 5

 

Hagler, solid no nonsense

 

nah he wasn't particularly fast or strong, he had incredible toughness but so did many others. His boxing brain was his game winner. Controlling the pace, his positioning, movement and punch placement, the gauge of power he selected in the right situation etc..

 

Muhammad Ali
Ray Leonard
Roy Jones Jr.
Greg Page
Ray Robinson.

 

Hagler not strong or fast? your underrating his ability, I agree with you in regards to his game plan and craft but he broke down opponents within the ring, no one could bully him and to be as tough as him you are without a doubt physically gifted.

 

No. While being around the game from an early age will undoubtedly provide an advantage here, this in itself is clearly not enough to account for his level of skill. Thousands of others are immersed in the game and they don't make it to Floyd's level.

IMO, and with my read on what the thread-starter had in mind, I believe that Floyd was endowed with an abundance of inate talent. No doubt, it had to be nurtured, but it also had to be present first, otherwise no amount of nurturing would have drawn it out.

More than just an understanding. An eighty year old could 'understand ' the flow. Floyd has a sense of the fight, an anticipation of what his opponent is going to do next. And he can translate that anticipation into counter-action in an instant.

By your reasoning, anyone could achieve the same level just by being around the sport enough and putting in sufficient practice. And this is clearly not the case.

It would be absurd to claim that there are counter-punching genes, yes.

But genetics is far more complicated than just a one-to-one mapping of genes to traits. Most traits are the result of a combination of genetics and environment. And the genetic component is much more complex than the simple presence or absence of a specific gene for a given trait.

But the overall physical make-up of the boxer in combination with his life experiences determines the skill level of the boxer. One is not born with counterpunching skills, but one has (or has not) the physical makeup in place such that such skills can be developed and honed.

Here, you appear to be conceding the point that inborn talent plays an important role.

If we turn your sentence around (without changing its meaning) you are in effect saying:

Even his speed his is as much inborn talent as practice.

And I agree. You need BOTH.

Again, this just shows that both inate ability and practice are necessary for optimal performance.

The '41' and '35' parts of your point are not relevant. Your point is that six years of practice has improved this particular skill. Had you spent six equally dedicated years from 29 to 35, it would probably have made you faster at 35.

(All this is aside from the fact that your maximum performance (fastest) will decline with age.)

As I've already pointed out, his speed was no doubt improved by practice.
However, regardless of how much practice is performed, some boxers are naturally faster than others. And Floyd is naturally gifted with speed.

 

This guy deserves a shout.

 

Roy Jones Jr
Sugar Ray Robinson
Thomas Hearns
Ken Norton
Sam Langford

 

Tyson - to be that size and build and to have his handspeed is pretty special, srr, srl, hearns, and, os couse, sugar niko valuev, the best sugar IMO

 

Good response. However in regards to Mayweather I believe we have an example of immersion into the craft which has little parallel in our sport. He grew up while three very close and senior relatives were highly successful professional fighters and/or trainers. I believe the line there between nature and nurture is very blurred by this early and intense immersion. You could never extract one from the other.

I really don't grasp what people are looking for here. It seems generally talent here is being equated with flashy, quick (often powderpuff) combination artists, rather than the real talent for combat that existed in folks like Langford, Greb and Duran (and also in Robinson and Ali and Leonard). Or a real understanding of the pace and flow of a fight, how to adjust approach in the ring, being able to recognize what is effective and when it is not, how to change it. That is where I see talent. How many Ali-clones and Leonard-clones have we seen KO'd by supposed "lesser talents" who in fact were more talented for anyone with an eye for the sport. I think ultimately talent becomes evident in the win column.