Whether it was a personal choice by a fighter or one of necessity... What fighters styles have changed the most? Evander Holyfield's career is really split in half from everything I've seen. High work rate, high volume combination puncher to a much lower activity, almost sedated power puncher at times. But so it goes with age and moving up in weight. Ali really changed post exile. Sat down on his punches, his durability seemed to improve... He employed different holding techniques and other subtle moves to wear opponents out... Who've you got?
Billy Miske After he contracted brights disease he went from being a technical outpointer to a knockout artist overnight. He was damn good at both too.
Oscar De La Hoya is the only fighter in boxing history who I have seen change his entire technique to an absurd degree from one fight to another. Some fighters can change things in terms of strategy, throwing different punches, and generally improving technically. Roberto Duran changed a lot of the years passed and he moved up in weight. But De La Hoya actually fights like different fighters, if you get my drift. His fight with Genaro Hernandez he constantly moved his upperbody and head as he adjusted the height of himself. I never seen him employ this style ever again in his career. And when you watch him against Carr then Trinidad again he changes drastically. His punches were wild and wide against Carr, he was flat-footed, and loaded up with his punches. Against Trinidad he changes into someone else. Some fighters can change their styles and look different. But De La Hoya changes so much he looks like another fighter altogether. The only fighter I have ever seen who does it.
............We know Salvador Sanchez as a slick, natural counterpuncher, but that wasn't always the case. In his formative years, he was actually quite aggressive and liked to trade. Here's an example. [YT]4jKCKoVhfZk[/YT]
Muhammad Ali, Oscar De La Hoya, Marvin Hagler, Lennox Lewis and Joe Calzaghe are boxers who come instantly to mind in terms of adjusting their styles WITHIN a single fight. I was very impressed by Joe Frazier's change in approach in the second Foreman fight. I think if he'd been in his prime and used that strategy against a prime Foreman (NOT the more measured and restrained Foreman of their second fight) he could have beaten him. That fight proved that Frazier could move stunningly well with his feet as well as his head and had a brilliant "radar" for incoming punches.
from the olympics he was a completly different beast. but the more hit and move style he adopted against Foreman was very effective. azumah nelson turning aggresive puncher to proffesor