Every boxer has/had a weakness. Name that boxer and what that weakness how it counted against him?

Vasily Lomachenko

Body shots are his weakness.

Teofimo and Haney targeted pretty much the same spot and he doesn't know what to do or to protect it. His "Ukranian dance" footwork didn't helped him at all.

 

This could be said about a lot of the great amateurs that came from the 90s and 00s

 

He has been a pro for more than a decade now. The fact that he's considered elite or looked elite and he has such a glaring weakness is kind of sad. This is the guy being compared to the likes of Ali and SRR lol

 

I won't say weakness, but he has no answer for them. He isn't hurt to the body, but those are massive scoring shots.

 

Ali never seemed to have an answer for a short,fast left hook counter.
Sonny Banks, Henry Cooper , and Joe Frazier all dropped
him off of left hook counters.

 

Well, in the amateurs he has a case for being the GOAT there.
Of course it is a different thing. Which is what I meant there, in the days Lomachenko was doing his best work, body punches were not viewed as a smart thing to do, for obvious reasons, so I think he had less pratice in this aspect than someone like a mexican fighter with hundreds pro rounds... I remember when he fought Salido, a lot of people were really thinking he would just school Salido, nah, couldn´t see that at the time, it was like putting a incredible great futsal guy in the field to compete in the big stage but in football. Similar in essence, but different in the small details.

 

Kostya Tszyu - against Vince Phillips it was apparent that KT had absolutely no defense against an overhand right. He just kept getting caught over and over by the same punch and it took it's toll in that fight. Sometime later, KT is up against Jesse James Leija. And, although he eventually won, it was apparent that there was no modifications to his defense because Leija was catching him with that overhand right with ease. If JJL was more of a puncher, who knows what could have happened in that fight.

Yoko Gushiken - his first fight with Pedro Flores should have set off the alarms. Southpaws do have a problem with an orthodox lead right, but the proclivity Flores was catching him with that punch was amazing. Gushiken won a 15 round decision and they signed for a rematch. Ok, you would think they would set up all kinds of defenses and strategies for that punch, but no, Flores took him out in 12 in the rematch. Going one further, I saw an earlier match YG had with Rigoberto Marcano over 15, and again, the lead right situation. This should have been a warning to the Gushiken camp that this is something we have to batten down the hatches on. They were quite lucky that Marcano was a non-puncher and couldn't take advantage of the situation the way Flores did.

 

loma's biggest weakness is not doing anything early
if only the last six rounds of fights were scored he would be undefeated
but the first six count just as much so waiting till the second half to get aggressive has really cost him

as for body shots, almost everyone is weak to body shots, it is a much bigger target than the head and it moves much less, while he is slightly more susceptible to body shots than a fighter of his caliber that is the price he pays for his impeccable head defense.

 

He didn't do anything early against Teo because Teo made him so. He was outboxing Loma and Loma respected his power. Teo did pretty textbook plan to nullify a swarmer like Loma. He enforced his size, skill and power. What happened to Loma is he met an elite lightweight who can box with him and had actual power.

 

Salvador Sanchez is often touted here as "fighting down to the level of his competition" but I don't agree with that. I think it's purely a styles thing. He was always best of course at fighting guys who came at him and fought aggressively. He had loads of trouble against Nelson, but Nelson was even then an exceptional fighter. Exceptional fighters give exceptional efforts. No crime there.

Cowdell just wanted to stay away and jab from that weird crab-like stance of his and Ford very cannily stood back and waited for Sanchez to lead. He managed to pick the lock on both opponents and get the job done, but working around those stylistic things took some rounds. And of course, fighters of the Cowdell and Ford ilk give their best efforts in big moments like this. I think Pedroza taking Ford out so impressively after Ford lost to Sanchez speaks not a bit to the relative greatness of either champion. It's just that Pedroza was more inclined to come forward aggressively and that was the way to break Ford down, rather than waiting on him and trying to counter. Sal just waited too long before he turned aggressive with him. When Sanchez DID move forward and truly take the fight to Ford (albeit this was only really in the 15th), he won the round going away, perhaps giving others and especially Pedroza an insight as to how to fight this guy.

 

Nelson was bit of a chameleon, even back then. One of the most adaptable fighters ever. Not Sanchez's best performance, but between rounds 4-8 he looked every bit the fighter the overhype makes him out to be.

 

KT vs Phillips is a great call.

I can’t help but compare it to Louis vs Schmeling 1. Like Max, Vince copped his licks during the fight but that right hand just kept getting through time and again.

KT’s defence was a lot better in the AMs and perhaps during his early pro career - but later, stalking and getting the big power shots home was KT’s highest priority.

 

I think fighters can post “prime” performances even before they’ve hit their substantive prime.

The adrenaline, energy and spectator support Nelson took into the Sanchez fight was insane.

Azumah was also a completely unknown quantity who fought with an absolutely devil may care attitude.

Such factors were actually in Nelson’s favour and that same higher risk/higher reward and less predictable version of Nelson wouldn’t necessarily be present in a rematch -

Sal’s absolute cool under such shock fire signalled what a great fighter he was. Many great but lesser great fighters than Sal would’ve been bowled over in an huge upset.

Though quite defensively adept, when tested, Sanchez’s chin was ridiculous.

Ultimately, Azumah absorbed quite a beating - one of the worst swollen jaws (without being broken) you’ll ever see.

Such a great fight that was - which is now about 40 years ago. Unreal.

 

Ken Norton - not adept at fighting when being backed up - and, to compound matters, also being a bit too tight and tense when facing reputable punchers.