If discipline in the ring is part of your criteria for judging skill then hands down for me Shakur. I like Boots but after his last performance you would not catch me betting money on his fights
Boots seems more fluid/natural with his motions. Shakur looks a bit more robotic. Shakur is defense first. Boots is a bit more aggressive. Im gonna say Boots
To be real, frankly, my dear, I don't give a damn Super Boots is much more aggressive and creative with his offence and the more physically and athletically gifted Shakur gets hit less but he's a lot more safety first, lower volume and he takes less chances He might have fought the better opposition but that's not saying much really and his resume isn't anything to write home about either He's fought 5 world champions but they're all been roughly his size or smaller Teo Zepeda Valdez Robson Herring I think Super Boots has fought 3 or 4 most of whom smaller Zayes Stan Lipinets Avanesyan was the reg champ if you count that Obviously Shakur is a 4 weight champ to Super Boots 2 If you want to see amazing offence and defence and I mean both simultaneously whilst being a very aggressive fighter and demonstrating elite slickness incorporating every defensive move then go watch Loma And he was still doing that to a supreme elite level vs much or way bigger fighters who held big or huge physical advantages over him, in their backyards/ countries, and often whilst giving away a huge amount of reach in a weight class he was tiny for which would be his bare minimum 7th-9th if he turned pro at the same ages as his peers and still being top 3 on the +/- stats when 36 and past his best And he fought 7 world champions in that division alone, again what would be his 7th to 9th had he turned pro at the same age as most of his peers
nobody thinks that, lol. once you understand boxing you can tell who punches, defends, maintains proper distance, sets up punches, forces reactions, etc...correctly. so you can see more clearly who is more skilled.
shakur has proven he knows how to fight offensively the correct way. just because he doesn't fight offense first doesnt mean he doesnt know how to do it. its not in his temperament to be the predator. but he understands how to maintain the correct distance, in the correct positioning, while protecting himself from attack, to make you pay for every mistake. it is what all trainers try to teach their pupils. what appears as just random movement to a casual is actually full of information to the trained eye. thats how game plans are formulated. you find the mistakes your opponent makes, and you apply the technique that punishes those mistakes.
They each have their own strengths, and weaknesses. but as far as the art and science of boxing, shakur is a more skilled boxer. boots is less so, but he has more power and i believe more heart. So they both add up to a formidable package. i know its fashionable to hate shakur around here, but i try not to let my emotions determine my grown ass mans opinion. i have no interest in trying to be one of the cool kids.
Possibly....... Boots is extremely technical, can fight at all ranges, and his firepower is among the best.
When it comes to the science of boxing, I don't think anybody active at the moment is at Shakur's level. There are other technicians with their particular areas of brilliance, but Shakur seems to shine at everything he does in the ring. The Zepeda fight is a great example -- Shakur purposely fought Zepeda's fight to prove a point to Turki, beat Zepeda at his own game, even though that kind of front foot aggressive smothering is not at all Shakur's preference. Shakur doesn't have the explosiveness or power of some others, completely lacks a killer instinct, but more than makes up for it with his quick reactions, ability to read opponents, fight IQ, and discipline. Boots is going to get himself ironed out someday because his aggression and killer instinct are double edged swords. Bam, exact same situation imo. Shakur? I'd be surprised if he ever loses, assuming he doesn't try to fight for too long (something I think he's smart enough to not do).
i agree. yesterday i posted that i didnt think boots would be undefeated this time next year. and i think bam is going to push his limits until he does get beat. the guy jumped 2 divisions on 5 days notice to fight a name. thats some love for smoke. right now i dont see anyone at welter even, that has what i believe is needed to beat shakur.
It's still very early in their title reigns to determine who is more skillful. This can be revisited in a year or 2 and I believe the picture will be clear by then. For now, I can say Ennis is far more enjoyable to watch than that Inshakur fighter who runs for dear life.