We've all seen these losers on youtube fighting in the pros even though they got no clue what they're doing. But what is the strangest style you've ever seen that actually worked quite well. I have watched some of Kirkland Laings fights recently and I got to say that sometimes he looks plain stupid in there, holding his hands around his waists in a very stiff and upright manner. The way he positioned himself he should be off balance and not being so quick on his feet. But I quess that worked for him. Some other examples maybe?
Alan Minter- The Larry Bird of Boxing (OK maybe not on Bird's level)! He looks to slow, he stands straight up just begging to be hit! but this unorthodox style caused his opponents much frustration.
Minters a good one Ralph Dupas has quite a strange style, lots of moveemnt and angles with 10-12 shot flurries
Excellent GP!!atsch Dupas was a buddy of Willie Pastrano, and I associate the two of them...Dupas was Emile Griffith's 1st fight after the tragic Paret bout, and gave Emile a lot of problems with that style of his.
yeh they was good freinds and turned pro round about the same time and both worked with Angelo Dundee didnt know he was emiles first oppoennt after Paret but i can imagine him being a tough night of work for anybody. Very awkward fighter.
Speaking of Angelo, he has been credited mistakenly in the past in some articles of having developped both Dupas and Pastrano as fighters, but in reality it was legendary New Orleands trainer Whitey Esnault who molded them and taught them that style of boxing. Dupas and Pastrano were not tutered by Angelo Dundee. Whitey Esnault sent Both to fight for Chris Dundee for his promotions in Miami Beach and being Whitey could not leave New Orleans because of business comitments and later losing his leg he put the boys under Angelo's care when not boxing in the Crescent City. Later Angelo became their manager/trainer for which a law suite was filed by Esnault for stealing the fighters. Esnault was the tutor and teacher that gave Dupas and Pastrano their style of flashy, classic, speed boxing not Angelo. The Docusen and Dupas brothers along with Pastrano were all tutored and trained by Esnault at the famed St. Mary`s Gym in the French Quarter. Nobody taught flashy speed boxing better than Whitey. His boys were all cllassy boxers with moves that would have made Willie Pep blush with envy. Another interesting story about Esnault was as Bernard and Maxie Docusen were rapidly advancing up the ladder, Esnault unexplicably transferred their management to Bonnie Geigerman. Geigerman happened to be the brother-in-law of New York crime boss Frank Costello who everyone knew had a special interest in boxing. Geigerman was also an associate of New Orleans boss Carlos Marcello who was a partner with Costello in many ventures. Was there any pressure put on Whitey to sell his interests in the Docusens? Nobody knows but Whitey never begrudged Maxie and Bernard always saying that Geigerman could do more for their success than he could. As for Ralph Dupas he had every quality of the great fighters except crunching power. Look at his record and the quality guys he has beaten, the man is a surefire alltimer in my book. I love Ralph`s style and he was just one fast fast guy with a big heart, nobody at his weight today would have touched him. I've always kind of correlated Dupas & Joey Archer in a way. Dupas was faster but they were both absolutely superb boxers whose careers were cursed by their absolute lack of power. They both still had excellent careers but it makes you wonder what they could have accomplished if they had some power to go along with their ability.
Thanks RB for that. Knew they never started off with Dundee but didnt know it was Whitey who trained them. I like Dupas style aswell very good at finding the angles for his shots and would even switch southpaw. He had some very fast hands but never really sat down on his shots which added to his lack of power. I wathced his fight with Charley Scott that you sent me. I loved the way he nuetralised Scotts left hook by standing right up close and boxing from there. The fihgt dosent show case his great skills just his pure cleverness though the 9th round he pulls some moves that were reminscent of Pep. Good comparison in Archer and Dupas with there lack of power that lagged them. But fighters like Locche and Pep had little power aswell but still weregreat fighters do you think Pep in particulary was just that extra bit more talented?
The obvious ones have already been mentioned, but i'll add that i've always been surprised at how well Dempsey's style worked, despite him being very tall for that time. Few heavyweights were taller than 6'1 back then, yet he fought a swarmers/punchers fight with a lot of bobbing and weaving and a lanky build. For instance, how weird would it look if Ali was fighting in Joe Frazier's style?
