Aggresive Brawlers = No Respect?

Is it just me or do other posters on this site see a somewhat common thread with a lot of the boxing fans here? That common thread being that if you are a come forward pressure fighter that doesn't worry about making it look pretty, then you are **** when it comes to "skills".

For some reason people don't equate pressure fighting techniques with skill. All we heard in the leadup to "The Battle" was that Cotto's "skills" were far superior to Margarito's. At the end of the fight we heard that douche bag Kellerman say it was "will over skill". We've also heard the same about Kelly Pavlik "great power, but not a lot of skill, a plodding fighter".

Why is it that people don't recognize that the skill of cutting off the ring, is just that, a skill? Also being able to fight on the inside without smothering your own punches and not get tied up by your opponent. That is a SKILL. It makes me sick to hear people say that some guy is skilled just because he is fleet of foot and has good handspeed. Those are not the only skills involved in boxing. They are easier to see, but not the only skills.

I will say that commentators like Emanual Steward, and god a I hate to say it because he is a clown, but Teddy Atlas even, appreciate a skilled pressure fighter and analyze him without denigrating him. When are the fans going to see the light also?

 

I appreciate what you are saying, but that's kind of statement I'm talking about. "Grinding out wins through toughness and determination". Plenty of fighters of all styles have toughness and determination. It is an actual skill to stalk another man and be the aggressor. Some guys have it, other don't. It is also a skill to be able to use your best abilities to your advantage.

That is all a flashy boxer type does is use his handspeed and footspeed to his advantage and look to use lateral movement while countering and staying one step ahead of his opponent. A brawler type usually has a good chin and decent power with deceptively good footwork. He is using that chin and power to his best advantage also. That is SKILL.

 

I see what you are saying and there is a fair amount of truth to that after the fact. But what about leading up to the fight? Everyone was of the opinion that Cotto was VASTLY more skilled than Margarito and it would only be Margarito's stamina, work rate and will that could win him the fight. What about the skills that Margarito brought to the ring with him? Being an aggressor for 99% of a fight is a definite skill. He was bringing his own kind of skills into the ring with him, they were just different than Cotto's.

I mean people reference Cotto's faster hands as a skill, which are god given, but at the same time don't reference Margarito's granite chin (also god given) as a skill.

 

Couldn't agree more my friend. It's like saying a knuckleball pitcher that wins 20 games a season is not skilled because he doesn't have a 98 MPH fastball.