Best in shape/conditioned fighter you've ever seen for a fight ?

I say Rocky as certainly in his big fights unless he was in better condition than his opponents he would not have won.

Whether Rocky could live with the best of the 70s to present day Heavyweights is not the question, it is about conditioning, and in his era Rocky was Mr Conditioned, this the guy who is alleged did roadwork on his honeymoon.

 

yup...almost inclined to think he OVER trained. may have peaked before the fight itself

 

Frazier on the stage of the Fight of the Century. The punishment he took, the leather he whipped out--including hook after hook after hook--for 14 rounds, and then the picture-perfect knockdown he scored in the 15th--and against who!--that's just stuff for the ages.

Then again, Frazier trained as he fought, always on all cylinders. According to Larry Holmes, Joe would come into the gym and say, "OK, we gonna war today."

 

I was thinking Frazier for FOTC aswell. If not physically, definitely mentally. He was insanely determined and was on a mission to impose his will on Ali that night.

If Frazier walked into the gym and told me "we gonna war today" I'd tell him I was going to do roadwork and run out and never come back.

Marciano had to be in incredible shape to maintain the heavy handed workrate he displayed against Archie Moore. He put everything he had into each and every shot and there wasn't a break in the attack from rounds 5 or 6 up until the knockout.

Mickey Ward was in phenominal condition for his fight against Agustus. In the final round of a busy fight he threw something like 125 punches.

 

Well, as you well know, Holmes's ribs paid the price for Larry's not following your advice.

Marciano and Frazier are practically inseparable. The Walcott KO is special for the very same reasons as Frazier's KD of Ali.

You're right. The mental aspect--unbreakable determination--is part of preparation.

Mickey Walker looks like a windmill himself. Just an impressively skilled, determined, powerful specimen who prized conditioning. It showed and made him an all-time great.

 

Salvador Sanchez against Nelson.
He came out for round 15 like it was the first.
Armstrong had amazing stamina due to a heartrate under 30 a la Jan Ullrich
Before fighting he needed an intense warm up.

 

Henry Armstrong, get tired just watching him.

 

Carmen Basilio always in great shape

 

Hagler.

 

Salvador Sanchez. Training + Genetics + A seemingly complete lack of nerves.

 

All great shouts-

I'll add Barrera and Morales in their 1st fight. Every time I see it, I think its inhuman to keep that up. The output, the incoming, the overall activity... Unreal.

Moore against Durable is notable because of the shellacking Moore took early on with all the knockdowns. He got the **** beat out of him and, due to conditioning and willpower (not to mention just a bit of patience, skills, and experience), he came back and returned the favor.

He wouldn't have done that had he not been in phenomenal condition. Durability correlates directly to conditioning.

 

Calzaghe's cardio was insane.

 

riddick bowe from the first holyfield was in great shape, especially for his size