Chad Dawson and Andre Dirrell - physically, athletically, tangibly

Probably the most amazing specimens of the last 40 years and are easily up there with the most amazing ever. Too many fans just don't understand how incredibly gifted they were in those areas and focus on their mental and character flaws and sell them short in every hypothetical they are ever put in.

RJJ seems to be the only name worthy of mention when boxing fans discuss the most gifted/talented/athletic/impressive dimensionally fighters ever. RJJ was a great athlete, but it's also a FACT that he juiced so much that when his levels were tested, his testosterone #'s were SO FAR OFF THE ****ING CHART, TO THE POINT NO COMPETITIVE ATHLETIC COMMISION HAD EVEN SEEN ANYTHING CLOSE - a goddamned 10 times higher average than the most elite natural athletes, how could he not be a great athlete?

Nobody is saying Dawson and Dirrell could even carry RJJ's jockstrap as fighters - they couldn't, but I factually guarantee a consistently clean and tested RJJ from the olympics onward at best would have been on par with these guys in some or all categories. These two were that special.

In open-class elite amateur boxing, it's pretty shocking how often the most talented/gifted/skilled fighters lose to average at best guys. Dawson once lost Junior Olympic qualifiers to Chauncy Welliver's brother, which was beyond shocking. But take into account some guys are fighting once or twice a week, maybe more, at regional, national, sometimes international events, they fight so much and are so sharpened that no raw talent is overcome it if it's dull. Anyways, its a story for another day, but there are myriad reasons blue chip fighters lose average-atbest amateurs.

Unfortunately, as amazingly gifted as these two were in the areas I mentioned, they wereequally bad or even pathetic in many mental and emotional characteristics and both are 1st ballot hall of famers for the crew that habitually made the most jaw-dropping bad decisions inside and outside boxing for their entire careers. But boxing, nor any sport, is like that in "if so-and-so just had this and that or was better here or more dsciplined blah blah ****ing blah" You're born with what you are born with, you develop what you develop, you're DNA definitevly answers any question(we just can't see the answer) and you decide who or what you are gonna be, if you will be tough, a warrior, fight or die badass till the end and so on.

Usually when athletes are so amazingly gifted in so many areas, it's a huge detriment to the fighter they could become. No need to train hard and live the life if you can just walk in a gym and start pin-point punching someones head in like your hands are being shot from a tommy gun. I can't stand Dawson, I think he's a prima donna selfish bichmade ignorant clown and would probably end up in a scrap if we bumped into each other, but as much as I can't stand him, it would be a ****ing shame if Dawson and Andre Dirrell's talents and gifts and athleticism go way underappreciated than what they were.

I was no stud boxer, I was a punching bag, but fought some amazing fighters. I have never been near a gym or ring that had a fighter that was 1/4 the stallion Dawson or Dirrell were. Demetrius Andrade and Danny Jacobs were two of the most highly touted amateurs fro my area mid-late 2000's and both were phenom athletes, and both looked like upside down turtles compared to these two. Andre's brother Anthony was ALWAYS considered a BANGER, but he couldn't crack half as hard as Andre if Andre had enough room, was mad enough, exploded, planted, pivoted, drove, sunk his hips.......... If he went ballistic on you, later man, its bed time.

I sparred/got my head punched in repeatedly and probably brain damage with Edwin La Bomba Rodriguez back in the day - who is an absolute getleman and as admirable a person as you can meet. As a pro he was remembered as a wild swinging kill-or-be-killed kamakaze fighter. But in reality, he had LOADS of skill. And he could bang, he could blitz your head clean in with a full power shot. What detracted from his power as a pro was the severe deterioration/total amnesia of his technique and fundamnetals, footwork regressed, was always out of balance - lets just say a lot of things. But by nature, he's the type of puncher that sends fighters on ambulance rides on supplemental oxygen.

He was a bigger hitter than Dirrell, but you'd be very surprised how the best Dirrell could be, but Dawson at his best as a puncher almost made Edwin's punches seem straw weightish. Edwin had very heavy hands, probably a little heavier than Chad despite being the smaller fighter with the smaller frame, but few fighters in recent memory if any, had the kind of 0-120mph explosive nuclear storm of a punch with such an overflow of torque it would send your jaw through your spine. He didn't have anything near concussive or heavy handed power, he never really planted and drove from his feet enough. But power-wise - on the very rare occasion he wanted to be and followed throw with it, his power was Ferrari Enzo.

Amazing athletes and at worst very good fighters. And I just want to say, prime for prime, I think Edwin Rodriguez beats both, probably by KO. The style he adopted and fought with as a pro was inherrently filled with brutal flaws, but Edwin Rodriguez was a ****ING DAWG from Worcester, MA - a city that produces dogs and badasses for a living. His mental strength, aggresion, kill-or-be-killed attitude, love for taking big shots just to be in position to throw his own, and demand that he wasn' t ever in a fight - everytime EROD hopped the ropes it was a war mother****er. Mentally and emotionally(and characterally) he is one of the most impressive people I have had the pleasure to meet, even though he badly kicked my ass in sparring..... BADLY

 

Everyone on this board knows you wouldn't even say that to a high schooler let alone a grown man you stone cold human bukakke pit

 

Opinions are are cool, everyone has them. But don't ever go around definitevely saying **** about how these fights would end when you know JAACK **** at best, or rather nothing on the topic.

You never tradede leather or studied footwark, traps, maneuvers of any ot them so don't say something as fact when in reality YOU DON'T KNOW SCHIT

BUT AS MUCH OF AN ABSOLUTE TOOL AND FAILURE AS YOU ARE, THERE IS A CHANCE YOU ARESLIGHTLY COOLER THAN THAT ARGENTO ***HIT

 

What is up with so many posters on here acting so tough lately? Oh my God, you have been to a gym and boxed!!!! Ya? Me too guy, for a lot longer an a lot more accomplishments. What gym you fight out of who is your head trainer? You wanna girl fight over credentials and trophies like a bunch of girls? Fine, because I KNOW i would make an ass of you and your not neare my level, weight, and I can prove these things.

Or you can stop the tough man routine online, act normal and give posters respect and we can forget about this. It's your call.

 

I forgot more about boxing by the time I was 15 than you willeveer come to know in your lifetime so shut your dik smoking mouth with that BS that i dont know boxing. I don't know boxing, I know you're northeast like me, be a man and not a bich and prove it. Loser.

 

Keep acting fresh and get called out and when you back down never come back to this forum. I'm sick of your mouth.

 

YOU DID ATTACK MY KNOWLEDGE OF THE SPORT<, YOU SAID I KNOW JACK **** ABOUT IT.

Look, im not one to bully someone trying to get better and learn, im an ******* and overreacted and im sorry for that, but dont call out proven fighters and put down their knowledge or accomplishments.

 

Look man, you've always been a class act and a wish nofhing more than to honestly say the same about myself. Everybody is flawed, but I am deeply so, more than others, and I wish so bad I wasn't. Whatever I said or did or was fault at or if I disrespected you in any way, I am truly sorry. You're a better man than me. Truly I am sorry. Good now?