Was it me or did DM outjab the boxer who was considered to be the one with the better jab? I mean it was almost like a shotgun jab that would snap Hills head back. Did DM always have that kind of jab?
Yes, DM always had an excellent jab. It was his best weapon. He would also hook off the jab very effectively. His hook was his best power punch.
This was a disappointing performance by Hill. At the time I was surprised that the Tiger was able to beat him, without any controvery I might add. Hill's punches did not look sharp at all. he may have underestimated Michalchewski
DM might have been the most under rated fighter of his time. Its too bad Roy Jones would never fight him.
To me, he was kind of an overachiever. He fought ecluxively in protected Germany and was always totally prepared for his fights. Rocky did beat him the first fight. Hill and Griffin were not 100% when they fought dariusz. They remain however very good wins.
I'm likely one of the few that has seen everything he was ever in. Yes, he did have that kind of a jab. Impressively, he was one of the more stable jabbers against southpaws that I've seen. Michalczewski was at his best with that Hill performance. Just sharp all-round. He was a very good fighter--technically solid, fast, hit hard, aggressive, physically strong, had endurance, and a quality chin. He didn't need as much protecting as others. His high-guard was proactive compared to others who fought out of Germany, too (e.g. Abraham, Maske, Sturm, etc.). The problem is that his defensive posture, like just about everyone else who relies on the ear muffs, meant he could be outworked. There were a few fights where he integrated head movement consistently and he looked better because of it, but again, it wasn't a staple of his game. Like Blade said, he did notch a few solid wins outside of Hill, and he should have lost to Graciano Rocchigiani in the first fight. He was out-muscled and had a hard time getting away from the straight left. He played up a foul and got the win. He learned his lesson in the rematch, however.
Yep, he certainly did outjab the jabber. Easily the high point of Michalczewski's career. Hill's speed have him an early edge, but he had nothing behind his punches to discourage Dariusz or break his rhythm. Hill also had another problem in that he moved backwards in straight lines, rather than side to side. For all his faults, Michalczewski was extremely well-conditioned and just kept applying that forward pressure behind his heavy jab for the full twelve, never letting Hill settle. A solid 116-113, maybe 116-112 kind of deal for Michalczewski.
