David Tua versus Jim Corbett

But the problem is that from what I've seen, Corbett didn't use his jab nearly enough to keep Tua off of him (I'm also not sure that it was stiff enough to do so). The footwork that can befuddle guys like Fitzsimmons and leave them lunging cluelessly isn't going to keep Tua off of you unless you're regularly pumping punches at his face. And even then, he's still going to catch you from time to time. I don't see Corbett keeping Tua at bay or surviving those close encounters, as he'd have no experience with anything remotely like Tua's well-leveraged combination punching. It's not Corbett's fault but the sport evolved a great deal since his day.

 

Corbett liked to back up with his hands at his waist. Tua had a murderous leaping left hook.

 

What?!

 

A significant problem!

 

You show me the footage that shows beyond any doubt Corbett is the quicker puncher than Tua.

The Tua who destroyed Ruiz looks as quick as anyone.

 

1910:
https://streamable.com/7egv

2015:
https://streamable.com/lnxd


You can only be so stubborn...

 

It's really not even close.

Old footage has major depth issues, which is why Kevin believed Fitz literally had his back on ropes, when he was actually in the middle of the ring! Perception is affected, and not in the favor of the fighters. We have to accept this as fact.

When you watch a video of old footage, like Corbett here, look at how much space he covers, and how quickly he does it. Use the ring floor as a reference. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LAPBsPVgW1A

Tua is awesome. For his size, the guy can move. Athletically he's everything you want out of a boxer with his build. But faster than Corbett? He can't be. His build doesn't permit it. It's like saying he's faster than Ali and Tunney. How can he be?

And to use the Ruiz fight as an example? How? He travels to the middle of the ring, and then returns to his corners where he kills Ruiz. How can you summize that his speed is faster from the most obscure of examples?

 

I'm on about hand speed.

 

Also beyond any doubt will be very hard to do unless some of us want to painstakingly come up with criteria for speed, and then figure out a way to measure it from this footage.

It would be a fun project, but until then, and even then, you have the power to doubt anything you want.

 

When you said "Would Corbett be even quicker than Tua?" that's what I responded to at first. Didn't see that you specified hand speed afterwords.

This will be even harder to judge through film, but we can surely try. I'm too tired now to look through footage for this topic again. You want to give it a shot?

If not, I'll come back to it tonight.

 

By the way, Tua footage is starting to look old. And his knockouts look less and less scary by the year. I "feel" his punches less. He could definitely be the Tony Galento of 2070. To the younger guys in here, have fun defending him then! lol

 

I can see how you interpreted that. The feet advantage is definitely with James.

Hand speed is gonna be impossible to determine. Tua was lightning quick in his prime. finding a quicker boxer on hd footage is tough enough, finding a quicker boxer on hand cranked footage is gonna be nigh impossible.

 

Says a guy who goes crazy over goofy, poorly-leveraged Galento punches and wrong-foot Baer punches :nut Tua's knockouts are humdrum but Marciano missing a ton of sloppy punches before dropping an exhausted aging Moore is exhilarating? atsch

 

You can only be so sop****ric. What in the world are these streamables supposed to demonstrate? Completely non-sequitur. Watch how Tua fights and then watch some Fitzsimmons clips. Watch how Chris Byrd, Ike, and Lennox fought Tua and then watch how Corbett fought his opponents. If you can't figure out how the more recent fighters are far more technically advanced, find a patient friend who can explain it to you.

 

https://streamable.com/hs1h

Random clip from the beginning of the Tua-Ibeabuchi fight. Nothing special but watch the technique. Watch how quick and athletic these huge men are. Watch the handspeed and power. Watch how well leveraged their punches are. Watch how Ike delivers hard punches off his back foot without losing his balance or giving up his distance. Watch how Tua subtly blocks devastating body blows without having to flee three steps backwards or hold. Watch Tua's excellent flexibility and head movement coming in against a very hard puncher.

I know that I've said it before, but it's surreal that people can watch old Corbett and Fitzsimmons clips and imagine that they were more talented & technically advanced then these guys, or that they would fare well against them.