Looking at fighters from the past and present. Fighters as well as all athletes look better than the generations before them. What fighters look very simular or an evolved version of someone in the previous decade/decades? In some cases it's easy to see the stylistic influence a past fighter had on another fighter growing up. In some cases the trainer sees the same qualities and makes the fighter into the former great he resembles anyway. Here are some off the top of my head. Mike Tyson looked to me like the perfected version of Joe Frazier. Tyson could do with both hands what Frazier could do with his left. Tysons feet were faster than Fraziers to let him get in more easily and the threat of either hand hand the opponent guessing. Manny Pacquiao looks like a more technical version of arron pryor. Both bring a skillful speedy tanacity that very few could match ever. Pac I believe has took pryor's style to the next level with the angled bouncing agressiveness. Trying to think of a few others. Feel free to share your thoughts and throw some out.
Problem with today's fighters is they get fed bull**** from promoters about how they're the bee's knees, so they scale back their activity and start demanding ludicrous paydays. You hit HBO and you all the sudden go "Oh, i'm a prize fighter, time to negotiate all my own fights"
Modern Fighter - Model James Toney - Joe Walcott Paul Malignaggi - Hector Camacho (just not as skilled) Every Mexican fighter - Julio Cesar Chavez Sr. Roy Jones Jr. - Muhammad Ali mixed with a rooster
That malignaggi one is right on. I would still say Shamba Mitchell was the fakest Hector Camacho though.
Im not looking for an argument on here , i think too many people do this , but how can you compare Pryor to Pacquiao, firstly Manny is a southpaw , pryors best punch was his jab,Mannys is a hook. Mannys defence is completely different using angles , Pryor used his feet. And if you talk about technical ability Pryor was a very very good amature with much more technical ability, Manny has no amature experience and a lesser technical quality. The only thing they have in common is that they are both very exciting. Fighters of today have it easier , have more opportunities to win titles and have less desire, I look at some fighters today and with all the resources struggle to go 10 - 12 rounds with large 10 - 12oz gloves. Back in the 80's with small 8oz punchers gloves fighters could stay on their toes for 15 rounds.
I've gotta dissagree with you on a few fronts. Sure one is a south paws and the other a conventional fighter but what they do/did is very simular. Pryor just more patient but he does the same ducking out the way move after throwing his hook, using his feet to get the side angle and repeating the process. Pryor was also more gritty and not as fast. IMO manny fights just like him with a bit more hand and footspeed. They both are/were percise punchers and get thier angles very simular. As for technical abilty, I still feel pac has atleast matched or surpased pryor in any aspect of technical abilty one can talk about. Amatuer background has nothing to do with it deciding who has the technical ability at the prime stages of pac and pryor's career. We have eyes to see and IMO pac has become more technically sound than pryor. Fighters of today have it easier , have more opportunities to win titles and have less desire, I look at some fighters today and with all the resources struggle to go 10 - 12 rounds with large 10 - 12oz gloves. Back in the 80's with small 8oz punchers gloves fighters could stay on their toes for 15 rounds. [/quote] Sure fighters have it easier but I was only commenting on the styles and techniques of the fighters.
I can't see the Jones jr. Ali resemblence, even if you blend Ali with a rooster. Totally different styles, maybe Ali takes the middle between Withaker and B-hop.
