Examples of boxers neutralizing the opponent's superior speed and athleticism

Well, he definitely mauled the hell out of Greg:good!

 

Frazier/Ali 1

 

Chavez was 10x the athlete that Taylor was. He proved himself in the athletic endeavor of boxing to be far superior than Taylor ever proved himself in any athletic endeavor. Attributes which cause this could be Chavez' superior strength, reflexes, durability, instincts, anticipation and stamina.

 

Pale Jimmy Watt "out-African American'd" Howard Davis Jr.

 

athlete and athleticism are not synonyms. Chris Paul is a better athlete (Practitioner of that sports/endeavor) then Russel Westbrook, but certainly isn't more athletic than him.

There is no fine line, as it almost always is with language.

Those players had far more skill. Andre Miller is not an athletic freak, but he has tremendous skill and intelligence. Just as Jason Kid who is pushing 40 and still has a tremendous impact with his knowledge and mind. Don't over-think it, and try to not always be so literal.

It's not definitive, though. So you have a point. Much trickier and more complicated in matters of pugilism/fighting I think.

 

How in the world are Pascal's skills top-level for a professional boxing Seamus (Or near it)? Isn't it most obvious that they aren't, and it's his athleticism that allows him to have the success he does.

Maybe what makes it all rudimentary and pedantic to you is that the better boxer is the better boxer and extrapolating attributes for why is trivial. For example, RJJ isn't a better athlete than Hopkins (Assuming you think otherwise, just hear me out). If you think RJJ is then you think he is a better practitioner of the sport, and thus is the better athlete/boxer.

 

Athleticism just seems a very coded word to me and one wherein those who can not achieve as much are given the excuse of being victim of their over-abundance of talent.

Let me see the results; everyone else can go in for the beauty patent.

 

Just go buy a ****ing dictionary

 

under-abundance of talent you mean? Why not substitute the word athleticism for talent, if it makes you so uncomfortable. Now do you honestly believe that what one achieves is strictly aligned with their talent? Do some not people not have preferably attributes. Yes, it gets muddling when you compare Chavez and Meldrick Taylor. Certainly Ali had more boxing athleticism than Ken Norton or Marciano. But with the proper sense of grit or strategy, Ali could possibly lose to either man. He would never not be the more athletic fighter (Of course this is less controversial because Ali is the better athlete in the overall sense beyond any imaginary H2H scenario).

Maybe you are right. You're a detail and substance guy so I understand how all this is just a method of breaking down language (It sort of is). But you don't need a track record to be a great puncher. And you can have athleticism and be lazy.

For a modern example. Garcia over Khan.

 

It's a term that came into sporting fashion in the 90's and has been applied and misapplied over every athletic event since. It is like term pornography. The best response I get is something along the lines of "I don't know what it is exactly, but I know when I see it." It is anti-intellectualism at its highest.

It is speed? Is it explosiveness? Then call it speed or explosiveness. No reason to sound like a twat with a pseudo-scientific term. Or is it also durability, stamina, instinct, reflexes. Ye olde dictionary merely states "Of or befitting athletics or athletes." Aren't those latter terms also "of or befitting athletics"?

Stop being mindless.

 

I'm sorry but Chavez didn't neutralize anything.. he was soundly outboxed for 95% of that fight.

 

Seamus is right here.

I dunno what the **** people mean when they talk about "athleticism".
Sometimes i think they mean 'agility'.

Then again, "talent" is another term that's just as unhelpful.

 

Watt was a master at it. He did the same to Ken Buchanan, well at least for around 13 rounds...

Had very good timing on his jab which could stop guys in their tracks.

 

Chavez was often not the fastest man in the ring. timing can also neutralize speed. Winky Wright was never super fast, yet he often seemed fast due to his timing.

 

The Taylor and Simon fights being two prime examples of where he (imo) tames better athletes.