Fighters who gained defensive skills later in their careers

Jimmy White ?

 

Tommy Loughran started out as a slugger until he screwed his right hand. Same probably happened with Holman Williams to some extent. Good KO percentage early in his career than his hands began to go and his real opposition began to show.

 

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After his Junior Jones fights he went from a brawler to a Salvador Sanchez like boxer-puncher. Slipping, blocking, and countering his way to wins instead of rushing with power.

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He is just an all-round smarter fighter than when he was younger. He throws his right hook and slips punches at the same time. Keeps his hands up to block and inproved his movment around the ring and became more patient about how he starts exchanges.

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Hopkins in his early career was a headbanger. He owns the record for the quickest KO in MW history (or did own it). He used to be much more agressive but, now he is a complete counter-puncher and with all of the tools that a complete fighter would have. Seriously..he is one of those fighters from the 20's-50's. I have heard this said before and I will repeat it. "we will miss him when he is done".

 

Yeah I was gonna mention Pacquiao. Early in his career he was all over the place.

 

I wish Pacquaio went to the body more. He would unbeatable. He went to the body again Barerra and destroyed him inside and out.

 

Gatti
Barrera
Fullmer
Downes

 

Very nice choice with Gatti. It always warms my heart to see his name come up in a thread. I have not seen this earliest fights but Fulmer was very agressive with Robinson but with Carmen he slowed it down and counter punched him to death all off his back foot. It was a masterclass. Nice picks!

 

I don't think Gatti ever really gained defensive skills. His defense had a lot to do with his legs, which were good when he was younger in fights such as the Patterson one. Not too long after that, he was getting hit repeatedly against Rodriguez, Ruelas, Robinson.

He was always especially vulnerable to the straight right hand. HBO made a thing out of him fighting more disciplined from the 2nd Ward fight up to the Leija fight, but much of that had to deal with the opposition he was facing. Ward was still laying a lot of hurt on him in the 3rd fight, even though Gatti won 8 rounds.

 

Roberto Duran as he went up in weight certainly had to evolve defensively

 

George Foreman gained considerable defensive skills during his second phase as a boxer. He fought much more intelligently in every way in those years. Indeed, he seemed to have more endurance in the late rounds against Holyfield than Evander had. Quite impressive, considering that stamina had been an issue when he was younger. That was because he paced himself. Regaining the Title in his forties can be attributed to improvements in his defensive skills and even improvements offensively. Old George had to adapt to the new boxing world of younger fighters that he found himself in, and he succeeded. His age did present limitations: loses to Holyfield, Morrison, etc., but he made boxing history at forty-something.

 

Nigel Benn.

 

Arturo Gatti.

 

Max Baer adopted a cross arm defence, once father time started to catch up with him.

 

When did Gatti develop these defensive skills? The 2nd Ward fight? He was facing someone a lot slower than him, and still took his share of punishment in the 3rd fight. I wouldn't put that much stock into not getting hit that much against old Leija or Leonard Dorin, as the fight lasted just 2 rounds.