Has the science of slugging changed?

I agree it does not help footwork. But all the top guys have superb footwork, think Mayweather, Pacquiao and Bradley here. But I still feel in the lower levels there is too much movement, and as you say not as much emphasise on footwork.

Against Cotto he was pretty much a swarmer, wouldn't you say? 'A swarmer with a big punch' is how McGrain described him, if my memory is right.

 

No just another thread with a similar discussion

I consider them boxer punchers. A guy like Paul Malinaggi is a pure boxer. He does nothing but box from distance.

True and that goes for all offensive fighters overall, but again they are less boxers, and fighting less off their backfoot and more straight forward offensive fighters. We never saw David Tua fighting like Ali, but we saw Hopkins slug at times.

 

I think his main aim was that of a swarmer but the way he went about it was hybrid.

 

Fighters today dont seem to have the same conditioning to slug/swarm like fighters of the past. A. Abraham is a modern day slugger with a very low workrate. He just doesnt seem to have the stamina and is rendered ineffective when matched against a tall guy who flicks a jab.

I just dont think guys are doing the hard work it takes impose their will, in order to slug or swarm effectively you need the chin and conditioning/legs to attack constantly and throw hard shots for twelve rds. Marciano without the workrate/conditioning and just pure power would have been jabbed to death by every tall guy or boxer he faced.

The Rock was aware that constant pressure for 15 rds would give him the best chance, so he trained accordingly. I find it hard to understand given all the breakthroughs in diet, nutrition and exercise science, that Fighters today cant cant slug or swarm like the fighters of the past.

 

The gloves changed the sport I think. The efficiency in using specific techniques have changed as the glove has changed.


I was watching Jeffries vs Ruhlin the other day. Most of the punches are not very visible so you wouldnt be impressed by the punching. Then there was one great angle, and the film clears up a little for a few seconds, and I see Jeffries punch Ruhlin in the heart. That punch really dug in. It was like you could see Jeffries fist sinking to Ruhlins chest and it looked devastating.

I used to always think it was a little silly when I would read accounts of old fights saying "A punch to the heart is what hurt the champion." Now I understand. And with todays boxing gloves, that punch I saw Jeffries deliver to Ruhlins heart would have not happened. The glove is too big, and has too much cushion for a heart or throat punch to do much damage.



Personally, I think boxing should be brought back to at LEAST 15 rounds, with gloves that are a bit smaller. You can tell some incredible fights are just stopped short even when its 12 rounds. After fighting Mosley, Mayweather wasnt even breathing hard.

 

I agree......Dempsey was more versatile in his defensive skills.....He was good at judging distance, so he wasn´t a pure swarmer to me......Dempsey doesn´t need that all the time like Frazier and Tyson.........He was able to do that too, yes....but when was the best time to do it !
In my opinion.....