This is hard to decipher, Muhammed is claiming Roch wouldn't sign. From what I can gather there is a dispute. At the end of the day Roch didn't show up to training camp or the press conference, the press conference is part of the contract. It sounds like a lawyer told Rocky he'd make more in the courts than in the ring and thats what happened Translater Into the dispute around the declined World Cup battle between Graciano Rocchigiani and Roy Jones jr. the world association turned on itself now. The WBC strengthened "Rocky" the back and guaranteed it a further World Cup chance. Pro boxer Graciano Rocchigiani landed in the farce around the refusal of the World Cup battle against triply world champion Roy Jones Jr. a clear victory on points. The world association WBC strengthened the 35-year-old the back, guarantees it further a World Cup in the half heavy-weight and absolved it at the same time of the accusation to have provoked the refusal of the Fights prepared for the 6th of November in Biloxi/Mississippi against superstar Jones. "Promoter Murad Muhammad said that Rocky did not want to fight. We telephoned thereupon with its German lawyer Ziegler. It informed us in two officially attested letter that Rocchigiani wants to train and fight. Therefore we are of the opinion that Rocky made no mistake. I can assure the German box fan: Rocchigiani will box around the World Cup, against Jones or an other", said the WBC lawyer handled with the disagreeable matter Gabriel Penagaricano to the sport-information-service (sid). That of the farce smoldering since 18 months tired WBC threatened therewith at the same time blunt to deny Jones the WBC title and to explain "Rocky" without a fight to the world champion, should deny itself the US-exception-athlete of a title defense against the Germans. "Should Jones a new battle contract do not sign, take we it the World Cup title from", said Penagaricano.
Yeah. The same point can be made about most ATGs victories. S:t Valentine's, Clay-Liston I and II, Leonard-Duran I and II, Hagler-Hearns, Leonard-Hagler etc, etc. You can find something in every great victory more or less.
Ok i'm late on this one, Roy Jones, not a technician, but it didn't matter. They didn't give him the superman label lightly.
You may notice another thread on this forum, it compares 3 top MWs, Hopkins is there, Lamotta is not. Many pick Toney to beat Hopkins/Lamotta too. Says it all
I feel Jones' technical skills are underrated as they are often dismissed as non-existent but they were pretty good in all honesty.
They were very good in general. His unorthodoxy was by choice. Just watch him sparring the WW champ as a 17-year old. Beautiful technique. [ame]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=plQKfAO01eU[/ame] His jab was not ATG standard, though. And his guard (even when he held it high) was flawed. But his footwork and overall punching was just superb.
I don't know if they're underrated or whatever Greg, but one thing's certain, he's not a technician by style and his technical skillset that he does posess should not ever be mentioned in a discussion of great technical skillsets, ever. Like i said though, it didn't matter, because his natural gifts and fighting ability were ridiculously great. His style to me could described as a pure boxing/powerpunching hybrid, which is crazy, but true. He was just monstrous. He had mobility but not footwork etc etc. I mean in a technical sense of course. Still, he's bona fide great for me head to head.
In terms of being a technical boxer he broke texbook rules yes, dropping his hands, dispensing with the jab to land lead rights/hooks His technique/skill in terms of punch technique, shot slipping, using distance, accuracy, timing, countering, head movement, use of angles were all excellent. In terms of raw technique and skill he does many of those things than heralded technicians. Those things are harder to maintain as you age though and yes he was relying on physical gifts to get away with his defensive and offensive techniques. His style was also far from energy efficient
What i'm saying is he's not a technician, that's not his style. A technician to me is someone who doesn't give away excess range too much, and uses his footwork to make himself adept at all the relevant ranges, having proper punching form. Exploiting openings to the body and being a proper combination puncher, not flurrying (whether with power or not) are major factors of being a complete technician. A technician as a style doesn't concern good funddamental values though, because look at Whitaker, he's not a fundamental 101 advert, but his style totally fits the description i just gave. This is going to sound blunt but it's true, a LOT of complete technicians are 'boring' to armchair fans, and appreciated by the hardcore population. So, my first and foremost point was that he's not a technician, by style. That's what i said on my first post. Which is blatant to me. Then Greg raised the point that his individual technical skiils may be underrated, as i said, they might be, but he's got no place in a discussion of atg technical skillsets, and i stick by that. He's a bona fide atg, and his technical skills on the large are well behind the level of fighter he is. He's superman. That's my opinion anyway.