if fighters can't be taught hand speed 'n punching power...

Kinda this. If JGs refering to fighters who have already mastered basic technique, starting level pros, for instance, rather than novices on their first day at gym, then he's probably right - they ain't gonna change massively. But a guy who's just walked off the street lacing up for the first time and hasn't the first idea about stance and how to throw a punch is probably gonna make big improvements when he's shown these things.

That the discussion has been at cross-purposes seems obvious to me.

What I still don't get, JG is why you titled the thread as you did. Why didn'ya just simplify things and do a poll:'Punching power- Nature or Nurture?' or 'punchers - born or bred?' if that was what you meant?

 

emmanuel steward was quoted as saying " i can make any fighter into a better puncher, when i got tommy, he didnt hit all that hard, but i knew i could get that out of him"
dont know how much stewards words are worth to this discussion.

 

tommy joined the kronk amateur team in 76 and had 11 ko's in 163 fights as an amateur. 1 year after joining steward and the kronk gym, he turns pro and ko's his first 17 opponents.
just some more food for thought in order to put things in perspective.

 

no, i think he always had it in him to punch that hard, he just needed the right instruction to show him how to put that power to use. unless you think tommy purposely avoided knocking out guys in tha ams and decided he didnt need to anymore in the pros.

 

i cant argue that one, i just see it a little different based on tommys ko progression and stewards testimony.

 

Have another read of UKRkinetic's posts mate.

Are you sure you understand what he has written?

I can't see how anyone can argue with his posts on this subject.

 

Well I still don't think you get my point so I will try to explain my thoughts better.

Let's take me for example.
I'm pretty untrained for boxing now (only lifting weights atm)

Scales 1-10
Speed : 3
Power: 4
Endurance:2

Let's say I work on boxing drills, use the weightlifting to be more explosive and so on and run more in a few months time maybe it will look something like this;

Speed: 4
Power:6
Endurance:3

But then maybe my maximized genetic potential is something like this;

speed:6
power:8
Endurance:5

So ofcourse you can improve your punching power and your speed but there's always a celing of your skills. Some guys just have a higher celing then others.