Is Frazier-Foster the best example of swarming pressure fighting on film?

Hagler ripping into Hearns was also pretty ferocious...... Both were very close in weight too, just below the 160 mark....

MR.BILL

 

Great write-up, definitely my favorite Frazier fight apart from the one where he kicked Ali's ass.

I would actually consider Frazier-Quarry I to be perhaps an even better example of a swarmer - the only reason being that he grinds Quarry down (like a swarmer) - whereas Foster was simply destroyed in barely more than a round.

 

No, Maske-Rocchigiani I.

 

“My toughest fight was Smokin’ Joe Frazier. It only lasted two round, but those two rounds seemed like a year with that sucker comin’ at you. He was the closest you could come to facing death. Why’d I take it? ****, the money!

Me and Joe were tight, before and after the fight. That’s why he gave me a shot, because we were friends, you know. Afterwards, I said, ‘Damn Joe, you tried to kill me in there!’ He said, ‘No, I didn’t try to kill you, but I couldn’t just let you come in and take my title.’ I said, ‘Well, I was gonna do more than just show up, Joe.’ He said, ‘Yeah, I know you was. That’s why I had to stop you in the second round.’ Joe and I, we went out to a bar and got drunk that night, yeah . . .”
-Bob Foster

 

I loved Armstrong's swarming on Ross.(Armstrong fan I am) Frazier's idol and I can tell with the similarities of the two.

Chavez against Camacho was brilliant too.

All three great inside fighters/swarmers and great fighters in general.

 

No one went through Foster like that ... Frazier was terrific and this was a prime performance ... slightly more impressive than Dempsey over Carpentier if you ask me ...

 

One of the best posts I've seen here on ESB, McGrain. Quality stuff.

As to the fight, I think it showed what kind of strength and power it was going to take to bring a guy like Frazier down. Unless you were George Foreman, you were in for a special brand of hell wen you went in against him.

 

You've made this thread before, I believe. I couldn't agree more, and I know we have our differences of opinion on certain subjects. Frazier-Foster is the quintessential example of Frazier using every ounce of effective energy through pressuring possible. I think that's an important distinction because some have criticized Frazier's head-movement for being repetitive and predictable.

And it's not just the head-movement in this fight. Check out around 51 seconds in. Frazier's catching Foster's jab with his glove, while closing the distance, getting his closer to position, and moving his head in case Foster follows up with anything more. Frazier might just have to be the most difficult swarmers in history to catch with with a 1-2. I mean that when a fighter tries to use his jab to blind you from the right hand coming. Frazier's always going to be in a different spot. I think that's why he actually had more trouble with the lead right hands from Quarry and Ali in Manilla then he ever did with a 1-2.

 

Chavez against Rosario is the best pressure fighting i've ever seen. Every elite level heavyweight looked awesome against Foster, let's be honest.

 

Henry Arnstrong at his best was the ultimate "swarmer". In close with his head under his opponents chin, throwing vicious streams of punches,with every punch in the book for a full 3 minutes for every round. And remember Henry Armstrong had FIVE times more bouts than Joe Frazier, without slowing down. A ring marvel if there ever was one....

 

Sorry to quote the whole post, but y'know...shitty way to go for a great, ferocious human being. Sad, like. And i'm a lil drunk. Great fighter, great guy. ****in cool little story, to be a bar fly that night...


Great original post Mac :good

 

what I like about this fight is It had nothing to do with Frazier being the bigger man. I really mean that, and Bob is a great fighter!

Frazier closes the faster man down and beats him to the punch by laying traps without thinking about it. Its second nature. the fighting rhythm he stalks foster with creates all the openings he needs and Frazier is so pin point that he is deadly at this time. This is prime frazier.

smoking Joe is so highly tuned that each roll of the shoulder and half stutter step automatically sends the opponent to respond in a way Frazier is instinctively ready for. His head movement systematically corresponds with his footing putting the weight onto the foot the next punch is being launched from whilst at the same time making his head less of a target. with the right timing it works perfectly. Joe does it so smoothly like a well oiled problem solving machine where each movement sends the opponent onto the next punch.

prime Frazier is so sharp. His timing and distance anticipation is so highly tuned during this time. Each move has a purpose and because he is an athlete in his prime Frazier’s reactions are cat like.

Foreman fought a different fighter entirely.

 

Nice post,McGrain.But I can't accept that size had marginal bearing on the outcome of the result.Foster nailed Frazier hard,in the first round.There's a pic I think in Frazier's autobiography capturing the moment, immediately after Bob Foster landing on jaw,with the shock of that impact rippling across Joe's face.Joe just shrugged it off.

I think Joe came out at the start of the second round ,ready to finish the business.