Is it possible for a fighter to change styles?

Oscar changed his style when he hooked up with Mayweather Sr.

 

Gatti and Barrera come to mind.

Hopkins also looks nothing now like he did in the mid 90s.

It takes time, effort, talent, and an actual willingness to change.

 

Yeah, but he got hit a lot more.
Overall it was a good thing, but he did get hit.

 

Yes, of course it's possible. I've seen quite a few examples of it; Barrera, Julio "The Cuban Lover" Garcia went from boxer-puncher to brawler for a more crowd pleasing style, Winky Wright was a cutie early in his career and then became a high guard aggressor, Floyd Sr. turned Bojado from a seek and destroy attacker to a pure boxer for the Rubio rematch, and I think Quintana also used to be more aggressive earlier in his career and of course now he's a smooth slickster.

You can do it but the fighter needs smarts, willingness, and consistent dedication. It also depends on the boxer's naturaly physical ability because you're not going to turn guys like Marciano and Joe Frazier into lateral moving boxers.

 

Its extremely difficult, I think when we saw Gatti and Barrera change their style they always had the ability in their repotiore anyway, it just took for example Buddy McGirt to bring it out of him, I doubt Buddy taught him anything he didnt already know...

 

Gatti was a boxer earlier in his career he just happened to brawl more for a few years there and all that McGirt did was bring him back to his old style.

 

Yes

 

Hatton didn't need to change his style, he just needed to do the basics right. Keep his hands up, move his head. Still be a pressure fighter, but a better one. He didn't do that.

 

barrera switch up, marquez became more agressive

 

:good Rocky reference = always nice.

 

Styles are hardwired into ones brain. If one practices a certain way for 15 years, the circuits in their brain will not be meant for a dramatically different style.

 

:rofl

"Ain't so bad!"

Damn, what the hell did ever happen to Julio Garcia...

 

The best example is Ali. The early 60s fighter is pretty much unrecognizable from the mid 70s version, yet both were at the top of the game.

 

Wlad.