I don't think it was a streamlined technique like Fitzs. Not a one off, though. He seemed to do it in a lot of bouts
He switches when he ducks down, so a lead hook from another stance is really not something his opponent is prepared for. It's neat, I just think it's a very different technique. Does the Fitzsimmons shift work if your weight isn't planted on the back foot?
From what I understand, the usual Fitzsimmons shift goes by throwing a left, then shifting forward as the right hand is thrown to generate momentum at a southpaw angle, where you'd then deliver a terrific body shot from said angle. Is that correct? I'd say you'd have to have great balance and body awareness, and it is much more efficient to have the weight originally backwards in order to increase power with the shift, which the weight being too forward wouldn't achieve. Weight being forward could be good for transversal in a triple shift, though. Another interesting note. A Muay Thai fighter by the name of Lerdsila, known for his amazing defence, frequently uses a backwards shift as a defensive means. You should check it out.
https://archive.org/details/physicalculture00fitzgoog/page/n110 You can read Fitz's description here, but I've not entirely figured the mechanics of it.
From boxing scene. 'The way it was described to me was that from an orthodox stance, a fighter leads with his right, slides his right foot forward, thereby shifting fluidly to a southpaw stance then delivering a left to the body, with so much power put behind the punch coming all the way from the pivoting left foot and leg, which spring and push the body weight forward and behind the punch. Cely Villanueva, a Filipino who won an Olympic bronze, taught the move --with slight variations-- to Gabriel Flash Elorde, who had so much success with it, the variant was sometimes referred to as the "Elorde Shift". It required great footwork. So, with age, Elorde used it less and less later in his career. The adjustments were necessary as Elorde fought out of a southpaw stance. Elorde was actually a converted orthodox fighter and put to sleep many of his opponents with his right. He was most effective using the shift when he had his back to the ropes. He begun by slipping a punch, countered with the left, shifted stance and delivered a blow with his right. Elorde, unlike, Fitz, looked for the head, not the plexus. '
Flea apparently blocked me for saying Duran vs Aaron Pryor would be a war. So history wise sure he might know his stuff, especially at the lighter weightclasses and especially in Asia, but I question his technical knowledge of the game and his balls to have a chat about it..
He got worse and worse over time. What put me off is he'd put you on ignore for having a different opinion, and he'd tell you too. His knowledge is absolutely A+ though. His Bantamweight article was awesome.
