What is it with these two? Recent performances by both guys make me think they underachieve. Yeah, Chambers beat Peter but is anyone going to disagree that his workrate was pathetic and that he could've probably taken Peter out if he had just let his hands go more? And how about Holt? He just let the smaller man Bradley walk him down and he only dictated the action in brief spurts. And in those brief spurts, he was able to hurt Bradley twice. I think he could've KOed Bradley if he had walked Bradley down. I don't think Bradley could've hurt him. These guys have the tools but i think they are lacking something in the brain or the heart that makes them underachieve. Thoughts?
Chambers thinks too much in there. Holt doesn't think enough. But Holt's other problem is that his style doesn't really fit his abilities. With his size and quickness, he'd be a great outside boxer if he used a jab to set up combos, but he wants to throw counters instead. And since he doesn't have true KO power, this sets him up to be outworked the way he was this weekend by a fighter with a better blend of skills and identity. He's a high level victim of the RJJ backwash. If he spent less time posing, he'd be a much better fighter.
I think it's just simple laziness. They are so concerned with not expending too much energy, leaving openings for opponents, and looking good that they just refuse to press the gas. Just my opinion.
Holt doesn't get it. He doesn't seem to have a grasp of what's going on in a fight. I mean what was he doing from 2-11? He hurt Bradley in the 1st and 12th, when he let his hands go a bit. But he disappeared from 2-12. I mean he had to know he was getting walked down and outworked by Bradley. Does he not realize that he probably gave the fight away?
On the flip side, Bradley showed what heart is all about. After getting KD like a rag doll in the 1st, he gets back up and makes a concerted effort to press the action and takes the fight to the bigger man and he doesn't stop throwing until the final bell. I think this is a good example of a fight where the guy who wanted it more got the win. I think if Holt had put as much effort into the fight as Bradley did, he could've gotten the win. Bradley was not fighting his normal fight by being slick and counterpunching but was exposing himself and coming forward and Holt didn't take advantage.
He probably was looking for a KO shot that he never found. But it's not all Holt's fault. First round knockdowns don't dictate an entire fight. Ask Marquez and Calzaghe, twelve rounds are just that, twelve rounds.
Difference between Calzaghe vs RJ or Hopkins and JMM/Pacman is that the loser TRIED to win the fight. Holt didn't. RJ obviously TRIED his best but Calzaghe was the better man. Hopkins also, but he just ran out of gas. JMM obviously fought his heart out. Watching Holt/Bradley, i got the sense that Holt underachieved and could've done more. That's the sad part.
I hope im wrong about Holt cuz he's one of my favorites, but i think he might be one of those types who just goes through the motion.. He's the type of fighter who needs to be pressured and backed up against the wall for him to go all out.. He needs to be forced to fight.. Unless he's pressured, he's content on boxing his way to a safe decision. Only time he'll really pull the trigger is if he's being pressured or if he's fighting a soft touch.
I don't think there's much doubt that Holt has talent, but you go down his resume and aside from the Torres "KO", he's made a career of doing "just enough". Take the Tackie fight for example, he had every opportunity to look spectacular against a virtually shot opponent, and he decided to stink the joint out instead. Strung along Diaz longer than he should have and got dropped for his trouble. I couldn't bet on Bradley because I didn't like how wide the odds had gotten, but this is why a lot of people were banking on him to win. Beating Witter overseas and now getting off the canvas like he did this weekend speaks volumes about what he's made of.
getting off the canvas so quickly after taking a bomb and then having the sense to get back down on one knee and take a count speaks volumes of Desert Storm's ring intelligence Also Bradley made Holt gunshy by feinting him into the counter and then taking advantage of it many times
I'll tell you what; as someone betting on a Bradley win I got very nervous whenever Holt came forward - the very very few times Holt actually came forward that is. Tactically, Holt absolutely should have pressed and taken the fight to Bradley for at least some sort of short extended period just to see what could come of it - but that goes back to something else I've been talking about recently and that's how an early knockdown can effect a fight. We can't ignore the possibility Holt thought he could get the KO at any point after the first KD... What happened to Hopkins in the Calzaghe fight? Same thing, no?.... In general though I agree with your point about Holt. There are many others as well. Kendall isn't much of a puzzle though, he's worried about that little baby chin of his. Always. Always. Always.
