Lets talk about heart

Discussion in 'World Boxing Forum' started by EL-MATADOR, Jan 14, 2009.


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  1. EL-MATADOR

    EL-MATADOR Boxing Junkie Full Member

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    Right next to my boy's picture I'm sure:D
     
    EL-MATADOR, Jan 14, 2009
    EL-MATADOR, Jan 14, 2009
    #16
  2. catasyou

    catasyou Lucian Bute Full Member

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    Sure,there's plenty of guys in history.
     
    catasyou, Jan 14, 2009
    catasyou, Jan 14, 2009
    #17
  3. EL-MATADOR

    EL-MATADOR Boxing Junkie Full Member

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    WAY too many to name.
     
    EL-MATADOR, Jan 14, 2009
    EL-MATADOR, Jan 14, 2009
    #18
  4. Cruiser1

    Cruiser1 Champion Emeritus Full Member

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    This is an excellent post. The part about the tide-turning intense heart in particular. Perfectly illustrated in guys like Tyson and Briggs. They'll stand in there and take their beatings but they don't have that extra element of "heart" to overcome it and regain momentum. It's like going on cruise control, taking punches, and then claiming (justifiably so) that they showed heart. Taking a beating in there is showing heart, it's just not the same as the other degree of showing heart.

    Guys like Holyfield and Gatti take their beatings not with the intent of going into a shell but in order to fire back when the time is right and try to regain control of the fight. Some fighters have more of a certain attribute than others. It doesn't diminish the attributes of another fighter. This happens in all walks of life. These things are very difficult to quantify but I've tried to do so the best way I can. If you decide to fight for money you have heart. What then becomes of the heart you bring into the ring is totally contingent on the opponents and the situations you face.
     
    Cruiser1, Jan 14, 2009
    Cruiser1, Jan 14, 2009
    #19
  5. McGrain

    McGrain Diamond Dog Staff Member

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    Yeah. I'd go so far as to say that great, great heart is the single most important factor in breeding great, truly great fighters. The absolute top guys. There are horrible, strange, contradictory moments from the history of the sport that seem to undermine this position - Duran's quit job against Leonard for example - but take, again, the Mijares example.

    We were all sold weren't we? On Mijares? He looked amazing. In the fight with Vic, Mijares gets caught with two hard right hands. When Vic turns his body to throw another punch, Vic ducks into the left upppercut that Vic has thrown. Why? Not because he is technially pitiful or semi-conscious. It's because he is being handled and hurt and has become a little gunshy - ducking the punches he fears rather than the ones being thrown.

    Frazier or Marciano or Armstrong would just have bulled on. Hopkins would have closed the distance or moved out counter-clockwise. Jones would have wheeled and led with the left hand over the top. Because - these guys used warrior spirit, heart, intensity whatever you want to call it, to continue to look for the best of their man. Mijares couldn't do that. Now it can be learned IMO. A man can find a different corner of himself after something like that, no doubt. But Mijares can't be truly great without it.

    Without heart, you can't answer the hardest questions this sport asks of you, so it trumps speed, durablity, power - in my opinion.
     
    McGrain, Jan 14, 2009
    McGrain, Jan 14, 2009
    #20
  6. EL-MATADOR

    EL-MATADOR Boxing Junkie Full Member

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    Completely agree. I'll take heart over any Attribute/skill.
     
    EL-MATADOR, Jan 14, 2009
    EL-MATADOR, Jan 14, 2009
    #21
  7. Marnoff

    Marnoff Obsessed with Boxing Full Member

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    I admire your optimism, but Pavlik likes gets stopped if it is even a 15 rounder. He was pretty ****ed up by the end.
     
    Marnoff, Jan 14, 2009
    Marnoff, Jan 14, 2009
    #22
  8. booradley

    booradley Mean People Kick Ass! Full Member

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    I think a lot of the stuff you're talking about comes from folks who have never competed in any kind of combat sports, or any other dangerous sports. If a person has never had to stand and deliver while an opponent tries to take his head off, or had to spend 3 ****ing minutes squirming around trying to keep his shoulders off the mat, or had to get up and get back on the track after crashing a motorcycle at high speed, et, et, that person has absolutley no right to talk about heart. They should stick to **** they know, like computer games and internet porn! [end of rant]
     
    booradley, Jan 14, 2009
    booradley, Jan 14, 2009
    #23
  9. imp4pdabest

    imp4pdabest Guest

    I cant question any boxers heart, they're all willing to step in the ring, they must have heart.
     
    imp4pdabest, Jan 14, 2009
    imp4pdabest, Jan 14, 2009
    #24
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