I'm really gutted for Donovan 'Razor' Ruddock. Having just watched a 23 year old novice outbox Mike Weaver, it's became painstakingly obvious that Donovan only got worse as a fighter as a result of no direction. You watch him later on fighting the likes of Michael Dokes, he doesn't throw a jab or a right hand, and relies almost exclusively on a left uppercut/hook - a shot he seldom threw in the Mike Weaver fight. George Chuvalo, Ruddock's manager, was claiming that his man had one of the best jabs in the Heavyweight division since Larry Holmes. Although it's unfair to make a comparison, I'll just say that Ruddock's jab was extremely fast, sharp and straight when he threw it. It impressed the hell out of me, but it never developed. He didn't have a Freddie Roach, or an Eddie Futch to see that this 14 fight novice would grow. Another thing that I picked up on in this fight was the pure hand speed of Donovan Ruddock. He was super fast. He had blurring hand speed for a big man, and not only in single shots, or one-two combination's - he demonstrated in 3-4 punch combination's. He didn't throw them often enough, and his timing wasn't perfect, but this was a 14 fight novice. He had been fighting for 7 years, and he clearly didn't have a competent team around him. Donovan Ruddock should have been so much more than he was. He became popular because of knockout power he found out he possessed, which made him rely on it. He threw away everything he was doing beforehand - fast powerful jab, fast combination's, and lateral movement. Who knows what could have happened had he been shown how to utilize his boxing ability in conjunction with his lights out left hand. You guys may think I'm being overzealous regarding the pure talent of this man, but I'm not claiming he was the next Muhammad Ali or Joe Louis - only that he should have been blasting out the likes of Tommy Morrison and jabbing and moving against the Mike Tyson he came up against. I really don't know what happened, but as I see things, Ruddock was untapped potential. This content is protected This content is protected
He had all the potential in the world. I don't think it was until after the Lewis fight that he became irredemable; before then, I think he COULD still have won a title against the right opponent and most importantly with the right training. By the Morrison fight, as you say, he was almost a parody of a slugger: single shots and long periods of doing nothing, which ultimately allowed the more refined Morrison (who, from 1993-1995, became a very good boxer) to beat him. Perhaps Ruddock's problem was that, as a Canadian, he was a bit isolated from the best trainers.
I just edited your post a little...but I agree with everything you wrote. I suppose one could say that there have been many heavyweights that, if their potential could have been fully harnessed, could have carved out better boxing careers for themselves. Usually though, they progress to a point and then hit a plateau...Ruddock got progessively worse as a fighter as his career unfolded, which is rare. He started neglecting his boxing skills and became ridiculously one-dimensional. In both his fights with Tyson, he was looking for the left hand and barely threw anything else. His jab was basically non-existant and he used very little movement throughout. If his big left could be negated, he was lacking ideas, and he did (as you say) have the skills to be far more rounded as a fighter than he was later in his career. He just didn't use them. Maybe he lacked direction, maybe in part in was a stubborn streak in him that his handers couldn't weed out...who knows for sure?
I used to be a huge Donovan Ruddock fan when I first saw Tyson-Ruddock II. That led me down the rabbit hole to check his entire career out, and when I reached the end of my research....I was a little pissed. I came to the conclusion that Ruddock wasted himself. For example: I can't remember the opponent but Ruddock wasn't listening to his (then) trainer, Floyd Patterson, the entire fight. Patterson kept stressing to Ruddock to pace himself, jab, 1-2, and stop looking for the big punch, and Ruddock was just sitting there in his corner looking beyond Patterson. Ruddock went out and started whiffing and glancing his smash, ignoring everything Patterson had told him. Razor ended up winning the fight, but it was a sloppy affair. While poor Floyd just got ignored the entire time. I feel that translates to his whole career Razor had talent of championship calibre, but he had the brain of an ox. Once Razor realized he had that "smash" he nearly abandonded all his other skills.
I think Rudduck had a lot of skills and had a good manager promoter in Murad Muhamad. Razor was also well trained. In another era he may have been champion. Having Lennox Lewis and Mike Tyson in an era is a tough thing. When Razor used his other abilty's he was solid but depending on the smash left him vulnerable. Again appearances of what you are going to be and what you become when stepping up in class are two different things. The chips fall where they fall.
Ruddock didn't suffer as a result of stepping up in class. He suffered because when he did step up in class, he trashed away all of his fundamentals that were likely to give a man his size an edge. A long jab, fast combination, and movement. The Mike Tyson fights are bizzare. He just throws he left hand uppercut and hook, practically nothing else. A lead right and a jab would have seriously troubled Tyson, who abandoned his usual head movement for the rematch.
It's not uncommon for a young prospect to abandon his early teachings and fundamentals because he discovers that he can knock other fighters out. This is a common mistake made by a lot boxers coming up in the ranks.
Not to such a degree that Donovan Ruddock did in my judgment. Have you seen the Mike Tyson fights? The dude doesn't throw anything but a left hook/uppercut. Anyone with a brain could have come to the conclusion that this Mike Tyson fella can't do **** on the outside, so throw the jab out there. It's one of the more bizarre things I've seen.
Agreed, and he did the same thing in his fights with Dokes and Smith.. The only thing that he really used his left arm for, was the occasional measuring tactic, but little else.
I taped that off some lower cable channel in 1986.... Noboby knew of Ruddock in '86........ Too bad I taped over the fight yrs ago..... I thought the fight was a draw...... Weaver was aging and Ruddock was green....... MR.BILL:bbb
:verysad Weaver did absolutely nothing apart from the left hook that badly stunning Ruddock early on. I probably gave Weaver 2, maybe 3 rounds.
Ruddock is the poster child for boxers who neglect their skills when "discover" they have world-class power and heart.
Last winter I chronicled Ruddock's rise and fall in a series of articles. Particular point was made regarding Razor's eye-catching skills and sharp left jab EARLY in his career, versus the one-armed fighter with no "Plan B" later in his career. The one seen sparring Larry Holmes was still the virgin stylist, not yet enamored with his power.
Ruddock was dumb, that was his problem. Good fighter though and had a very nice stretch up to the Lewis fight. Under rated imo, you're right in that he had talent coming out of his ears, but the man wasn't smart enough.