Most natural ability.

Nigel Benn was very untrained (and basically never even sparred, either) but seemed to be able to let off picture-perfect power punches with breathtaking timing accidentally!!

Benn's superb natural punching leverages were something to behold. Watching those first 22 fights of his, you saw how raw and untaught he is but can't but marvel at the gifted power, natural speed and naked aggression, with the ability to shift his weight without really thinking about it, it seemed.

 

Another one like Benn who was untaught. Benn and Calzaghe never sparred, never hit the bag and never jumped rope. And the pad work they did was mindless 'wailing away', not technical. Yet they were light on their feet, athletic, fast, powerful and had instinctive upper body motions.

 

That shoulder-rolling of Toney's and all his combinations and counters were very taught and deliberate; he had an excellent trainer in Bill Miller.

 

I'm not really sure how you would measure who has "natural ability". I mean even the lazy successful world class fighters still put in years of work to reach that level. James Toney trained on Burger King, but still put in endless hours of sparring and learned old-school techniques from Bill Miller. Surely he learned lots of tricks and nuances of boxing while spending all that time sparring.

Speed is a physical gift, power is also to an extent. For example, Tito and Hearns weren't powerful punchers as amateurs, they learned how to generate leverage and power, but you can teach most fighters proper ways to get leverage and throw the correct way and they won't come close to Tito or Hearns.

You can say physical gifts like speed and power come natural, but there's also how quick fighters learn their craft. I remember Petronelli saying that Marvin Hagler was a "natural" and picked up on things faster than others. Hagler practiced a lot of course to pick up those moves, but it's something to think about when people talk about "talent" and "natural ability". Hagler didn't have the hand speed of a Khan or Broner, but I get the impression that you could have the greatest trainer ever working with Khan, and he still won't look as polished in the ring as Hagler and would never be nearly as well-rounded. Why? Because Hagler had more natural talent for fighting and just picked up on things quicker.

Dwight Qawi learned to box in prison and I believe no formal amateur career. He had quick and heavy hands, but was practically a midget by LHW standards. He still reached the top of the division and had a HOF career, and that says to me that he must have had a natural gift for boxing, to do so much in so little time, more than many other fighters who were faster, taller, and had years of more formal boxing training.

 

They never sparred, hit the bag, jumped rope or done any pad work? Are you sure about that?

 

Absolutely. Neither of them hit heavy bags or jumped rope. Calzaghe used to hit the bag but stopped due to hand issues, he never picked up a rope. Benn says he has only recently started hitting the bag and performing technical pad work, and that he is a 'far' better fighter now than when he was world champion. Calzaghe hit the pads but it wasn't very technical, just speed stuff with his dad. Old clips of Benn working the pads with Jimmy Tibbs shows simply wailing away at Jimmy while Tibbs is roaring him on, nothing technical. And Calzaghe hardly ever sparred due to his hands. Benn hated sparring, would do just 9 or 10 rounds about 9 or 10 days before a fight just to get the feel of distance, not full-contact; he saved himself for the fight, he said!

Benn and Calzaghe were very similar in these respects, and unique. Gifted.

 

Mr.Mayweather

 

Jeff

 

Good post.

 

My posts are good too

 

i think Canelo has the style to go with NAcho but ive heard that Canelo gets lazy at camp and that Nacho takes no **** in camp so that wouldnt last long if true

 

Don't be arrogant chris

 

Some people just know how to fight. The coach shows them things and they learn and carry it out instantly.

 

Roy Jones, Naseem Hamed, Muhammad Ali: Completely unconventional, routinely violated textbook rules and style

Rocky Graziano: never trained still went far

Niccolino Locche, Pernell Whitaker: nobody teaches you how to move like that and avoid punches, they were freaks of nature

 

Let's not get carried away here, fighting/sparring a lot is as good as jumping rope or whatever. Benn fought at a young age in the armed forces and was also ABA champion.

Hardly 'wailed away' aimlessly then started smashing pro boxers up accidentally!?!

Benn is one of the most naturally gifted fighters however. Can't believe no-one has mentioned Ali yet! He's number one or 2 I think along with SRR.