Otuo Saba. Real deal or hype job?

**** only three fights when he fought bateson! i take it all back that is seriously impressive!

 

I worry when the guy who trains him doesn't really know why he's doing speed pads.

[ame]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=abjkl0TFvbc[/ame]

 

to be honest though i feel sorry for all the lads who have broke there backs trying to win the abas and box for england because he only had a 50-50 record in the ams did nothing in any national comps yet gets raved about because hes good at dance routines.

 

Yeah i agree, i noticed in the Benn show him on pads. I was thinking 'what's this gotta do with Benn/McClellan?'. TBH if anything he's totally different to both guys in style.

 

[ame]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=744Z9-kYbqA[/ame]
[ame]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NBo6W4q73ls&feature=fvst[/ame]

 

to be fair very very good for only his 3rd fight.

 

to be fair very impressive for only his third fight.

 

Just watched the Bunce interview, i don't agree with copying Mayweather's sparring regime.

I be honest the more you spar/fight the better for ringcraft. I be interested to hear what people in AM scene say about people ducking him and him struggling to get matched.

Looks decent fighter and nice lad but still no wow factor.

 

he pulled out of a fight with archie sharpe from bodyshots everyone knows he did tunde does talk alot of crap about him not being able to get matched when boxers like ted cheeseman romeo romea etc all bang harder then him have no trouble finding him fights they just wanted a string of poor kids to beat up so they could make silly videos and put them on youtube showing how good he is.

 

Mand makes some good points about getting much of your learning from the ring. I think the pads play too much of a role in fighters training routines these days. Just think about it, there's never been a time in the history of the sport where the pads have been used as much and we're getting less punchers and more flaws. I think there's a lot of things wrong with overusing the pads and a lot of trainers are doing that these days. They're shortchanging their fighters, imo.

Now, I'm not against using the pads. I think they have a place and i really like the Mayweather padwork routine. I think it's good for conditioning and reflexes and keeping your eyes sharp. But the problem is it's been substituted for things like the heavy bag which is MUCH more important and effective imo. The bag is not being usedTHAT much or enough today. That's what you use to develop your power and believe it or not technique too. The pads are too much of a fad now. There needs to be a better balance.

The other problem with the pads is and especially using the Mayweather routine, it's not ganna work for everyone. And more importantly it's too random and not specific. What i mean by that is, fighters should be working on specific punches they will be throwing during the fight. I believe the key to learning is repetition and they should concentrating on the punches they will be throwing in their upcoming fight. Making sure the fighters are punching correctly and creating muscle memory for those specific punches. So they become instinctive. The mitts can sometimes be a little smoke and mirrors. A fighter can look great on the pads but not be effectively readying himself for his fight.

Like i say, i'm not against the Mayweather style mitt routine. I think it has certain benefits and if used in the right way by someone who knows what they using them for it's great. It does really benefit certain fighters. Here's some food for thought though. Some of the greatest combination punchers in history NEVER used pads.

 

Good post as ever Slip, Interested to know the fighters who didn't use mitts? and why was that if you know. Very interesting..

I agree i don't dislike the Mayweather pads, they have there place and if you notice Floyd works a heavybag a great deal. I get impression Tunde's overlooking key points of development.

I'd like to see if that kid could punch well cos if he's using that pad system all time along with light bag work and light sparring the kids development is being hindered IMO.

When i boxed i'd go from bag to bag, dunno what you lads did when you'd trained...

my regime in gym was...

6x3 skipping
4x3 shadow boxing
2x3 pads
4x3 sparring
6x3 bags (light/heavy)
circuit

I remember doing 50 rounds worth of work on a friday night session at the old King Georges ABC.

Working in gym is so important, i loved the christmas break to recharge batteries but also feared it cos the first session back was a nightmare shaking rust off. How likes of Hatton did what they did to body is beyond me.

Keys for a young fighter is sparring (conditioned and quality work) and i agree with Slip's post on heavybag work from another thread. Really does help the fighters shoulders and develops power.

I must admit as i type this i can see the mittwork being a bit over used when i look back shots get repeated a great deal and i'd substitute a round of mitt work for another round of sparring.

 

Ray Robinson and Joe Louis are the best examples. Couldn't get a better combination puncher than Ray Robinson. These guys didn't need pads they thrived on perfecting the basics and many of the great trainers were not fans of them. People could say maybe they just didn't have it available and they would've used them today, but the results and end product speaks for themselves. Many of the great fighters routines were simple and not convoluted. It was simplicity with complex results.

I just think hitting the mitts again and again could get you into a certain stale state of mind. It's equivalent to a get rich quick type of scheme.

It all comes back to balance though. Pads should be used as a supplement and not a substitute. Remember also that there's different types of bags that for me give just as much or better than what you get from the mitts.

Our regime was similar to yours, Mand.

8 mins Shadow boxing
15 mins jump rope
10 mins pads
20 mins heavybag
Aerobic excercises

That was on a day with no sparring. The sparring days would be less heavy duty bag work.

If i knew what i know today i would completely change it. We did a lot of things wrong. Not enough sparring for example.

 

In other sport talent can get you further than in combat. More is required of the mind and body in combat.

In football, a team mate can pick up the slack and the manager can only give you 20 minutes if you aren't fit. In boxing, you get tired, you get battered.

In tennis, you are very technical and fit but then its a different ball game executing you when your hands are swollen and you've just been hit low.

 

If you screw up in tennis it's 15-love. If you screw up in boxing it's your ass!

I knew you wanted to say it...

 

[ame]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IBBiQx8bMDU[/ame]