Patience, Relaxation & Mental Toughness are underrated attributes for boxers

Roy Jones was very relaxed. If he had been more tense, I think he would have been much easier to hit.

As for patience, what about Joe Frazier? In his first fight with Ali, I think his patience made that bit of difference that turned the tide. He didn't try to bomb Ali out early, but simply looked to make Ali miss and build up damage to the body. That sounds obvious, but when you consider the huge pressure and momentum in that fight, Frazier's control was amazing.

Joe Louis was relaxed and ultra-patient.

Carl Thompson was by no means a great (except in the heart department), but his relaxation, patience and sheer mental strength won him several fights. Most famously, against Haye's barrage he locked down, weathered the storm and fought through the punishment to force a stoppage. A real "Rocky" moment, but it was as much due to his staying cool under pressure during the early rounds and waiting out the early rounds while Haye punched himself out.

[ame]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DhWh3tN5s4M[/ame]

 

Good post.

The more I think about, I have to see Norton's "china chin" as mostly mental, for example. He was supremely well muscled at 215, with very powerful shoulders and neck. Physically there's no reason to believe he could be overwhelmed as easily as he did. I think Futch was right in his estimation.

 

Fine points.

 

Sweet Saoul Mamby was highly noted for calmness in competition, and Gil Clancy repeatedly made note of that even when Leroy Haley dethroned him via questionable SD for the WBC LWW Title in June 1982. To compete until 60 and get stopped only once (at age 46) is obscene. He had natural skills and speed, superb conditioning, a terrific chin, and there was little he didn't do by the book, but this Jewish convert Vietnam veteran Bronx native of Spanish-Jamaican descent (obviously an extremely interesting character) brought poise into the ring above all else.

Mamby should have had won his title three years earlier than he did, but was robbed against Saensak Muangsurin by a hometown SD which even Muangsurin's Thai partisans found disturbing. Saoul was unjustly deprived of what should have a reign of half a dozen years or more. He could well have held the belt from 1977 to 1984 with fair and accurate scoring.

Very highly respected by fellow professionals, Larry Holmes even hired Saoul on as his trainer in late career. Even in his 40s, Mamby was known to defeat much younger opponents by wearing them down and overtaking them, and he came from behind to retire Gary Hinton in nine for his final major stoppage win.

 

My top 12, in no particular order, would be:

Jose Napoles
Carlos Ortiz
Carlos Monzon
Pernell Whitaker
Joey Giardello
Salvador Sanchez
Luis Manuel Rodriguez
Ray Robinson
Eder Jofre
Kid Gavilan
Billy Graham
Jimmy Carter (when he wasn't rigged to lose)

 

It's very wasy to tense up in sparring when meeting a better and/or bigger opponent, I've noticed. It's really a skill you have to work on.

 

A fantastic case sample of a fighter being way over stiff and tense is McCrory vs Curry.

 

Jerry Quarry was really laid back and relaxed when he dominated Spencer, but tighter than a crab's ass for the rematch with Ali, and seeing him panting in his corner, still huffing and puffing at the end of the rest period following round six is a revelation. For Jerry's shot at Frazier in 1969, Joe was noticeably more relaxed than he was, and JQ was guaranteed to wind down and succumb even without sustaining any facial damage. Jerry needed Norton's hypnotist to help him calm down.

Being something of a stereotypical California dude, nervous tension is something JQ should not have been undermined by. I think the pressure his father put on him sabotaged his basic nature. Jerry was very cool and easygoing in his broadcasting duties during the late 1970s, a stark contrast to the overexcited delivery of Bobick's loud commentaries.

 

Not a bad analogy. Mamby himself figured he had only two or three more fights left in him following that first match with Haley, yet he trucked on for over a quarter century and 35 fights more after first winning KO Magazine's "Archie Moore Old Man River Keeps on Running" annual award. Saoul was a very dedicated rope skipper, and his legs were like rubber bands. With respect to conditioning, he's an example of the primacy of rope jumping over road work for ongoing maintenance. (Too much running can grind a body down unless the bio-mechanics are skilled and flawless. As Holyfield has gotten older, he's had to cut back on his mileage. Skipping rope doesn't typically ruin knees and other joints like that.)

Saoul was a mature 22 years old when he first took up boxing. Sometimes, a later start translates into a longer career, especially when one has fully matured and developed coordination to begin with. The Quarry brothers, Ali and Benitez were all kids when they started taking punches to the head and sustaining brain damage. (Ali had the latest start of those four at age 12.) Mamby was better able to defend himself in sparring and competition from the beginning.

Although DeJesus was an ancient 28 when the 33 year old Mamby retired him on the Holmes-LeDoux undercard, that should not take away from Saoul's fine performance. Since Holmes-LeDoux is on youtube, I expect that Mamby-DeJesus will eventually join it. Mamby is a textbook technician worthy of study by young boxers.