Ring SERIOUSLY hammers modern boxing in favour of classic this month: Punchers

I've honestly never read such a flat out mauling in the modern press of modern boxing, this is a real kicking. It makes classic boxing's superiority (which I don't entirely agree with) seem like it's an open secret. Some choice quotes.

"Flat Statement: Fighters don't know how to punch any more."

Ring then talks through some of the likely "explanations" for this, without really fully justifying the opinion IMO (though there are some choice quotes from top men).

1.
"Many of history's great punchers were heavyweights. The heavyweigh division enters the second decade of a dry spell we can forget about seeing another Joe Louis anytime soon."


2.
"Fighters jump weight classes more frequently than in the past, and they aren't bringing their punch with them."

3.
"Boxing's health hazards have become more publicized, fighters have become more defensive."

4.
"Fighters from different parts of the world are coming into prominence, and driving a man's nose into his brain doesn't play as well in Finland as it does in America."

But...

"...simply put, the real gunslingers of boxing - the real single-shot knockout punchers - are vanishing more quickly than the Bengal tiger."


So the ring talks this out with Joe Goosen, Emanuel Steward and Harold Knight. Here are some of their opinions on why punchers have evaporated.


Goosen:
"The de-evolution of punching can be traced to the revamped amateur system, where 10 pitter-pat punches are woth more than a KD...they don't turn their knuckles. There is a spin technique to punching. They don't know how to put the blade of the axe to work. They don't know how to read the body language of the opponent, to know when he might be ready to go. There is less of a problem with fighters from Mexico, because they turn pro early.

The safety first mindset has turned amateur boxing sterile."

This is pretty hellish stuff and whilst i've often remarked upon the distance now between the am and pro codes, this is way further than i've ever gone. Thoughts?


Emanuel Steward:
"You can't make a fist in some of the new foam gloves...and the pad drills...I introduced the pads. But when my guys hit the pads my entire body would shudder...now the fighter goes pop-pop-pop. They put on a show, but they aren't learning to hit with full power...[a fighter] will see some unknown trainer who can't tape hands...but they'll see him working the pads with some going pop-pop-pop and they'll say, "I want him as my trainer." It's like they're hypnotised. The trainer is meeting the punch halfway...they're slapping eachother."

This really, really rings bells in terms of the observation I think.


Goosen:
"Young amateurs, and mos of the pros now, are using big boxing gloves to hit the heavy bags. Their hands are wrapped in double wraps, with an inch and a half of padding on the knuckles. They they go into the fight with miniscule amounts of tape and 8 ounce gloves.

"How hard is the steel going to be if it isn't tempered?"


Both Goosen and Steward agree that punchers are not made but taught, and that this teaching is boiling down. Goosen names Nunn who he claims "was a slapper; i taught him how to knock people out with one punch. Steward claims no less than Tommy: "I showed him how to shift his weight and lock his wrist. He was a learned puncher, not natural.


Knight:
"It comes down to them not being taught the basics. Paul Williams should be a big puncher. But he isn't utilizing all of his natural gifts. Amir Khan does some things right, but I don't think of him as a complete fighter. We give fighters today to much credit for doing to little. Very few fighters today are complete fighters...they don't fight often enough, they aren't around older fighters. How can they learn new tricks...they're slow to shake off their amateur habits. Many won't adapt to the pro style.


Bad training.
Bad amateur background.
Fighting to infrequently.
Fear of risk.
Poor technique.

This is a pretty ****ing devastating list, and a lot of it is coming not just from the most respected Boxing journal in the world, but from three of the world's most respected trainers. Pretty harsh stuff.


"When asked to name a few of the quality punchers working today, Steward took a long pause. He mumbled Pacquiao's name, said something about Pacquiao's using angles. Then he sighed. "You got me. I can't think of one. It's a bad generation."

 

Carry on old bean, that's a lovely thread.