The all things technical thread.

That makes him sound like a notorious slow starter.

 

Ray Leonard was a complete killer. He actually finishes higher on my list of finishers then he does p4p.

On Roach. I think his gameplans, cornerwork and advise is solid. But it's more to do with what he teaches/doesn't and his approach. He's done great things for his fighters, but they all have the same flaw.

 

I'll do that a little later, Luke. In terms of history. But the best finishers I have seen in my lifetime are Leonard, Hearns, Pryor, Trinidad, Tyson, Duran, Norris, McClellan, Lopez, Oscar and Pacquaio. Today we have few blood thirsty killers once their man is ready to go.

I would honestly put Ray Leonard near Robinson and Louis in terms of the greatest finishers. Leonard is not usually put in their class because they are better overall punchers. But he is, imo.

I'll try best finishers of the last 30 years. No order.

Mike Tyson- No need for explanation.
Thomas Hearns- No explanation needed.

Finito Lopez- Set fighters up and then Marmalised them in the ending. They didn't get up. He could also finish you with either hand.

Aaron Pryor- Not a huge one punch ko guy , but yet he had an unreal ko run. The reason is he smelled blood and never let guys off the hook. Arguello, Cervantes and just about everybody else he fought before he annexed the IBF title.

Ray Leonard- Leonard was a complete killer when he got you hurt. Tommy Hearns, Donny Lalonde, Kalule, Floyd Mayweather Sr. Bruce Finch, Dave Green, etc. Anyone who was lesser got destroyed.

Felix Trinidad- Trinidad was lights out when he hurt you. He started to forget about his left hook to the body later on but boy was he a finisher.

Michael Spinks- Michael Spinks was a crazy man when he hurt you. Look at the Mustafa Wassaja and Yaqui Lopez fights.

Gerald McClellan- McClellan was such a great finisher he could force knockouts. All three of his middleweight title defenses were 1st round knockouts because he simply did not believe in letting inferior fighters hang around with him.

Manny Pacquiao- I know he did not finish Marquez and he's been signing silent peace treaties late, but Marquez is super resilient. Pacquiao is the king of those long sustained beat downs. He does it all the time with that swarming style and now with his punch variety, it’s very hard to go the distance with Manny if he has you hurt and wants to finish.

Those are the guys along with Norris who stand out to me as far as best finishers of the last 30 years.

 

Not all pressure fighters are good or understand how to fight inside.

Roach is probably the greatest trainer of this era. But three of his top guys have shown me the same weakness. Amir Khan, Jorge Linares and Manny Pacquiao can not find a rest in a fight. And none of them know how to clinch. They are all offensive machines.

As good as Manny is , when he wants to rest he holds his guard up high and lets his opponents get off in spots. The difference between Manny and Khan and Linares is, Manny has an insane chin and his stamina is better than the two younger guys. I've said this would comeback to haunt them one day and it already has with Khan and Linares.

I actually give Manny a little more of a break, because he is so smaller guy fighting bigger men. It’s tough for a guy 5’6 to take off a round and steal a rest against a 5’11 dog.

But Linares and Khan are long rangey guys, and they can’t do it either. I have now seen Linares and Khan both in big trouble and neither executed an effective clinch. They both showed heart and imitated Manny and told their opponents to keep bringing it. Both of those kids are very good talents, but there's only one Manny Pacquiao.

All his fighters are also open to the same punch. The uppercut. They all get hit with that punch over and over.