Why did Whitaker get a reputation as boring?

You have to understand nuance, to appreciate Whitaker. Many fans just appreciate aggression. I mean many Mexicans still think Ramirez and Chavez legitatimately beat Whitaker.

Whitaker was a fantastic fighter.

That said, I can understand why many fans found him boring.

His defense was extraordinary and there was never any two way action in his fights.

He dominated McGirt and Chavez, as well as Ramirez.

And he wasn't a big puncher so a lot of fights he dominated went the full distance.

I was at the second McGirt fight. McGirt was a one handed fighter at that point having damaged his left rotator cuff.

Whitaker dominated but the fight was seriously devoid of action.

 

defensive fights are sometimes seen as boring. Benitez was also in his day. Pernell had that kind of crawly style which he has referred to as the matrix where he would move and guys would miss him because of his head movement and resetting, and the whole fight was that way round after round.

 

Because he had several absolutely boring fights and even in fights that weren't boring he cruised at the end of fights rarely trying to finish guys late

 

Because he was boring

 

You're swimming against the tide here buddy. That one rep that not going to change anytime soon.

 

because the casual guy loves watching 2 men hit each other in the face and see blood spillage.

 

And the suits at HBO & Showime wanted the ko's. And exciting styles. But Duva and Main Events was pretty powerful themselves at the time so they could keep him on those networks and not alter his style or submit to that pressure.

I think that is a major reason another boxer type altered his style around that time to make the networks happy and his promoter did not have the juice to fight it; the Goosen's and Michael Nunn.

Just a theory. But if the networks were telling the promoters and managers what they wanted or preferred, don't think for a nanosecond that message is not conveyed to the fighter.

 

Nunn was safety first all the way up through the Toney loss. He only got flat footed when he moved up to 168 lbs.

The Kalambay fight was an aberration and he wasn't ecactly going toe to toe with Toney. He just got caught

 

Disagree.

He fought Barkley much different than other guys. He slugged with Roldan as well. Both of those guys were made to order for a pick and peck and keep them off balance w/ that tall rangy southpaw style. But long gone where the pick and peck days. And I do not think the Nunn's legs went as the reason for the style change.

 

Whitaker and May weather were the 2 most boring lighter weight fighters in my lifetime. A fight between the two could raise the stock in NoDose. Just writing their names I want to fall aslee..........

 

Because he was boring. He always did just enough to win. Boooooooring.

 

He was and he did. And he was a *****.

But he was a great fighter.