The slackers

I walked into a conversation last week about boxers who had some bad training habits. The guys who had good success but let's just say they weren't gym rats and could be lazy. I heard a guy say Foreman in the 90's was a "fat slob". Couldn't disagree more, he was simply a dude in his 40's who had not fought in a decade. If anything Foreman of the 70's was more 'lazy' imo. In approach or mental preparation.

Anyway...Tim Witherspoon. The guy just blew some serious talent and years.
Duran???... After being a buzzsaw at lightweight he still found great success but the man could enjoy the rewards a bit much.
Jose Luis Lopez...May fall into the 'shoulda been' category but had some solid fights. He also got stoned a lot and partied hard.

Its often tough to say with some guys who were hot and cold. Maybe it boiled down to their training habits or maybe they were just basket cases. Im thinking the likes of Zab Judah, terry norris, Golota etc. They certainly never appeared to be out of shape.. Then as you mention Duran, or someone like Hatton, who became fat fucks after fighting but always came to give it their all. James Toney has to be in here, he lost a few that were just inexcusable for a guy with his skills. Chavez jr is one, though he was never all that good, he was obviously entitled and didnt like to train, his loss to Brian vera was hilarious. Broner as well, he might have lost the same fights no matter what, but if he took training seriously and stayed at his proper weight class he couldve done more.

Those are some great ones. Different bad habits definitely on levels boxer to boxer. Duran had the best of both worlds maybe as in his later years he could pull off the pudgy ol man thanks to decades experience and skill. Guys like Broner and Chavez jr were as you say just not all they were made out to be, especially Jr. Both blew up, missed weights and were handed much more than most. Golota was more mental. He had some missing particle that could frustrate everyone affiliated with him. The guy could box well stayed in shape and had the pop but ffs if he wasn't trying to neuter Bowe he was chewing on Sampson Pouhas chest, trying to head butt some guy or pulling a complete no mas after brutalizing Grant. The guy was friggin nutty! Hatton and Chavez sr also got fat and never saw a cold brew they could walk by.

I think Tyson Fury was a slacker but has got his act together and seems to be staying in shape. I think he knows he is wasting his peak years by being lazy, over eating and taking drugs.

AJ is the opposite, always in good condition.

Nothing worse than a talented boxer not prepared to train hard. It is one thing to take it easy and recharge the body whilst not training for a fight and another to let it go so much that you become fat and obese. It takes extra effort to get back in shape and must take years off a boxing career as it did with Ricky Hatton and maybe Mike Tyson.

Great thread and great choices so far. Jose Luis Lopez was a beast who was in the discussion with Quartey, Tito, and Oscar but wanted to surf and smoke pot more than train (can’t say I blame him). Most of my list are frustrating fighters who had great talent and had great performances when in great shape, but were inconsistent for large portions of their careers.
1. Most heavyweights from the 80s- Page, Dokes, Pinklon Thomas...etc.
2. Ray Mercer- watch his wars with Evander and Lennox, and contrast with his losses to Furgesson and Larry Holmes.
3. Emanuel Augustus: Great fights against Floyd, Ward...etc., and then lose to a nobody due to a lack of focus and condition
4. Riddick Bowe
5. Buster Douglas
6. James Toney
7. Evander- one of my fave fighters who many will initially disagree with me on due to the fact that he was always ripped and a physical specimen, but he disregarded cardio for a few fights. Think of him vs Toney, Lennox Lewis, Vaughn Bean, and the first fight vs Moorer. He was gassing Hardin those fights.
8. Whitaker- late in his career he became a coke monster and partied too much. He was already in the decline vs Oscar and he kept that fight close despite partying most of his camp.

When you say Hatton was a slacker (and he was the first one I thought of) then you have to think again. When Hatton was in camp, he trained like an absolute dog. He had to to fight in the style he fought, no slacking then.
So it made me think of slackers , people mostly at HW because they don’t have to make a particular weight, but there are some at lesser weights that make the weight but don’t have to put in the work.
Modern day HW , you have to say Miller, he can fluctuate 20lbs , so that shows a lack of discipline. Lower weights , maybe Kovalev, who genetically probably doesn’t struggle to make weight, but hits the Vodka hard regardless. On the domestic scene, Frankie Gavin. Not particularly big for his weight, but always struggles to make it. That’s what I would perceive as a slacker.
I’ll try to think of some others.

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Originally Posted by mikeeod

Great thread and great choices so far. Jose Luis Lopez was a beast who was in the discussion with Quartey, Tito, and Oscar but wanted to surf and smoke pot more than train (can’t say I blame him). Most of my list are frustrating fighters who had great talent and had great performances when in great shape, but were inconsistent for large portions of their careers.
1. Most heavyweights from the 80s- Page, Dokes, Pinklon Thomas...etc.
2. Ray Mercer- watch his wars with Evander and Lennox, and contrast with his losses to Furgesson and Larry Holmes.
3. Emanuel Augustus: Great fights against Floyd, Ward...etc., and then lose to a nobody due to a lack of focus and condition
4. Riddick Bowe
5. Buster Douglas
6. James Toney
7. Evander- one of my fave fighters who many will initially disagree with me on due to the fact that he was always ripped and a physical specimen, but he disregarded cardio for a few fights. Think of him vs Toney, Lennox Lewis, Vaughn Bean, and the first fight vs Moorer. He was gassing Hardin those fights.
8. Whitaker- late in his career he became a coke monster and partied too much. He was already in the decline vs Oscar and he kept that fight close despite partying most of his camp.

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Holyfield!!!! How dare you.

Evander was injured when he fought Moorer, I think it was his shoulder. He could not get his punches off and it showed exactly what he could do injury free when he had the rematch.

A fit Holyfield never loses to Moorer. I also think Holyfield was old when he lost those other fights so should not count. Same with Sweet Pea.

The Poster Boy for Slackers


http://www.boxing.com/images/sized/i..._3-530x317.jpg



It was just a front though, IMO. He really trained hard. He just liked to live hard also.

Yeah Hatton was an absolute beast in training, had to be given the state he got himself into.

Toney springs to mind of course.

But Tito has just nailed it with the ultimate slacker Mayorga. Didn't pop to mind but as soon as he pops up it's 'ah yeah, that's the winner'. For all I know he trained like an animal, but still...
Was my hero in my student days. The definition of 'a fighting man'.

Kirkland Laing. The all time undisputed champion slacker. Mickey Duff's people searching all over London, dragging a hungover and stoned Laing out of bed so they can get him to the Albert Hall in time for a fight on the bill that evening is difficult to beat.

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Originally Posted by Kirkland Laing

Kirkland Laing. The all time undisputed champion slacker. Mickey Duff's people searching all over London, dragging a hungover and stoned Laing out of bed so they can get him to the Albert Hall in time for a fight on the bill that evening is difficult to beat.

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Beats Roberto Duran and takes a year off.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Master

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Kirkland Laing

Kirkland Laing. The all time undisputed champion slacker. Mickey Duff's people searching all over London, dragging a hungover and stoned Laing out of bed so they can get him to the Albert Hall in time for a fight on the bill that evening is difficult to beat.

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Beats Roberto Duran and takes a year off.

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Disappeared for a year. They couldn't find him to get him in training for another fight.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by TitoFan

The Poster Boy for Slackers


http://www.boxing.com/images/sized/i..._3-530x317.jpg



It was just a front though, IMO. He really trained hard. He just liked to live hard also.

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Thankfully I haven't seen the video ;D but sounds like he was hammered out easily last night by a guy in his pro debut.

Toney is a real good one. At middle it always felt he was struggling with weight limit and it cost him (should have) in a fight or two. Toney would could carry the slacker tag over to in the ring also. A fine line between a calm calculator looking for the perfect 6 inch inside counter or the guy who laid back and at times looked to time out rounds.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by mikeeod

Great thread and great choices so far. Jose Luis Lopez was a beast who was in the discussion with Quartey, Tito, and Oscar but wanted to surf and smoke pot more than train (can’t say I blame him). Most of my list are frustrating fighters who had great talent and had great performances when in great shape, but were inconsistent for large portions of their careers.
1. Most heavyweights from the 80s- Page, Dokes, Pinklon Thomas...etc.
2. Ray Mercer- watch his wars with Evander and Lennox, and contrast with his losses to Furgesson and Larry Holmes.
3. Emanuel Augustus: Great fights against Floyd, Ward...etc., and then lose to a nobody due to a lack of focus and condition
4. Riddick Bowe
5. Buster Douglas
6. James Toney
7. Evander- one of my fave fighters who many will initially disagree with me on due to the fact that he was always ripped and a physical specimen, but he disregarded cardio for a few fights. Think of him vs Toney, Lennox Lewis, Vaughn Bean, and the first fight vs Moorer. He was gassing Hardin those fights.
8. Whitaker- late in his career he became a coke monster and partied too much. He was already in the decline vs Oscar and he kept that fight close despite partying most of his camp.

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Took every one I thought of!