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Because the opposite of something is the same. What you consider "crude" and "street fighting" can be considered skillful if you look at it from a specific way. There's an art to brawling after all, just as there's an art to outfighting. Usually most brawlers are great counter punchers. They are skilled at landing one punch counters carrying their body weight, and Mayorga was not just any brawler. Let's be clear here, he was a world champion at one point. You don't get to that point by being crude and of low skill. A crude street fighter wouldn't have the right type of muscle memory, stamina, chin and counter punching ability to get the level he did.
I believe that there's skill to every single style. I think the main problem here is that the audience of this sport believes that "skills" inside of the ring can only come in one package. Once upon a time brawlers and inside fighters and even excessive clinchers were considered skillful.
When it comes to the fight itself...
I think that unfortunately for Forrest, Mayorga's favorite punch is the overhand right. This is a punch that Forrest's muscle memory wasn't trained for. It's that simple to be honest with you. When we fight we can't really think in there, your body is for the most part working on the data that's stored in it. The repetitions on the pads, mitts, etc is what pretty much comes out. For whatever reason he just couldn't deal with that punch and Mayorga found openings to land single counters with it often. Also for some psychological reason that I can't explain. Tall fighters are usually susceptible to that punch. This is a good article on the use of the overhand in striking:
Roy Nelson: The Art of a Hundred Overhands | FIGHTLAND
You feel that after decades in the sport, and amateur success that saw him make the olympic team, Vernon hadn't ever seen a right hand before?!?!? Have to say I disagree with pretty much everything you wrote.
Brawling doesn't take skill, you use it to negate superior skill. Mayorga wasn't clever at all, and other than Forrest, maybe Andrew Lewis, and possibly Cory Spinks (if you give Mayorga that fight), Ricardo didn't beat any world class fighters (Vargas was a completely shot fighter when they fought).
Inside fighting is different than throwing haymakers and being overly aggressive. JC Superstar, Jose Luis Castillo, and Duran are all examples of skillful inside fighters. They fought rough on the inside, but they never neglected defense and always had a method to their madness. Look at Mayorga vs Oscar and Tito. Talk about a chasm in technique and skills, those two humiliated him. Vernon was on their level, so he should've never lost to a crude fighter like Mayorga, but overconfidence and hubris caught Up with him.
The question, again, is whether others feel Vernon was hyped, or if the overconfidence, shoulder injury, or mental aspects got the best of him. Appreciate your input, just think we view things much differently and will have to agree to disagree.
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