Felix Trinidad: Best Left Hook of the Last 30 Years?

[SweetPea]

Just to respond to a few of the names mentioned:

Tyson- had a devestating left hook, but when I think of Tyson, I think of straight right hands and uppercuts, those were his true money punches and the punches he scored most of his KO's on

Lewis- definitely doesn't belong on the list. his entire attack was based on the left jab and right cross. The left hook was an afterthought to Lewis.

Mayweather- the left hook has been a big punch for him, but he has nowhere near the power in his left hook that Trinidad had in his prime. Mayweather is a great fighter because of his defense, not his punching. Could you imagine if a prime Tito at 147 landed a flush left hook on Ricky Hatton?

Micky Ward- ya he had a good left hook to the body, but the fighters he was landing left hooks on weren't even remotely the same caliber as TIto's opponents.

De La Hoya- I figured his name would come up, and he definitely has a great left hook. But I don't think his hook had the power of Tito's. Look at their fights with Vargas. Oscar knocked out Vargas with a hook, but not until after he had picked him apart and worked his body for 10 rounds. Tito badly hurt Vargas with the first left hook he landed, only 20 seconds into the fight.

[donnydarkoIRL]

Ice: Yeah that was a great KO Ice. Curry was a fine champion and he doesn't really get the credit he deserves because that aura of indestructability was shattered so profoundly by Honeyghan.

[oakleyno1]

Just to respond to a few of the names mentioned:

Tyson- had a devestating left hook, but when I think of Tyson, I think of straight right hands and uppercuts, those were his true money punches and the punches he scored most of his KO's on

Lewis- definitely doesn't belong on the list. his entire attack was based on the left jab and right cross. The left hook was an afterthought to Lewis.

Mayweather- the left hook has been a big punch for him, but he has nowhere near the power in his left hook that Trinidad had in his prime. Mayweather is a great fighter because of his defense, not his punching. Could you imagine if a prime Tito at 147 landed a flush left hook on Ricky Hatton?

Micky Ward- ya he had a good left hook to the body, but the fighters he was landing left hooks on weren't even remotely the same caliber as TIto's opponents.

De La Hoya- I figured his name would come up, and he definitely has a great left hook. But I don't think his hook had the power of Tito's. Look at their fights with Vargas. Oscar knocked out Vargas with a hook, but not until after he had picked him apart and worked his body for 10 rounds. Tito badly hurt Vargas with the first left hook he landed, only 20 seconds into the fight.

*1 - Tysons right hand only really came into prominance after he came out of jail, aty least he definetly used it alot more, his left hook was his money punch b4 1990 along with his left hook to the body then left upper to the head.

*2 Hatton at welter yes i cant remember if trinidad foughyt at light welter but im sure if hatton could take kostyas there then he could take a fair few of trinidads aswell.

[DaxxKahn]

Julio Cesar Chavez
Roy Jones Jr
Tommy Morrison
David Tua
Mike Tyson
Oscar De La Hoya
Floyd Mayweather Jr
Gerry Cooney
Micky Ward
Felix Trinidad

They all come to mind straight away.

CC very good list of left hookers...Tommy's is probably the most powerful...not just due to him being a HW either....

DLH's has always used it as his signature punch

Tommy Hearns always had a vicious left hook to the body

[skyler]

2 words:

David Tua

[Jimanuel Boogustus]

Ice, that left-hook was sick.
Thats the sort of shot that makes you not want to throw a single punch!

[ThomasTabin]

what makes for a good left hook is your technique in addition to your ability to land the punch flush. If you notice Tito stood very square with his weight over his left leg. His left foot was flat and his right foot was lifted on the ball of the foot. So he was always ready to throw a left hook. You'll also notice that his right hand was always kept high up right on the cheek while his left hand has held slightly lower and out and tended to drift. This allowed him to be looser with his left hand meaning he would always be ready to let it go. Tito was a walking left hook.

Tito's style basically centered around slipping punches and throwing the quick whipping left hook counter. You can see how ineffective Tito was whenever he fought someone who didn't allow him to counter them either by moving away from his left hook or throwing punches without enough commitment to fully counter.


Watch Tito follow De la Hoya and Hopkins round after round doing nothing because he was always laying in wait to counter something with his left hook. This is the great weakness to his style. Since he was so centered around throwing that left hook counter if you could take that option away from him he was completely nullified. But if you engaged him and allowed him opportunities to counter you with his left hook you were in great danger. Tito was one of the best ever at countering with the left hook.

[ICB]

Julio Cesar Chavez
Roy Jones Jr
Tommy Morrison
David Tua
Mike Tyson
Oscar De La Hoya
Floyd Mayweather Jr
Gerry Cooney
Micky Ward
Felix Trinidad

They all come to mind straight away.

CC very good list of left hookers...Tommy's is probably the most powerful...not just due to him being a HW either....

DLH's has always used it as his signature punch

Tommy Hearns always had a vicious left hook to the body

back.

[SweetPea]

Just to respond to a few of the names mentioned:

Tyson- had a devestating left hook, but when I think of Tyson, I think of straight right hands and uppercuts, those were his true money punches and the punches he scored most of his KO's on

Lewis- definitely doesn't belong on the list. his entire attack was based on the left jab and right cross. The left hook was an afterthought to Lewis.

Mayweather- the left hook has been a big punch for him, but he has nowhere near the power in his left hook that Trinidad had in his prime. Mayweather is a great fighter because of his defense, not his punching. Could you imagine if a prime Tito at 147 landed a flush left hook on Ricky Hatton?

Micky Ward- ya he had a good left hook to the body, but the fighters he was landing left hooks on weren't even remotely the same caliber as TIto's opponents.

De La Hoya- I figured his name would come up, and he definitely has a great left hook. But I don't think his hook had the power of Tito's. Look at their fights with Vargas. Oscar knocked out Vargas with a hook, but not until after he had picked him apart and worked his body for 10 rounds. Tito badly hurt Vargas with the first left hook he landed, only 20 seconds into the fight.

*1 - Tysons right hand only really came into prominance after he came out of jail, aty least he definetly used it alot more, his left hook was his money punch b4 1990 along with his left hook to the body then left upper to the head.

*2 Hatton at welter yes i cant remember if trinidad foughyt at light welter but im sure if hatton could take kostyas there then he could take a fair few of trinidads aswell.

Tszyu wasn't a great left hooker, his punch was the straight right (ask Zab Judah).

[Taeth]

I don't think Trinidad's speed or timing was any worse that it has been in his last 4-5 fights... I think Roy knows how to stop and opponent from landing that fight. I don't think he has the best left hook of the last 30 years because that has to belong to Mike Tyson IMO, and then Trinidad, Jones, the rest of them follow suit... Personally I would put ROy's above Tito's because he could use it instead of a jab, he could hit as hard as anyone with it, he could throw it as a combination by itself.

[CutMeMick]

Morrisons hook was a thing of power & precision.

JCC
Tua


To throw other names out there not as a candidates but just mentions:
Nelson
Gatti
Lacy - he most certainly had it early in his career
MAB
Olivares
Cotto
Hatton

[tiger]

these are my three favourite hookers

trinidad
roy jones jnr
oscar dela hoya

if i had to give a edge 4 pound 4 pound power il probably give it oscar bc he was a natural left hander then trinidad. but i think roy might of had the better left hook out of the 3 bc it was quicker and he could throw the left hook long. however too close to call

[Puya]

Well not to say who used it better but Tito's left hook was a thing of beauty

[donnydarkoIRL]

Well not to say who used it better but Tito's left hook was a thing of beauty

Puya I just saw your sig!!!
Is that you mate!!!
CC you lucky .........

[El Kabong]

Roy Jones Jr had the best left hook, he could load up on it (like he did vs Griffin) and he could throw it multiple times in a row....lots of power, lots of speed, very accurate.

Mike Tyson had a great left hook it started and ended many combinations that led to the demise of lots of fighters.