Which fighters would do best

[dee_z_r]

recokn hopkins would

[RozzySean]

I don't know a lot about the specific methods that Tyson and D'Amato used, so you guys are probably right about preparation then.

I've read that Tyson and D'Amato watched a lot of film together. I'm not sure if they spent a lot of time looking at specific opponents for preparation, but he studied the game. When he was young and focused, at least some thought when into his aggression.

[ICB]

If you made all the fighters train hard as if they were getting ready for a prize fight, but they had no idea who they were fighting, which fighters would be the best this?

Guys I think are obvious are
Roy JOnes Jr
Joe Calzaghe
Miguel Cotto
Floyd Mayweather Jr
Whitaker
Leonard
James Toney
Mosley(maybe not the most natural, but he is too fast and too durable to not give anyone a hard fight... except Winky)

IMO these are guys who are so natural in there that they can adapt really easily in fights that preparation for them is more to get their body in shape and their minds focused and sharp.

Guys who I don't think would do as well
Lennox Lewis
Manny Pacquiao
Bernard Hopkins
Oscar De La Hoya
Mike Tyson
Jermain Taylor


These guys IMO seem to train perfectly for who they are fighting, they know how they are going to fight a fight before it happens.



This is a silly little thing, but you can add whoever you want to either list.

I'll just do one for each weightclass that makes it easier for me.

Heavyweight: Muhammad Ali
Cruiserweight: Evander Holyfield
Light Heavyweight: Archie Moore/Roy Jones Jr/Ezzard Charles
Super Middleweight: James Toney/Joe Calzaghe
Middleweight: Marvin Hagler/Bernard Hopkins
Jr Middleweight: Mike McCallum/Winky Wright
Welterweight: Sugar Ray Leonard
Jr Welterweight: Aaron Pryor
Lightweight: Pernell Whitaker
Super Featherweight: Floyd Mayweather Jr/Azumah Nelson
Featherweight: Salvador Sanchez/Willie Pep/Juan Manuel Marquez
Super Bantamweight: Wilfredo Gomez/Marco Antonio Barrera
Bantamweight: Rafael Marquez
Super Flyweight: Johnny Tapia
Flyweight: Miguel Canto
Jr Flyweight: Michael Carbajal
Minimumweight: Ricardo Lopez

Well i lied i couldn't do one for each weightclass because it was too hard but whatever.

[Tarugo]

Don't belittle Manny Pacquiao in this department.

He has this shock and awe factor. His fury atop the ring. That's his basic style. That's a good style for a round-robin boxing competition where you don't know who your opponents will be. With this style, any unprepared opponent will get the shock of their lives. Though he was considered a one-trick pony during his early days in the US, boxing greats Barrera and Marquez got a taste of this fury, but even with their preparation, they did not know what hit them. But knowing the grit of Marquez, he adapted but he was almost victimized.

His opponents were always surprised by his speed and power. And he's awkward. And they were prepared for him but still lost because people tend to underestimate his speed. His sheer volume of punches and non-stop pressure will overwhelm any unprepared opponent. What more if they're not prepared for his style?

He's an adapter too if you watched his fights against Jorge Solis, and Hector Velasquez where he had trouble early. He hardly knew Lehonolo Ledwaba, a master boxer, and had only two weeks to prepare. Look what happened.

In his pre-Roach days, he got into early trouble with the then undefeated Nedal Hussein but he blasted him away round after round after getting knocked down in the 2nd round. Another pre-Roach fight was the one with Chatchai Sasakul. He outboxed him badly but he summoned enough will to turn the tide. He has the heart or the ability to "suck it up" when the going gets tough.

Great fighters are adaptable to various unknown situations, or else, they wouldn't be called great.