Quote Originally Posted by beenKOed View Post
Quote Originally Posted by Spicoli View Post
I honestly don't think he put too much thought into it and he shouldn't have all things considered. For as good of shape he appeared to be, he looked like a guy who only had a solid 6 rounds in the tank. Based on the first fight and his history of being insulted if you miss him...he wasn't going to outbox or outfox Stiverne and took his best chances off the table if he tried. The time to refine his basics and put them into practice was on a lower scale and yrs ago, he is-was one of a number who get stuck trying to learn backwards and play catchup when they are in the career corner, but he did the best with what he had and made no excuses.
I don't agree, I think with the right trainer, fighters can change, if they want to bad enough.
Arreola's natural inclination to come straight ahead along with his belief in his own power; plus the undisciplined life style and the fact he won't listen to his trainer are his biggest problems.
Every time they mentioned his nine pound weight drop as proof of a great training camp, all I could do was roll my eyes.
Maybe that worthless piece of shit, celebrity trainer Robert Garcia could help him?
I don't think so either, Arreola's worst/best enemy is himself, he doesn't have the brains to take advice from anyone.
He's made himself into a journeyman, a minor gate keeper, in my opinion.
No, absolutely a fighter can change, you're right. Journeymen have second careers often, become contenders. But what I'm saying is its a special breed who have always maintained, usually top class who have already refined an early style. Guys like Arreola are near an end, its a 'change' almost out of desperation when too much time and career has been used one way. Guys like a Barrera, a Hopkins, even a Foreman maybe had the natural ability and craft to make change and make that pretty clear switch. With Arreola all that talk, wanting and needing to 'get it right', the weight drop etc and thinking he'd box more was like putting lipstick on a pig. I like the guy...but he and the ones in a career corner are a lot of times too far gone to reclaim the glory or finally win that massive fight. Reminds me of the Chris Byrd experiment when he tried dropping to lt heavy and expecting to return to top form etc. Frankly...it was insane. You cannot "undo" the damage or miles logged. Huge smile, felt good at weight, always had natural talent but was crushed. I mean even look at a Maidana...I know Garcia has earned some criticism but clearly he has changed a bit, improved. No one would have convinced me that the guy shut out by Alexander would take rounds from a Mayweather. People can bag on him all they want and Floyd can pretend he was jus funning...but Maidana was in that fight, from beginning to end. The trainer gets some credit, but the fighter has to make change first.