Controversial post - the value of trainers

[El Kabong]

I always wonder why Kevin Rooney has not found success with another fighter. Everybody loves Tyson, lots of stocky boxers out there would LOVE to fight that way, but I think the best fighter he's had since Tyson was Pazienza for a while. About 12 years ago Rooney had Leonard Pierre Anasta a middleweight from Haiti and Thomas Hayes a heavyweight from Chicago both were never even close to being title challengers.


One would think that the Tyson-D'Mato-Rooney Peek-a-Boo style would catch back on again especially with everyone these days trying to fight like their version of Bernard Hopkins or as if they were trained by Manny Steward. Control the distance with the jab, be very cagey and rough on the inside, and never open yourself up. Some trainer out there has to know that the kryptonite for that style is footwork, head movement, and accurate combination punching.


I guess Freddie Roach is that guy right now, but who is his protege?



Manny Steward really has brought along a couple generations of very effective fighters, very smart.

[greynotsoold]

I think many would be surprised at how many "great trainers" don't do any day to day gym work, don't devise or teach the fight plans, but show up a week or ten days pre fight to learn the plan and terminology, then do the fight on television.

In many cases the attraction to a particular gym isn't the trainer, though it is sold that way to maintain reputations and cash flow. Guys follow good sparring and learn from that, not the "great" trainer. One of the current greats isn't the top attraction in his gym; he's third, behind his father and the sparring.

Once you get a guy, a champion, you become the guy, and, generally stay the guy. One of the top guys now has never started a guy that amounted to anything- years ago he stole a fighter somebody else built and that made a name. Money guys believe in him so he gets top guys and they often do well, though he had one go bad and a lot of people are smirking at that.

[Master]

The top trainers act like consultants and get paid to come in the last few weeks and fight night. Emmanuel Steward did that late in his career with Naz.

[X]

The trainer has little to do with the fitness of the fighter. Nowadays, the trainer only arrives for the last part of fight preparation (which I think is wrong by the way)

The trainer teaches the fighter technique, embeds muscle memory, devises tactics and is the calm voice in the corner who sees what the fighter cannot see.

Now, some trainers are not very good ... just like any other profession ....... but

Joe Louis would not have nearly so good without Chappie Blackburn, Tyson was a product of his trainers, where would Joe Frazier have been without Eddie Futch or Marciano without Charley Goldman??