Ray Robinson vs Bob Fitzsimmons (catchweight at 152)

[Yuzo]

theres an excerpt in haislet's book about how the boxing stance exists as such in the way that it does to accommodate right hand hitting. that is, that the right hand punch is what came first, and that the boxing stance evolved out of necessity next. he says, "for any movement of the right hand in which power is needed, it is only natural to stand with the left foot forward. it is the natural movement in all throwing events, and it is the position of the blacksmith when swinging a sledge." i always thought this was a reference to bob fitzsimmons.



now then, if the right hand is the original punch, the first punch, then all things, including the boxing stance itself, must exist only as supplementary parts which all ultimately lead back to this basic idea of right hand hitting. that would include the jab. in this view, the jab would have evolved after the right hand, and, like the boxing stance, would exist solely to accommodate it.

if this is the true essence of what boxing is deep down at its core, it should be easy to imagine bob fitzsimmons, standing there in his stance with his jab and his right hand, as a living manifestation of boxing itself.

then there is sugar ray robinson and his lead left hook.



lead is the important distinction to make here, as it implies there is nothing to set it up. that is, that it exists unto itself, not as a supplement to any other thing. this tells you something bigger about what sugar ray robinson actually is.

i think that when you ask the question who wins bob fitzsimmons or sugar ray robinson, what you are really asking is, is it the right hand or is it the lead left hook, and everything that ultimately represents about what boxing actually is. i think that is a very interesting question, and i have not found the answer to it, if you understand what i mean by that.