Will or Skill ?

[Spicoli]

You can train up and refine skillset over time,But Will is the core,Instinct,willingness to endure and confidence In said skills.Some say boxing is 3/4 mental...I agree.

[Youngblood]

Boxing is 90% mental. The other half is physical.

[Douglas]

It takes will to produce skill, so really they're both important.

[Shamrock]

It takes will to produce skill, so really they're both important.

Lol you ducked the question clubber

[p4pking]

Really depends where you draw a boundary in defining skill.. I mean I think of skill as entirely aquired tactics, therefore a great skillset is indeed something that requires a strong will to develop, they go hand in hand. If your talking talent, or natural ability, that's entirely different. I'd go with talent and ability any day over will, if I had to choose. As with great talent and skills, as Andre said, you don't need to call upon your will as much. Wheras no matter how strong your will, you will always run into a fighter at some point that wants it as much as you. And if he's the better skilled fighter, your in for a beating. Just my take on it I guess. I also believe that you can develop a strong will by setting goals and making sacrifices etc, that brushing up on your skills will actually increase your will to succeed at the same time. You can't exactly acquire talent.

[El Kabong]

I think it's more focus than anything else and it takes both WILL and SKILL to be able to focus during physical abuse and the draining of energy and it takes will and skill to impliment what you are focusing on doing.


So FOCUS

[Douglas]

It takes will to produce skill, so really they're both important.

Lol you ducked the question clubber

What I'm sayin' is you've got to want whenever you train. Raw will alone in the ring will probably not be enough. However, if you are willing to put some hours into training and put some effort into those hours, you can learn new skills.....

[cpcompany]

I doubt that many boxers are naturally gifted, although they will have some attributes that initially stand out.
There are obviously exceptions to this, but its quite common for coaches to say Such and Such a fighter wasnt a natural talent or the best in the gym when he was young. Some fighters that I could include in that would be Pavlik, Hearns, Marciano, Tyson (Atlas said on camera that Tyson wasnt a natural), Ali. All of whom have had their trainers remark on the fact that they were no great shakes when they started.

[Trainer Monkey]

My broken rib,and nose are saying a bit of both would be nice.
Hadnt been training,but got suckered in to bare knuckle MMA.
The will made it good,the lack of training on the other hand..........
What is both for 500 Alex

[Chris Nagel]

It takes will to produce skill, so really they're both important.

Lol you ducked the question clubber

Haha, I'd have to go with letter c, brains.

[donnydarkoIRL]

Fact is, will is only useful if it's the will to learn, develop and adapt.

Reliance on Will will see a fighter set up for glorious failure.
Reliance on Skill will see a fighter extended to the limits of his skill and beyond.

The most important thing you have in the boxing ring is your mind. You need to exercise good judgement, analyse quickly and make informed decisions in split seconds.

So I'd turn down both will and skill in favour of a boxing brain, which would serve me with the mental capacity to develop skill and the desire to develop great will.

[Youngblood]

Fact is, will is only useful if it's the will to learn, develop and adapt.

Reliance on Will will see a fighter set up for glorious failure.
Reliance on Skill will see a fighter extended to the limits of his skill and beyond.

The most important thing you have in the boxing ring is your mind. You need to exercise good judgement, analyse quickly and make informed decisions in split seconds.

So I'd turn down both will and skill in favour of a boxing brain, which would serve me with the mental capacity to develop skill and the desire to develop great will.

Quoted for awesomeness.

[Shamrock]

Fact is, will is only useful if it's the will to learn, develop and adapt.

Reliance on Will will see a fighter set up for glorious failure.
Reliance on Skill will see a fighter extended to the limits of his skill and beyond.

The most important thing you have in the boxing ring is your mind. You need to exercise good judgement, analyse quickly and make informed decisions in split seconds.

So I'd turn down both will and skill in favour of a boxing brain, which would serve me with the mental capacity to develop skill and the desire to develop great will.

Thanks for the reply's guys. Some great ones... this being my favourite. A few of you added a 3rd dimension to the equation - the boxing brain. It's put a whole new spin on the question for me.

Cheers fellas

[RozzySean]

It takes will to produce skill, so really they're both important.

True, but there is a difference between the will/dedication it takes to get skill and the will/heart it takes spar and compete.

It's a continuum. If a guy with more heart that skill gets in with a more skilled guy with less heart, a guy who gets hesitant once you hit him hard, the less skilled guy can impose his will if the skill gap isn't too big and if the gap in will/heart is significant. If the guy is so much more skilled that the guy with tons of will, the will won't become a factor.