If I had the capacity to change the rules in boxing to effect a fight in a positive aspect, I would change the rules so there would be an immediate penalty for clinching — with the only exception being if a fighter is hurt.
Somewhere in the late 70’s or early 80’s there was a rife ignorance that took over, particularly the heavyweight division.
The 80’s was a time when big men with a work ethic like little men, became not obsolete, but let’s just say, “out of fashion”. Many trainers feared their big men getting tired, and that thought was pretty much pervasive throughout all of pro boxing.
And what was the incorrect quick fix?
“If you throw fewer punches, you’ll get less tired,” when in reality the fix was “if you train harder, you won’t get tired.”
Trainers were getting their heavyweights to do the least, thinking it will allow their fighter to have energy in the late rounds.
They didn’t know that your body, no matter how tired it gets, can and will always replace its lost energy. What do you think the minute between rounds is for?
No matter how hard you go, if you trained right that 60 seconds…
You’re good for the next round. When you see a fight come out of his corner tired after a brutal last round, it’s emotional fatigue, not physical.
Anyway, stylistically, out went foot movement — and head movement. Fewer punches, more clinching. The work load decidedly dropped. And all this to supposedly maintain your punching power throughout all stages of the fight.
And guess what? That didn’t happen either.
Generally maybe the media can take a little ownership on this. If the media (those behind the mic and behind the pen) knew what to ask — what the measure was of a true heavyweight and champion — boxing only would’ve gotten better through a clear level of expectancy. If they stated what a fighter was missing, boxing would be better off for it.
Basically boxing traded in two big men throwing thunder and lightening at one another from bell to bell — or a slug-fest — for a hug-fest. Heavyweight boxing may as well have been standup wrestling.
Now if you watch boxing throughout its history, the great majority of heavyweight champs and contenders had the same work ethic and punch outputs as lightweights. Joe Louis, George Forman, Sonny Liston, Ernie Shavers. Norton. Frazier. Holmes. Heck, even Buster Mathis. They let their hands go fast and in combination for the entirety of the fight.
Then in the 80’s, that same type of dedication to the fight stopped.
Someone who didn’t really have an intelligent understanding of boxing, rationalized that a heavyweight shouldn’t — or couldn’t — fight at the torrid pace and demands of a lightweight for no other reason other than, “he’s a heavyweight.” He’s not supposed to be fleet-footed and slip punches.
So, the “sweet science” stopped being both scientific. And sweet.
Which brings me to my next issue/question: Why does boxing have such a problem upgrading its thoughts and traditions? The same belief system from one hundred years ago remains the same today, and that’s borderline asinine.
Try updating them and lame-brained individuals call you a heretic and try burning you at the stake.
Anyway, the reason why the best heavyweight in the world, Oleksandr Usyk, and the most promising heavyweight in the world, Moses Itauma, are, respectively, as great and promising as they are is because they do not fight like the self-limiting heavyweights that are finally on their way out.
They fight like the talented and limitless fighters they are regardless of weight! These are men confident in their abilities because they don’t allow limitations to be put on their abilities.
Fighters, you gotta stay tapped in to whom you are. Don’t let anyone change you. Enhance, but don’t change. You may hear someone say, “Ah, he can’t take a punch. He got no head movement.” The whispers are designed to frustrate you, cause doubt, make you lose. Learn to communicate with yourself. The only way you can meet your potential is when your instinct and your fight ability align.
100%SILK