i recently started to train a few new teens. (i ussally handle the early stuff until they get better and then the "better" trainers handle them. well it was all good on the heavy bag and mitts. but in the ring (first time sparring) they all wanted to dance around like ali, drop ther hands,bait with openings, after they got blasted trying this it was all "forget boxing" and started swinging from the scorers table. agaist each other this was fine but against an intermediate guy thse kids could be followed home by a trail of blood. after class we were talking and the talk of current fighters came up. now for the question? if you were going to say which boxer has the best fundamentals and consitantly applies them who would it be. by first choice that i could think of was Barrara. who else
I would have to say Manny Pacquiao stands at the top list of lighter fighters today. I mean he has improved greatly on his footwork, head movement, and using various angles to hit you multiple times b4 you can even do anything about it (plus he caves an opponent against the ropes very well). A lot of people will say Pacquiao has no Defense BUT, I think he utilizes his offense as his defense. He moves in to attack you, while prepared to evade for the most part if you counter. He uses your counters for his advantages too. Look what he did to Morales in their 2nd match. I notice Pacquiao knows how to step back or to the side to dodge the opponents jabs and straights very quickly and smoothly, and then suddenly lands his own multi-volume work of punches. Other noticible boxers of this era people might list as good are Winky Wright (though good in technique, many label him as a boring fighter), Floyd Mayweather(some say he is ducking Margarito and only wants to fight Oscar De La Hoya for a big pay day b4 retiring), and a few others i forget to list. Sleepy. Nap time.
I know when I was training as a youth I had the bad habit of dropping my left hand and my coach would smack me up side the head with the focus mitt and that seemed to work after a while I got tired of getting hit in the head with the mitt, kind of like a Pavlov's Dog training. I would agree about Barrara, but each fighter should strive to develop there own style and learn just to drop the bad habits. Make them do push-ups or something when they start "ALIing" durning the sparring match-ups.
My coach does that too. But I think it has to be more than the left hand. Sometimes the right hand goes down to.
