Vasyl Lomachenko is one of the greatest amateur boxers of all time.  He has already captured one Olympic gold medal and plans to add another in London in 2012.  I’m sure I speak for many when expressing my excitement over his eventual professional debut.

Below is a recent feature story about his amateur success.

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You can also see footage of Vasyl training in the video below.  It should come as no surprise that the greatest amateur fighter in the modern era relies on many traditional methods.  Within the video, you will see him perform pull-ups, dips, weighted rope climbs, medicine ball throws, neck bridges, jump rope, and bag work.  This all comes on top of loads of sparring, mitt work, and actual competitions of course.  He even spars with multiple partners at times to help develop reactions (as seen here).

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In summary, Vasyl is yet another example of a dominant fighter who thrives on the basics.  He works hard, focuses primarily on the sport itself, and performs time tested movements for the bulk of his supplemental training.

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Simplicity is the ultimate sophistication. – Leonardo da Vinci

Below is a short video of boxing trainer Nazim Richardson.  Within the clip, he shares some simple advice for aspiring trainers.  And while his message may sound like common sense, I’ve come across many trainers who do everything but heed his advice. Rather than working to better their athletes, they seem to waste more time telling everyone what is wrong with every trainer but themselves.

A trainer’s job isn’t to highlight the faults that he sees within every other coach.  If you need to step on someone to elevate yourself, it is only a matter of time before you come crashing down.

The message here should be quite clear.  Focus on improving your athletes.  Living as a hater doesn’t benefit anyone.  If you are passionate about your athletes, let your work and their success speak for itself.

Anyone with legitimate talent doesn’t need to tarnish others to market himself.

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It is far more impressive when others discover your good qualities without your help. – Judith Martin

After being out of power for the last 10 days, I wish I returned with a positive story to share. Unfortunately, an all time great fighter has passed away.  Former heavyweight champion Smokin’ Joe Frazier died yesterday from liver cancer at the age of 67.

I was fortunate to meet Joe over 10 years ago at the International Boxing Hall of Fame.  He was as personable and entertaining as they come.  It was an honor to meet such a legend of the sport.  Joe Frazier was one of my favorite fighters to watch as a youngster.  I could spend all day watching footage of his career.

With that said, I will post a few links below that highlight his amazing life inside the ring.

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First, here is a brief compilation video:

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Next, a recent news story from ESPN:

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A final interview of Joe Frazier from July 2011:

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A full documentary can be seen at the following links (Part 1 of 6 is embedded below):

Part 2 – Part 3 – Part 4 – Part 5 – Part 6

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Lastly, the classic Thrilla in Manila can be seen in its entirety (Part 1 of 6 is embedded):

Part 2 – Part 3- Part 4 – Part 5 – Part 6

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When I go out there, I have no pity on my brother. I’m out there to win. – Joe Frazier

Below is a video that shows classic training footage of former heavyweight champion Rocky Marciano.

Marciano was a legendary fighter who was known for his relentless endurance.  When asked to describe him, fellow Hall of Fame fighter Archie Moore offered the following:

He could hurt you, sure, but it was the quantity of his punches.  He just had more stamina than anyone else in those days.  He was like a bull with gloves.

As for his approach to training, Marciano kept it rather simple.  You won’t find anything too fancy in the video above.  What he did however was work extremely hard with the basics.  He ran hard, hit the bags hard, sparred hard, worked through loads of calisthenics, etc.

Marciano also fought regularly, which is one of the key differences between fighters of his era when compared to today’s athletes.  Fighters from the past spent more time practicing their sport.  It wasn’t unusual for fighters to compete every month.  Marciano was particularly active early in his career.  He fought 11 times in 1948, 13 times in 1949, 6 times in 1950, and 7 times in 1951.

What heavyweights today fight with that frequency?  The answer is none.

Top level fighters today are lucky to fight a few times each year.  The higher level of activity from past fighters certainly helped to keep them sharp and in fight shape.  The sport itself is strenuous, so regularly practicing your trade is certainly a plus.

Therefore, when you look back to training methods from the past, it is important to consider the activity level of these fighters.  Fighters get in shape while fighting and sparring regularly.

In the words of Jack Dempsey:

Although some exercises help condition and others speed improvement, there’s one all-important activity that assists both. That activity is sparring.  There is no substitute for sparring. You must spar regularly and often to become a well-rounded scrapper, regardless of what other exercises you may take.  Sparring not only improves your skill, but it also conditions your body for fighting by forcing your muscles to become accustomed to the violent, broken movements that distinguish fighting from any other activity.

Unfortunately, many fighters in today’s era take long breaks between fights.  They are not active enough with the sport itself.  Long periods of inactivity are difficult to overcome, regardless of what the athlete does when he returns to training camp.

In summary, the moral to the story is simple.  Stay active with your sport if you wish to excel at the sport.

Below are a series of motivational videos that are dedicated to boxing (courtesy of explozive900).  If you are a fan of the sweet science, these clips will get the blood flowing as you see a mix of training and championship footage.

Boxing Motivation 1 – Eye of the Tiger

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Boxing Motivation 2 – No Retreat, No Surrender

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Boxing Motivation 3 – Nothing Is Impossible

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To be a champ, you have to believe in yourself when nobody else will. – Sugar Ray Robinson

Below is an inspiring video about amateur boxing prospect Roberto Custódio. This 2012 Olympic hopeful is one of many fighters who has been saved by the Fight For Peace program in Brazil.  Without the gym, Roberto would have likely been lured into the violent streets around him where his own father was killed.

A related article about the Fight For Peace project can be round at the link below:

A boxing academy in Rio has helped take violence off the street

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In the words of Hall of Fame trainer Ray Arcel,

Boxing, if it’s done right, takes kids from poor backgrounds at a trouble-prone age, and gives them the belief that they can make something of themselves if they’re disciplined and work hard.  You don’t even have to have been a champion or made much money for boxing to have helped.  It’s enough that for thousands of kids boxing has instilled a sense of self-respect and averted them from a drug-ridden life of antisocial behavior and crime.  The important part of boxing is not that youngsters realize their dreams, but that they can dream.  Every day in the gym they’re somebody special.  They’re a fighter.

Below are links to a series of mitt work drills from Roger Mayweather (filmed many years ago).  Those interested in the Mayweather mitt system will find some useful information within.  There is much more to what Roger does than the brief choreographed segments that are filmed when he is training Floyd.

For example, you will see how he teaches the pull counter that Floyd has made famous.  A brief demo of the pull counter can be found here:

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Part 1 of the instructional is embedded, while 2 through 5 can be found within the links below.  Please note that the sound quality is much better in parts 3, 4, and 5.  Fortunately, these segments also contain much of the actual instruction.

Part 2

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_NylaMZNYTM

Part 3

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7fOmv9_6OdA

Part 4

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bgv16FgzKME

Part 5

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AKAG32r6OE0

gEveryone is talking about Floyd Mayweather’s recent 4th round knockout over Victor Ortiz.  Immediately after the fight, my Facebook news feed was filled with hundreds of posts about the outcome.   The conversations have continued throughout the week.  I’ve seen pro-Mayweather fans, pro-Ortiz fans, and plenty of others who are just pissed off about the stoppage.

To begin, I speak for many in saying that I am disappointed in the way the fight ended.  No one wanted to see such a high profile fight end in that manner.  As for who is to blame, many were quick to fault Mayweather.  I however do not support that belief.

Before I continue, I must point out that my feelings about this fight have nothing to do with my personal feelings about either fighter outside the ring.  Floyd’s out of the ring antics do not influence my analysis of what happened.  I am also not concerned with Floyd’s post-fight comments with Larry Merchant.  His words do not change the circumstances that took place between him and Ortiz.

The Fight

The fight began as many expected.  Mayweather was outboxing the younger, less experienced Ortiz.  Frustration began to take over and Ortiz flagrantly fouled Mayweather with a potentially damaging head butt.  Fortunately for Floyd, the butt only cut his mouth.  If Ortiz had made contact a few inches higher, Floyd could have been severely cut around the eye (potentially causing doctors to stop the fight).

Following the butt, Ortiz apologized to Floyd by hugging him and literally kissing him on the cheek.  Joe Cortez (the referee) then deducted a point from Ortiz before summoning the action to begin again.  Ortiz then came in for a second hug and the rest is history.  He was hit with two shots and counted out.

Initially, many were quick to blame Floyd for hitting Ortiz in that manner.  Personally, I wish it did not happen, but I also cannot blame Floyd for fighting the way that he did.  Victor Ortiz had been using his head throughout the fight.  The final head butt was as flagrant as any that you will ever see.  In addition, after the butt, Floyd looked to his left to complain to the referee.  As he looked away from Ortiz, Ortiz then followed up with a left hand.

You can see the punch at approximately 27 seconds into the video below.  The video also shows other occasions where Ortiz had been using his head earlier in the fight.

So here we have a frustrated fighter (Ortiz) who begins with a blatant foul and attempts to land a punch immediately after.  He then apologizes for his actions and expects Floyd to suddenly play nice with him.

Is it really any surprise that another fighter responds aggressively towards someone who had just blatantly fouled him?  While Floyd makes it easy for many to dislike him, that doesn’t change the circumstances inside the ring.  Professional boxers are paid to fight 3 minute rounds, not 2 minutes and 50 seconds.  Fighters are in camp for several weeks preparing to knock each other unconscious.  When one fighter resorts to illegal tactics, he must be ready for retaliation by his opponent.  If you start dirty, expect to finish dirty.

Emotions run high during such high profile fights.  Fighters are human beings who get angry just like anyone else.  Furthermore, experienced fighters like Floyd rely heavily on instinct.  When a referee summons the action to continue, that’s what you do.  You fight.  You don’t stop the video and watch it again in slow motion.  You rely on instinct to do what you’ve been trained to do. Young amateur fighters are constantly reminded to defend yourself at all times.  It is one of the first lessons that you’ll ever learn at the gym.  It is also one that is constantly drilled into your head so that it is never forgotten.  You never trust an opponent who stands before you.  He is there to knock you out.  You can never forget that simple truth.

Fighterwriter Graham Houston summed up the events perfectly with his comments below (courtesy of Fightnews.com)

I can’t fault Mayweather for firing the two fight-ending shots against an opponent who wasn’t expecting to be hit. If Ortiz wanted to give Mayweather a second hug in apology for Ortiz’s blatant butt, instead of obeying the dictum “protect yourself at all times,” well, that was his choice. These are professional boxers, not amateurs boxing in the Olympics. Time was “in”, and Mayweather had an opponent standing in front of him with his guard down. Did anyone really expect Mayweather to follow a gentlemanly code of conduct, especially after, moments earlier, Ortiz had inflicted a cut inside his mouth by butting him?

In addition, what many fail to realize (although I’m sure Floyd didn’t) is that Ortiz has fouled before.  Below is a video example of him being disqualified for hitting an opponent on the break:

Victor Ortiz was clearly frustrated by Floyd.  His frustrations got the best of him.  Saying sorry isn’t enough.  As a trainer, I wouldn’t want someone who fouled in that manner to get close enough to my fighter to offer a hug (at a moment when time was back in).  Who is to say that Ortiz was not going to throw another punch?  He had just fouled moments before.  Should his opponent suddenly trust him to fight fair simply because of an apology?

Moreover, I believe Ortiz was on his way out any way.  His frustrations were only going to get worse.  Mayweather couldn’t miss with the right hand and the accumulation would have likely led to a later round stoppage.

It is also worth pointing out that Ortiz did little to protest the stoppage.  He actually did not seem upset after losing the biggest fight of his life.  He smiled shortly after being counted out.  It is almost as if there was some relief that the fight was over.

Historical References

As for similar cases in history, many have mentioned Jack Dempsey’s knockout victory over future heavyweight champion Jack Sharkey.  During their 1927 bout, Sharkey began by outboxing the legendary Jack Dempsey for many rounds.  In the 7th round however, Sharkey turned to the ref to complain about constant low blows from Dempsey.  As he looked away, Dempsey landed a left hook that knocked Sharkey unconscious.  Dempsey was declared the winner by knockout.

You can see the knockout punch within the video below (approximately 3:54 into the clip).

In response to hitting Sharkey when he wasn’t looking, Dempsey replied, “What was I supposed to do?  Mail him a letter?”

Ironically, few spit the same venom at Dempsey that they do towards Floyd.  Jack Dempsey’s aggressive style and power made him one of the most famous boxers in history.  He was a dominant champion who is still talked about today.

Floyd Mayweather is also dominant, but his out of ring antics make it easy for many to dislike him.  Consequently, many have blamed him for the outcome on Saturday.  He is the villain.  He’s the guy that we aren’t supposed to like.

Personally, I’m not here to support Floyd or tell you to like him.  I’m not defending him as a person.  I am simply observing what happened.  Floyd capitalized on the inexperience and frustrations of his junior opponent.  If the shoe was on the other foot and Floyd had deliberately butted Ortiz, I’m guessing that Ortiz would have been heralded by many if he then knocked Mayweather out with his hands down.  I could imagine comments like “I’m glad he knocked out that punk” and so on.

Summary

The Victor Ortiz vs. Floyd Mayweather fight clearly ended in a way that no one expected.  It was not the ending that we hoped for.  We all wanted to see an action packed slugfest.  Instead, we had less than stellar officiating from referee Joe Cortez, flagrant fouls by Victor Ortiz, and a surprise two punch knockout while one man’s hands were down.

What a mess on a night that could have been great for the sport.

Let’s just hope that Mayweather and Pacquaio can finally come to terms after the Marquez fight in November.  Let’s also hope that if and when they do fight, the two men can let their hands fairly determine who is the true pound for pound boxing king. Floyd may not have broken any technical rules with his knockout over Ortiz, but I sure as hell don’t want to ever see that kind of stoppage again.

Tuesday (August 30th) marked the 90th birthday of legendary boxing trainer Angelo Dundee.  His contributions to the sport have been widespread and range over several decades.

In the video below, you will see footage of Dundee with his most prized pupil, Muhammad Ali, at the 5th Street Gym in Miami, Florida.

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You may also enjoy the footage below where Dundee can be seen working the corner of Sugar Ray Leonard in his epic bout with Thomas Hearns.  Dundee helped turn the fight around after the 12th round as he urged Leonard to come on strong.

Following Leonard’s dramatic victory, many were quick to praise Dundee for his assistance that night.  Angelo Dundee was not one to steal the spotlight however.  His humble response was as follows:

Thanks, but Ray did the fighting… The fighter is the hero. He’s the guy.  We [trainers] are secondary guys.  We’re not I, I, I.  You can’t be an ‘I’ guy.  I’m not an ‘I’ guy.

Many trainers in today’s era could learn from Dundee’s humble approach. He didn’t jump in front of the camera to promote himself and take the spotlight from his fighters. Instead, he focused solely on the task at hand. He prepared his fighters to the best of his ability. It wasn’t his claims or self-praise that made him a household name. Dundee is recognized for results. He didn’t need to tell everyone about his success or about how great he was as a trainer. He stayed busy working and let others speak for him.

As for what it takes to become a successful fighter, Dundee offers the following advice:

The most important ingredient is desire. The desire to win and the desire to be the best there is.

Happy Birthday to Angelo Dundee

Below are two boxing videos that I came across today while waiting out Hurricane Irene.  I was one of the few people in my area who did not lose power during the hurricane.

Both videos come from the same Youtube channel (here).  I don’t recall seeing this channel before but it didn’t take long to notice several excellent videos within.  If you are a fan or participant of the sweet science, you’ll likely enjoy many of the videos.  I spent over an hour watching clips from the channel today.

The two videos that follow are dedicated to warriors who never backed down and continued to fight no matter what.  If these videos don’t get the blood pumping, you’d better check to see if you still have a heart beat.

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It is not the critic who counts; not the man who points out how the strong man stumbles, or where the doer of deeds could have done them better. The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena, whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood, who strives valiantly; who errs and comes short again and again; because there is not effort without error and shortcomings; but who does actually strive to do the deed; who knows the great enthusiasm, the great devotion, who spends himself in a worthy cause, who at the best knows in the end the triumph of high achievement and who at the worst, if he fails, at least he fails while daring greatly. So that his place shall never be with those cold and timid souls who know neither victory nor defeat. – Theodore Roosevelt