• First Boxer to Earn More than $100 Million in Purses
GREATEST ASSETS
• Fast Hands
• Great Movement
• Ability to Brawl or Box
Sugar Ray Leonard effectively utilizes his very fast hands and excellent foot movement to quickly attack and get out of trouble. These attributes were honed from his days as a very successful amateur boxer. His assets often allowed him to dictate the pace of the fight and if necessary, Leonard could brawl as well as box.
HOW?
One of the greatest boxers ever, Sugar Ray Leonard had a number of legendary fights against all-time greats which includes wins over Wilfred Benitez, Roberto Duran, Thomas Hearns and Marvin Hagler.
It was Leonard’s speed and foot movement that gave even his toughest opponents a very difficult time finding him. He could attribute his best assets to his training methods.
• Ran 4-5 miles everyday in preparation for the Olympics where he won a gold medal.
• Ran backwards and sideways to try and imitate every movement that goes on inside the ring, most applicably, boxing on the backfoot.
• Wore combat boots for his runs to condition his legs.
Leonard retired from boxing from 3 years and took everyone by surprise when he announced he was making a comeback against the great Middleweight, Marvin Hagler. Inactivity and eye injuries led the general public and media believe that Leonard was no match for the heavy favourite, Hagler.
Unbeknown to Hagler, let alone the public, Leonard had actually engaged in several real boxing fights behind closed doors to shake off any ring rust. It was this preparation that allowed Leonard to jump straight back into the elite level of boxing after such a long layoff.
Victor Ortiz is a strong and aggressive fighter with power in both hands. Although he has good speed, punching power and physical strength, Ortiz lacks any outstanding qualities. His best weapon is his right hand when he gets on the inside and throws short and accurate hook and uppercut combinations to the head.
HOW?
A successful amateur boxing career followed by capturing the USBA & NABO titles made Ortiz the 2008 ESPN Prospect of the Year. An upset loss to Marcos Maidana damaged Ortiz’ reputation but he mended it when he beat Andre Berto to become the WBC Welterweight World Champion.
Subsequent losses has further hurt Ortiz’s career but nonetheless, he remains a fan friendly and entertaining fighter.
• Trains 3 times a day for 7 days a week during training camp. In between fights he keeps in shape by following the same training regimen minus sparring.
• Performs many outdoor activities to maintain his athleticism including road biking, mountain biking, surfing, skateboarding, swimming and triathlons.
• When doing pad work and shadow boxing, Ortiz would often jab upwards, reaching high. This can be attributed to the conditioning of his right side and getting used to fighting against taller opponents.
Victor Ortiz’ physical strength is noticeable just by looking at the width of his back. This is usually used to his advantage by adopting a style that allows him to bully his opponents around the ring.
Unfortunately, this can and has backfired on him before. Nonetheless, due to Ortiz’ speed and punching power combined, his style is effective against many fighters who either cannot match him for the same qualities, or isn’t skilled enough to outbox him.
GEORGE FOREMAN
Born: 10 January 1949
Birth Place: Marshall, Texas, USA
Nationality: American
Nickname: Big George
Division: Heavyweight (200lbs+)
Height: 6’ 4” / 193 cm
Reach: 82″ / 208 cm
ACCOMPLISHMENTS
• 1968 Olympic Heavyweight Gold Medalist
• Two Time Heavyweight World Champion
• Oldest Heavyweight World Champion at age 45
• Successful Entrepreneur and Promoter of the George Foreman Grill
GREATEST ASSETS
• Extreme Power in Both Hands
Hooks, uppercuts, jabs, crosses - No matter what punch George Foreman decided to throw, he would throw it with unbelievable power, which many of his opponents could not withstand.
Foreman’s power is even more impressive given the fact that he was slow and lacked proper punching technique. Nonetheless, his punches were like sledgehammers, his chin was solid and he was also mentally tough. Those three attributes made Foreman very hard to beat.
HOW?
George Foreman is one of the greatest heavyweight boxers in the history of the sport. He had a successful amateur pedigree, winning a gold medal in the 1968 Olympics, which meant that he had good boxing fundamentals.
As Foreman moved into the professional ranks, his extreme power allowed him to abandon much of the boxing basics that he needed in the amateurs. Described by many as a ‘physical freak of nature’, Foreman’s training regimen was the foundations upon which he could reach his physical peak.
• After a long 10 year layoff from boxing, Foreman had a big girth so he would perform 400 sit ups per day to help develop the muscles in his stomach again.
• Had a punching bag hung from a metal platform on the back of a truck which enabled Foreman to run and hit the heavy bag at the same time.
• Foreman credited his punching power to come from his forearms rather than his legs or hips. This was a result of jabbing with the left hand for 30 minutes and then throwing a right cross for another 30 minutes.
• Chopping wood to build up physical strength. It’s very much the same type of motion as throwing a punch.
During the first phase of Foreman’s professional boxing career, he appeared to lack stamina to go the distance. He would later say this was because of nervous energy and when he made his comeback, he controlled his nervousness much more effectively and his stamina was no longer an issue.
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