More Puncher Comparisons

AS SEEN ON WDIV

Had a story about a FBI school where they train civilians as an agent. Brought back to mind how Celeste went thru the program where they train folks as Air Assault troops. It made me think about what that would have met to me, even back then as a young, green soldier, had I been married to her.

Since I wasn't, I thought about the person I DID marry. Well, since she couldn't grasp the idea that I was actually talented at what I was doing, she never got behind me on that. She couldn't get behind me on too much of anything. This got me to thinking, did I know anyone who would have?

Hell, Jenny was a soldier, and she enjoyed seeing me box in the military. I was a sight to behold, I tell you!! But with her being Jenny and all, she was never mine to have.

My Delta Girl, who is why I came up with the 'no crying in boxing' rule for, wasn't fond of it. Nebraska's take on boxing is similar ... though for Delta, she didn't mind watching until she had to watch me do it. Part of our difference was over the pursuit of boxing ... and that is a 'boots' talk.

Could have let Pecan Sandie be my manager!! She has a lot of 'ride or die' to her, when she wasn't being irrational! Nixxie didn't care one way or the other, but she was a NCAA level softball player, so she understood the athletic drive I had.

Tee Jay WAS 'ride of die from Mumford High!'. No, she didn't know Axel Foley!! I was still beating guys down when we were hanging. So she got to see up close how I did what I do. Mookie really knew me as a legend and what not. She saw me fight as a kid, but I was traveling as a pro, the last couple of years I was active and with her. She didn't get to see me much, as far as my boxing.

CROSSING CATEGORIES

Manny Paciquao also has heavy hands to go with his hand speed. 'Heavy hands' is something that is also hard to quantify. It is the way some baseball pitcher's throw a 'heavy' fastball like Nolan Ryan that shakes the hitter as the impact of hitting it vibrates thru the bat. Randy Johnson throws a 'light' fastball, so if you can catch up to it, a hitter can get it into play.

When Manny hits you, just lays his hand on you, it is going to leave a mark! But heavy handed fighters are necessarily a cat who is going to get you out of there in a hurry, you know? May bruise you up, not flash you with a thunderbolt.

But Paciquao speed is part of what gives him the 'suddeness' of a puncher.









Now this is a fight where Julian was getting it HANDED TO HIM. I think this is the 9th round, and he had been out boxed save for the time it took him to land this punch. But a guy like Manny would not have been in this situation because of his hand speed. He could box with someone and out score them.





My boy Tommy Hearns was like that. It wasn't always the power, but the speed that carried the power. Because of his body, having wide shoulders and a tapered waist, when he 'turns' on his punches, he generates his power, as if he had a dynamo inside him producing the energy.



A lot of it deals with physics, but I am not smart enough to get into that. I do think that if you looked at how he was built, you would understand how with that narrow waist and long arms, he did generate his power.



Same with Mike Tyson. I am hear to tell you that being a 5'11 cat, no matter how big I may look, having a 6'4 245lbs guy draped over you is going to wear you down. Again, I think physics is what says that someone taller with weight is going to be harder and require more energy to move, than having that cat deal with the smaller guy.



Because many of Tyson's knockout were so spectacular, people couldn't see what I saw. He, like Tommy, needed cerain conditions to really knock you out. With Tommy, if you had to walk through a BUNCH of stuff to get to him. For Mike, you needed to make your size work for you.



When I would watch Mike fight, I only saw why I would have done well against him. Some of what Buster Douglas and Evander Holyfield did, I could have used to beat him back. The thing was, you couldn't let Tyson's speed and fierceness get you off your game.



With cerain kind of punchers, you have to be willing to take what they are going to give you to win. Tommy's style utilized his advantages to the fullest, so you had no choice but to come in the front door.



Same for Tyson. He was going to walk you down. Either you fight or you hold on and hope something good for you happen. You had to be concerned for the punching they did. Tommy marked up EVERYBODY pretty bad, wins and losses. Evander and Lennox handled Mike pretty well, but they were the only ones.



The thing about all punchers, is that they need to 'keep their feet' to get their shots off. If you could keep Tommy moving backward, as opposed to moving his feet, you would have a chance. He would set is feet quickly, so even if you got him to move, he could catch you with a 'knockout drop'.



'Iron Mike' used your nervousness to his advantages, by staying low, and utilizing a style that put him in proper position should you miss a punch. That made people fearful of doing what you had to in order to get to him.



WHEN WE RETURN: ...And what was that his opponents needed to do?