By Robert Elmore: Boxing is often referred to the as the sweet science. But some people have tried to lock the term down to a certain style of fighting. Many people enjoy the technical crafty defensive style. While others enjoy a combination of both trading shots and technical abilities. And some fight fans just like all out war. But with every style, something else is sacrificed. It might lack of defense, offense, ability to see tickets, or what ever the case may be. But no matter how we bend it shape it or chop it….it’s the fighter’s way of expressing their version of the sweet science. I will use some of my favorite fighters as examples.
The Magic Man Marling Starling enjoyed some success in the eighties dawning the WBA and WBC crowns. He had a peek-o-boo defense and knew how to counter punch (Honeyghan). He wasn’t a once punch knockout artist rather it was accumulative effect (Breland the first fight; 11th KO). But his style was really not crowd pleasing and did not pack the crowds in. But it was his sweet science.
Thomas “The Hit Man” Hearns was not your average boxer. He stood 6’1 inch, had great balance to be a tall lanky welterweight, and a right hand that dropped many a fighter. Thomas packed the crowds where ever he went. But his constant focus on offense took away from his defense or his ability to recover when hurt (his 32-0-30 KO’s clearly displayed this going into the Ray Leonard fight. He was hurt several times in this fight and did not know how to hold to gather himself). Hearns went on to capture titles in super welter/middle/super middle/light heavy/and cruiserweight classes and establish 10 categories “as the first man to”. Again, his sweet science was perfected in his eyes and mines.
I really enjoyed watching Mike Tyson grow from a guy who was looking for the quick knockout to a complete all around fighter. Cus D’Mato instituted a hit and not get hit style that Tyson would go to perfect. IMO, he became a complete fighter against Toney Tucker. This is the fight that displayed Tyson’s ability to jab as a means to box. Before that, the jab was simply used to get inside to do damage. Tyson dominated the heavyweight division until the early nineties when Kevin Rooney, his trainer, was let go,
got married, and surrounded himself with the wrong people. Since Tyson’s departure from the game, the heavyweight division has taken a series nose dive. Again, his version of the sweet science.
Facetime: Every match can’t be all out war, or all out technical. Every fighter brings something different to the table. I have a lot more fighters I enjoyed. But I would like to hear some of your versions of the sweet science.
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