Does the "traditional" route damage our fighters?

1983 Views 21 Replies 7 Participants Last post by Avidlemon, Nov 19, 2012

Avidlemon

Discussion Starter · Nov 16, 2012

does taking the route of english/commonweatlh/british/euro level take too long and deny some fighters some valuable experience of taking part in contests against different styles of fighters? Because let's face it, as good as the british scene is, there aren't too many different styles to come up against. Groves going to fight in america a couple of times is a good example of someone getting a different angle and experience of different styles. Or does going the traditional route give fighters time to find out who they are as a fighter and what their strengths are before making a step up?

I've never been able to decide. But you hear a lot of pro's saying they prefer the traditional route if they can take it.

Does taking the traditional route really prepare our fighters for the best is what i suppose i'm really asking?

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Danny

· #4 · Nov 16, 2012

Bryn said:
Just look at Cleverly's rise to getting hold of the WBO belt, he gradually built up opposition and won all the traditional belts (albeit, sometimes over the phone)

:lol:

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I think the true answer for me is a combination of both. I like to see the traditional route because I think as Bryn says, it shows a steady increase in class and you are able to easier measure continued steps-up, it's a very concise and managable way of progressing. However, as mentioned, I think fighters need to acclimatize to different styles, different atmospheres and situations. If you look at somebody like Rick Godding, I think he done his career the world of wonders going over to Germany to box Rafael Jackiewicz. Beatable opponent certainly, but you have to be a at a certain level to be able to do so. He showed he could do it despite not getting the decision, I think he will have learnt massively from that fight and he's in a position to come back and work his way in to a shot at the British sometime soon.

If I were managing a fighter, rather than getting mixed up in alphabet intercontinental rubbish, I'd try and stick as close to possible as the traditional route, but mix in some other more off-tangent fights too, like chucking them in with experienced gatekeeper types like Jackiewicz, or getting them slots on shows boxing abroad, extra learning experiences like.

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Danny

· #13 · Nov 16, 2012

SimonTemplar said:
Froch went the traditional route and got there, and Chisora went the traditional route and got there in 13 fights or so. So I see what you're saying, absolutely, but I think that it can be done from the traditional platform and that carries more chance of bringing with it a solid domestic fanbase. People like David Price have gone the traditional route and he is now pretty young for his division and being talked about internationally. I think that the guys who eschew the traditional to follow Bryn's funny-but-unfortunately-accurate post risk going forward without an established domestic fanbase and without a full skill set. Both approaches can get you there, but the traditional still, in my view, gets you there with more chance of success. Apprenticeships can be boring - particularly these days, when many want everything yesterday - but they exist for a reason.

Just a point, mentioning Froch and then saying it's a better way to build a fanbase, Froch barely had one outside of his hometown until he demolished Bute.

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Danny

· #15 · Nov 16, 2012

SimonTemplar said:
:lol: I know what you're saying (although I think fame kicked in before the Bute fight) but the traditional route is still, imho, a more reliable way to build a domestic fanbase than random alphabet titles on odd channels.

True, although I'm not sure it really matters, just a case of getting a network as a vehicle btw.

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Danny

· #20 · Nov 16, 2012

Avidlemon said:
Surely though the problem with the alphabet soup is that picking the "right" opponents does fighters a diservice in the sense that they do not help them prepare for the higher classes?

It depends entirely on who you pick. If you're picking the easiest possible route to a title, sure. But there's nothing to stop 'handpicking' opponents who are actually going to be a challenge if you want your guy to actually be prepared and not out of his depth when he gets to world-level and fighting for titles.

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