The biggest improvement in five years?

Pretty simple thought came to mind: Which boxer do you think made the biggest visible improvement in the space of five years?

For example, in 1996 Marco Antonio Barrera had no idea what to do against a guy he couldn't beat by simply moving forwards and relentlessly left hooking to the body, and was stopped by Junior Jones.

Roll on five years to 2001 and he's putting on a virtuoso boxing clinic to hand the heavily favoured, arrogant and invicibile looking Naseem Hamed his first defeat.

From a strong but one dimensional pressure fighter to a jabbing, moving, two handed counter punching master boxer who Manny Steward said at his best is one of the top ten fighters he'd ever seen in the space of five years.

MAB's a favourite of mine, so it's no wonder he sprang to mind first, but which other fighters have made such great improvements in that space of time? Also, pre Marquez III would you have included Manny Pacquiao?

Martinez is one that stands out for me, 5 years ago he was pretty unheard of and now he's a nailed on top 5 p4p and to do it at the tail end of his career is just plain odd.

Carl "The Cobra" Froch!!!!

I am just saying that in blind support. Obviously it's a ridiculous statement otherwise.

bellchees wrote:Martinez is one that stands out for me, 5 years ago he was pretty unheard of and now he's a nailed on top 5 p4p and to do it at the tail end of his career is just plain odd.

Although I agree, has Martinez actually improved that much or is it that he has only shown us what he always had. Barrera was quite one dimensional and improved to become one of the most technically efficient fighters. Martinez is brilliant but back in 2007 (look at him vs margarito, his style is very similar but he's just bigger) he was doing the smae thig to weaker opposition

WHU_Champo_League_in_7Yrs wrote:

bellchees wrote:Martinez is one that stands out for me, 5 years ago he was pretty unheard of and now he's a nailed on top 5 p4p and to do it at the tail end of his career is just plain odd.

Although I agree, has Martinez actually improved that much or is it that he has only shown us what he always had. Barrera was quite one dimensional and improved to become one of the most technically efficient fighters. Martinez is brilliant but back in 2007 (look at him vs margarito, his style is very similar but he's just bigger) he was doing the smae thig to weaker opposition

Adding genuine stopping power to an already impressive arsenal is still some good improvement though. Another one for big improvement in a 5 year period is Wlad. Always seemed vulnerable up to 2004 in the Peter fight but he's barely lost a round since. He fights to his strengths so well.

a lot of the time a dramatic improvement comes from better match making, pacman and ricky burns two examples of this. the other reason can be confidence, look at ward and calzaghe who were struggling with domestic fighters for a while, before gettig up the confidence to become world beaters. wlad is a guy who through dedication and learning the art has become a genuinley much better fighter, but hopkins is the most dramatic improvement ive seen in a fighter over 5 years or so

Think you would have to chuck Wlad's name into the mix, who would have thought when he was dropping losses to the likes of Brewster he would go on to be a pretty dominant and solid champion, moreover one that rarely lost a round.

Not sure he has added too many more assets to his game offensively but has honed those he does have to an absolute tee and defensively his ability to tie up and create and maaintain a distance has improved out of sight.

Sorry bellchees, did not see your post before posting, suffice to say I agree

Lennox Lewis maybe? In 1994 he was getting stopped by a solid but unspectacular Oliver McCall, and then in the following 5/6 years he is running through dangerous guys like Briggs, Golota, Grant, Tua and beating Holyfield twice (yes I know the first fight was a draw). He had performed well prior to McCall but didn't really look like becoming the dominant force he ended up being.

Manny Steward getting hold of him was the best thing that happened to Lennox, and he went from a poorly balanced fighter with amateurish traits to a guy who ended up, generally, in full control of his technique and mind.

Mind the windows Tino. wrote:

Manny Steward getting hold of him was the best thing that happened to Lennox, .

The same is almost certainly true of Wlad as well Tina, does appear Steward might have half a clue what he is doing at that training lark.

Yep, he loves a guy with a good jab that is for sure. Just a shame for Lennox that it took such a catastrophic audition of Stewards talents before Lewis realised what he could offer!

Ordinary is a better word than dangerous...........

Don't think Lewis improved that much......Just put on weight and became more cautious...........rightly so!!!!!

I'll chuck out a name...........Freddie Pendleton...

Saw him on ESPN getting beat a few times and looked garbage....then I saw him against Bramble and Mayweather a few years later and he looked as If he'd always belonged in that company....

Everything was much improved.....seemed slicker..harder to hit..more powerful and generally more ring-crafted!!!!!!!!!

You could say Pacman improved when he teamed up with Roach. He was pretty one dimensional before the link up and in the early days.

I have to agree with Barrera aswell. I didnt think he would be capable of the boxing clinic he produced against Naz, he always seem like a fighter who would play into Naz's hands.

Mind the windows Tino. wrote:Yep, he loves a guy with a good jab that is for sure. Just a shame for Lennox that it took such a catastrophic audition of Stewards talents before Lewis realised what he could offer!

Has anyone seen his new protégé Tony Harrison? Typical Stewart fighter, fantastic jab , great hand speed and lots power. He looks like one to look out for.

Soldier_Of_Fortune wrote:

Mind the windows Tino. wrote:Yep, he loves a guy with a good jab that is for sure. Just a shame for Lennox that it took such a catastrophic audition of Stewards talents before Lewis realised what he could offer!

Has anyone seen his new protégé Tony Harrison? Typical Stewart fighter, fantastic jab , great hand speed and lots power. He looks like one to look out for.

Not seen him SoF but I will keep my eyes open. Cheers.

TRUSSMAN66 wrote:Ordinary is a better word than dangerous...........

C'mon now Truss, old boy, it is a bit unfair to call Golota and Tua ordinary. Golota had just given Bowe hell for two fights and Tua, although limited, was a very hard puncher who not many fancied getting in the ring with.

I also seem to remember a few well known pundits calling the Grant fight for the American. Easy to say after the event that he wasn't up to standard, but he was a huge guy with a heavyweight punch. In the dangerous category for sure.

It was a past it Bowe and these guys were around at a time when all the other contenders were garbage......

Pick Bonecrusher Smith to knock Golota out and Cooney as well......

They were ordinary too..........

Pac perhaps.....

Macklin aswell, lost a couple of times at british level and a few years later gave Martinez a good fight

I'd have to say Khan - in the past 5 years he's made some quite bold announcements at world level, the fighter that got knocked out cold by Bredis Prescott is a million miles away now.

Benard Hopkins.

They say you cant teach an old dog new tricks, but I always think its different with the very best.
For me Hopkins is one of those aging boxer that had to learn moves that where not important to him when he was younger.

Lots of great examples here.

I probably rate Wlad significantly lower than everybody else here, but he has clearly improved. Another example of the Steward effect. How much he's improved I don't know, if only there were some more decent contenders out there who could tell us for sure!

Has he faced anybody as dangerous as Sanders since Sanders? As bizzare as it sounds, possibly not. His stock has risen year on year though and for good reason. If I'm not mistaken some saw the Chagaev fight as winnable for "White Tyson" before hand. Now there's no one who you'd give a hope of beating him.