Conditioning vs Skills?

Question

I recently read an artical on RossBoxnig.com (Great website) that said if two fighters that are somewhat close in skill meet in the ring the fighter that has better conditoning wins the majority of the time.

I have been using workouts from his Dvd's and Books as of lately and my sparring has been a lot better. I usted too be hesatant to let my punches go becasue i didnt want to run out of gas. I spar with 4 differnt guys at my Boxing Gym and 2 of them won the Chicago Golden Gloves in their weight class and my conditioning has really helped me hang with them.

IF YOU COULD HAVE ONE ASSET WHAT WOULD IT BE CONDITIONING OR SKILLS ? NAME A FIGHT WHEN CONDITIONING WON AND A FIGHT WHEN SKILLS WON?

ITS LIKE WHO DO YOU PICK RICKY HATTON VS ZAB JUDAH HATTON'S IN SHAPE JUDAH IS VERY SKILLED

Answer 1

Conditioning will always win over skill sets.

Sometimes competition becomes a test of attrition...

that means the one that gets tired first...will lose.

Theres two other aspects surrounding the successful outcome of a contest that you've missed...

the competitor

and luck.

You can be the best conditioned athlete in the world...and if you don't feel well, your mind isn't focused and you're distracted...you can lose.

Or you can be the most skilled fighter of all time...and if your opponent lands a lucky punch...you can lose.

Also...skills are taught, trained, and worked...

but you cannot learn, work, and train well...if you aren't in good condition.

I'll take conditioning and learn the skills later - one of the reasons many team sports have "pre-season training" to condition their athletes first.

Answer 2

I would pick conditioning over skill. I could have all the skill in the world, but what good does it do, if I'm not conditioned to fight past four rounds. It really doesn't take much for a well conditioned fighter to survive several rounds over a highly skilled fighter.

Look at Roy Jones and Glen Johnson. Jones was the more highly skilled fighter and he threw everything at Johnson, including some nice bodyshots. Johnson's condition and stamina didn't seem to change at all during that bout and he finally caught Jones. Also, Hasim Rahman has been a victim of conditioning so many times over lesser skilled opponents.

Answer 3

If two guys have the same skill.. but one is fitter, obviously he will win (as Ross said!). Converesely, if two guys have the same fitness the more skilled guy will win - we are not exactly inventing anything new here though.

I think once a boxer has the capability, and confidence, to produce a good punchout put, i.e. average fitness, and good skills he will always beat a well conditioned but average-skilled fighter.

This is boxing.. not marathon running. Fitness is important - but the fundamental skills of the sport are far more important in determining success.

On another note - you can always improve fitness. Your skill set is limited to your god given talent.. you have an absolute predetermined peak from the time you are born.

For fit, not necessarily overly skilled, fighters see Jeff Fenech; Ricky Hatton.

Answer 4

Skills are the icing, conditioning is the cake! Conditioning over skills- Chavez v.s. Taylor, Skills over conditioning- Ray leonard v.s. Marvelous Marvin Hagler.

Answer 5

If you had the right skill, lets say Roy Jones skill, you'll be droping people in the first round and then light up a gar. Super skill over super conditioning any day.

Answer 6

Warrior is correct in all his points.

Douglas Holyfield is your example for conditioning. Holyfield sent two large pizzas "compliments of the house" to Douglas's hotel room every night for the monh before the fight. They were always gone the next morning. Douglas was flabby and lost to a conditioned Holyfield, but he should have won.

On the other side of the coin, just watch any of Foreman's second career early comeback fights. He is in awful shape, but his experience (and talent) take him to victory.

My own opinion is that one needs conditioning first, skills second, plus talent, plus luck.

Perseverance is also key, as everyone eventually loses.