Obligatory Boxing Post: Styles

Soundtrack: Rakim's "Don't sweat the technique" (one of the jams I listen to when I'm warming up along with a healthy dose of B-Boy music).

"A man can be an artist... in anything, food, whatever. It depends on how good he is at it."
-Man on Fire

From a young age, I was enamored with boxing. Seeing guys get in there and move, bounce, flow, precision punching...and ultimately the balls necessary to get in there with another guy and slug it out while thousands watched....I was awestruck. As a small for my age kid growing up on the west coast seeing guys that had that courage and grace and finesse under fire always struck me as amazing. It was a place where a 147 lb man was a terror.

It was a power I desperately wanted. It's a power I've spent nearly 6 years pursuing despite increasing costs/sacrifice necessary.

In no particular order, stylistically, here are some of my favorite boxers:

Emmanuel Augustus:

Pernell Whitaker:

Salvador Sanchez:

Roberto Duran:

Marvin Hagler:

Harry Greb:
Despite having been the ONLY man to beat Gene Tunney, and logging nearly 300 professional bouts, no fight footage of Harry Greb exists.

Carmen Basilio:

And last but not least, the modern day warrior, Arturo Gatti - RIP.