When applied to boxing, the term ?Old School? has many meanings. That said, in this, our latest survey, we asked our respondents which boxer of the modern era ? active or retired ? struck them as most Old School, limiting the choice to just one. Here are their picks. As always, the respondents are listed alphabetically.
MATT ANDRZEJEWSKI?TSS boxing writer: Emanuel Augustus. Augustus was a guy who was literally willing to fight anyone anywhere. He traveled wherever needed and fought whenever the phone rang. He amassed over 600 professional rounds. Look at what he did in 2001. After beating Orlando Milian on February 10th, he accepted a short notice fight on February 16th against Mike Griffith whom he dominated and stopped in Griffith?s backyard of Cleveland. Later that year, Augustus engaged in a fight-of-the- year type bout against Micky Ward and just two months after that brawl he was back in the ring against then undefeated Leonard Dorin. That?s old school.
JIM AMATO?author, writer, historian and collector: I think Mikey Garcia is as close to old school as anyone around today. No frills, just solid in everything he does. I enjoy watching him fight.
RUSS ANBER?trainer, elite cornerman and owner of Rival Boxing Equipment: My choice would have to be Bernard Hopkins. His approach to training, coupled with a disciplined lifestyle which allowed him to stay atop the middleweight hill for a record number of title defenses, clearly makes him the undisputed ?Old School? fighter of our modern era.
PHIL ANSELMO?boxing writer and lead vocalist for heavy metal bands including Pantera: My pick is Terence Crawford. From his attitude to his resum?, the man handles business in a vein similar to Pernell Whitaker, but out of an orthodox stance and with a KO punch. Regarding his attitude, he?s humble but truthful, he?s always in top shape and he steps up intensity each round with a strategy intact, ready to go from plan A to Z if need be. Damned good boxer coming into his own, the old school way. If he keeps on track, like I believe he will, he?ll leave a great legacy.
DAVID AVILA?TSS West Coast Bureau Chief: James ?Lights Out? Toney best typifies old school for me. He?s the Sam Langford of the 21st century.
JOE BRUNO?former New York City sportswriter, prolific author: Evander Holyfield was a perfect example of an old school fighter. Nothing fancy about Holyfield who came to fight every time he entered the ring. Even though his talent level for a heavyweight was less than the norm for world champions, his great conditioning made each of his fights a gem to watch.
TRACY CALLIS?renowned boxing historian: Bernard Hopkins was old school in attitude, old school tough, and old school in the ring. He possessed the physical tools and the mindset to make things happen, much like an old-school fighter. He was careful, cautious, durable, and well-schooled in solid fundamentals. He studied his opponents, figured out a plan that would beat them, and executed that plan while attacking upstairs and down. He was not flashy, sometimes even boring, but always alert for whatever his foe might try. When he was fighting, it was almost like an old-timer telling the moderns ?shut up, anything you can do, I can do better.?
STEVE CANTON?author and the face of boxing in Florida: Modern boxers, in my opinion, have zero chance against the masters of old. There are no boxing ?teachers? today, so today?s boxers have no opportunity to learn the subtle techniques which made the older generation of boxers more complete and versatile. Old School boxers fought more times within a couple of years than today?s boxers fight in an entire career. Today?s boxers don?t have an opportunity to ?practice? their craft. If you practice a guitar every day you will be a better guitar player than if you practiced once a month. Today?s generation of boxers don?t exhibit the same hunger, discipline and dedication. All that being said, I cast my vote for Mikey Garcia.
JILL DIAMOND?International Secretary, WBC: To me, this is more of an attitude than a style. I?d say GGG. He never complains. He says nothing negative. He trains, stays focused, gets in the ring and is always aggressive. I?ve never seen him back away. I?ve never seen him on the canvas. I?ve never heard him make excuses. He just boxes.
CHARLIE DWYER-?retired referee and member of the Marine and Ring 4 Boxing Halls of Fame: I would say Bernard Hopkins. He was not great but did a lot of things well. He had a nice repertoire of punches, good defensive skills, and knew more than a few tricks. He lived clean, had no entourage, and was always in top shape.
BERNARD FERNANDEZ?TSS mainstay and lifetime member of the BWAA: ?Irish? Micky Ward gets the nod from me, given the parameters for consideration. He should be known for more than those three incredible wars with Arturo Gatti. Fans in Atlantic City and in New England loved the guy well before those fights. No, he wasn?t a precursor to Terence Crawford, but he switched from orthodox to southpaw seamlessly, could hook to the body with either hand and just about always gave as good, or better, than he got.
JEFFREY FREEMAN?TSS boxing writer and the man behind KO Digest: Marvelous Marvin Hagler was a very old school fighter from Marciano?s hometown of Brockton, MA. He competed in only one division and avenged his early losses. He earned his world title shots the old-fashioned way by terrorizing top contenders. He became the undisputed champion in one of the original eight weight classes. He went 15 rounds more than once, defending his crown 12 times. He stayed with the same trainers his whole career. He trained like a Warrior Spartan in the marvelously strong Petronelli Triangle. Greatness mattered to him in the squared circle. He flattened Tommy Hearns in ?The War.? He was crushed by defeat when, IMO, the economic politics of boxing favored Sugar Ray Leonard in 1987.
CLARENCE GEORGE?boxing writer and historian: Who was more of a throwback than David Tua? Unlike almost all of today?s behemoth-like heavyweights, he was a fireplug ? short, heavy, and built like a barroom brawler. The very antithesis of the body-beautiful physique first introduced by Ken Norton, he was reminiscent of a couple of Depression-era Tony?s ? Galento and Musto. He also had more than his share of the rough-and-tumble fights so characteristic of the 1930s. Finesse? What the hell is that, a French dessert? Set ?em up and knock ?em down. That was Galento. And that was Tua.
LEE GROVES?author, writer and the Wizard of CompuBox: I?d say Julio Cesar Chavez in this respect: he maintained a breakneck schedule even during his championship reigns. He fought numerous non-title fights in Mexico so that his most passionate fans could see him in action, which meant he truly cared about the people who paid to see him. He also was an action fighter who went at his opponents and wore them down with pressure and precision.
JEFF JOWETT?longtime boxing scribe and heir to the late Jack Obermayer as an authority on East Coast diners: Many years back I read a great story about Marvin Hagler?can?t remember who wrote it?about how he didn?t fire anybody, didn?t change trainers every time he lost a fight, didn?t make excuses, etc. I saw him at the Hall of Fame this past weekend. Looked great! He rode a bike during the race and went back and forth encouraging the runners. Old school.
