Closest stylical boxer to Fitzsimmons

He was a very unorthadox fighter.

 

He had a very unique unorthodox style, held his hands kind of low like James Toney but pulled back alittle more, not a busy punch output but hit like a ton of bricks, I can honestly say I haven’t seen anyone fight like him, but that could be because his style would be ill suited for any generation that followed...

 

Don Donphrey was announcing a Bob Foster title bout in the late 1960’s and during it he said old timer’s then said Fostervwascsaid to be similar in style with Bob Fitzsimmons.

 

Apparently Gans studied him, but he looks alot more 'fundamental' on film.

 

I hate to say it, but, maybe Prince Naseem Hamed?

 

I've said it in other threads.

Deontay Wilder reminds me of Bob Fitzsimmons. I used to think Wilder reminded me of Max Baer. But for all the WINDMILL talk, Wilder does throw some brutal straight shots.

Fitz kept his distance. He closed fast. He was often awkward when he attacked, but he was generally effective. Threw his arms out to block when an opponent attacked. Despite his thin legs, he had great power and knocked out most people he fought. Wilder doesn't lean back on the back foot as much. Other than that, they're pretty similar.

Wilder is Fitz if Fitz was 6'7" and about 50 pounds heavier.

 

When watching Fitz's shuffling footwork against Corbett, I see similarities to Dempsey's footwork. They both move forward with a crab-style walk which allows them to put extra leverage in their punches, especially the left hook. Other fighters who did this are Stanley Ketchel, Mike Gibbons, Billy Petrolle, Al Hostak. It's quite different than the orthodox left foot forward style used in the classic stand-up stance employed by most right-handed boxers. Obviously, Fitz didn't use a crouching style like Dempsey, but the footwork was similar, IMO.

 

Defensive tricks? You mean backing up and holding his arms out? Wilder does that, too.

For the most part, Fitz avoided shots by staying on the outside - out of punching range. That's what Wilder does. It worked because Fitz closed fast from the outside, same as Wilder.

Fitz often closed/attacked throwing hooks and rights instead of jabs, same as Wilder.

Attack the body? Was Fitz a huge body puncher because he landed one liver shot on Corbett that had him unable to stand up for 10 or 12 seconds? Fitz was a headhunter like everyone back then. Wilder is, too.

Fitz had an awkward style. So does Wilder. But they are quite similar in many ways, too.

Nobody leans on their backfoot all the time. Norton drug his. That's not the same.

It was a flaw in Fitz's game, but most vast majority of guys Fitz fought were super awkward themselves so it didn't hurt him much.

I'm glad Wilder doesn't do lean on his back foot, although people have complained about how unskilled he is on the occasions when he has.

 

Just like all the guys Norton koed with body shots?

Wilder is more like Fitzsimmons than Norton.

Frankly, I don't see a single resemblance in styles between Norton and Fitzsimmons. Norton based everything off the jab to try to get inside, where he preferred to be. Fitz didn't jab at all. And he was more attack and then get out, like Wilder.

And dragging your back foot is the opposite of leaning back on your trailing foot.

Practically no one has copied Fitz. But I see a lot of Fitz in Wilder's style.

Norton's style is closer to Joe Frazier than Bob Fitzsimmons.