Looking Back: Grading Arreola and Williams

Chris Arreola and Paul Williams weren't exactly in big fights last weekend but they were still pretty significantly important.

Chris's fight was very important for the reason of him being tabbed the real American contender. There was a lot of pressure on Chris for this fight, win and he's closer to a huge fight with either Klitschko. Lose and he's seen as a pretender and not the American contender that has been stamped on him.

When I saw how much he weighed at the weigh in I was extremely disappointed with he and his team. Coming in at 254 didn't give the impression that he took this fight and the stakes serious enough.

I feel he had a tougher time than he should of had against Walker although it was a short but very sweet and exciting fight. Chris is a lot better fighter than he showed in appearance and technique.

Here are his grades.

Conditioning: D

Chris wasn't pushed into the late rounds as team Walker had planned and hoped for so we didn't get a good gauge of Chris's despite his appearance. Taking his weight of 254 into consideration gives you the impression that it would've been disastrous for Chris to allow the fight to go that long. It didn't. He won and he better be damn glad too.

Strength: B+

Chris is pretty strong, he showed his strength of will and mind by getting up and ending the fight before it got out of hand. Many fighters would've folded under Walker's start. Chris didn't and he must be praised for that.

Power: A

The left hook Chris finished Travis with was right on the money and just the power shot he needed to land to call it a day. Power can save your ass quick in a fight as Chris displayed.

Speed: C-

Chris has better hand speed and combos than he displayed last Saturday night. His weight slowed him down. If he comes in at 240 like he should you'll see how quick and nimble Chris can be.

I feel Team Arreala dogged a bullet with the condition they came into this fight with. All that talk of Big Bear being great for Chris and he still comes into the biggest fight of his career thus far looking sloppy! They better get their shit together if they want to take advantage of their next opportunity and not be blown out.

Paul Williams


















I thought Paul fought as good as a fight he could have with a bad cut early while winning the 154 WBO strap. I feel that this fight was a great experience for Paul. Verno is an older fighter but he is NO joke. Paul looked stronger at 154 than 147. His grades are as follows.

Conditioning: A

Paul through a lot of hard body shots and combos period leading to his eight round stoppage of Verno. You can't do that if you're not in shape. Paul was and he made sure the cut wasn't a factor by his constant whirl wind punch put output.

Strength A

Like I said earlier Paul looks very strong at 154. Verno is not a weak fighter either and Paul bullied him around the ring. For being a wiry guy, Paul doesn't allow himself to be bullied or looked like he'll be blown over at any moment. Strength makes that happen.

Power A

Verno is fucking tough as hell. Any other fighter would've crumbled earlier under those viscous body shots that Paul was ripping. His was consistent and relentless with his power shots. If he was feared at 147 by the elite, makes you wonder what the best of 154 are thinking!

Speed B-

I feel Paul can be a bit faster. I don't like how he hangs his punches out there sometimes. Against a faster fighter he'll be countered on. I feel he can be faster and I doubt that he's performing any plyo work. I would add some power training to his routine and then watch how the fear of him grows along with that new speed and power.

Paul is going to be hard to beat if he's focused. I think he learned a lot about that in the first Quintana fight. The only way I see anyone beating Paul is if Paul comes into the fight drained and over trained from jumping divisions. Team Williams should settle into the 154 division for a bit set up a super fight with Vernon Forrest kick his ass then go to middleweight to cause havoc and terror their. One step at a time team Williams.. haste makes waste... being foolish jumping divisions could get Paul's ass kicked.

It's not Old School, It's being a Profesional with Common Sense.

This past weekend we had several fighters having problems making weight and one big fight was actually scrapped due to this. The culprit in scrapping the big fight was Joan Guzman. Campbell-Guzman was a fight that many were looking forward too. It was a fight that would help clear who the best at light weight is.

Guzman fucked all that up by coming in way too heavy and saying he was too weak from making the weight to even fight. What bullshit! What was his team thinking 3 weeks ago when Joan stepped on the scale? Where is the professionalism there?!

There's quite a few writers saying that the old school way of staying in shape between fights is all but gone... Fighters like Shane Mosley, Floyd Mayweather Jr. and Beranrd Hopkins respect boxing enough to stay in shape between fights. But the thing is, it's not old school but fucking common sense! It's called being a professional. If these fighters don't want to be professionals then fine their asses for blowing a big promotion and fucking a fighter who respects the fight and sport enough to come fully prepped.. I'm talking about Campbell here. Guzman should be the last in line for another big fight cause all that shit he was popping off and he couldn't even make weight?! A big fight and promotion was blown, he must be used as an example. Suspend him for his lack of effort and integrity. Take away the big pay days until he is ready to take away the big portions at the dinner table! If I was Campbells manager I'de be suing Guzmans ass.

Sergio Mora had problems making weight too and had to dry out for over an hour to make the weight. Keep in mind that he was over by four pounds the night before and he was trying then to cut. This obviously took it's tool on Serio's body. The result was a lackluster performance and huge loss against a motivated and very fit Vernon Forrest. To fuck around with making weight against a world class fighter in Vernon Forrest guaranteed disaster and that's what happened in Mora loosing decisively against Vernon.

Just a few months ago, Mora was on top of the world, now he's on the bottom of the totem pole cause he was came in too heavy. He said he needed at least eight weeks to prepare. Maybe so, but what he needed to do was keep himself fit so if he was rushed into a short camp making weight wouldn't have been an excuse. But that's exactly the excuse he gave. All Sergio had to do was take responsibility and this shit wouldn't have happened. That's all it comes down too... Act like a pro.

That's why old school fighters stayed in the gym and fought often. It kept them sharp and in shape. They knew that things happen fast in boxing and they wanted to be ready. The young James Toney knew this and did it by fighting often, as did Julio Cesar Chavez. This also allowed both to have long careers.

To them it wasn't old school, but fucking common sense and being pros.

How to be better prepared in your boxing strength training workouts.

When it comes to training do you guys think in terms of using tools or using one training philosophy? I hope your heads aren't welded shut and you learn to use different tools depending on the different goals you have in your training.

Just like in a fight, fighting one style will get you success up to a point. But being a well rounded fighter allows you to achieve more. So as it is in training. We need to take from the different training methods/philosophies out there and add them to our training to ensure even more gains than following one training system.

Fighters often up their game when they get out of their comfort zone and study another art adding to their game and calling on that added skill in a fight when needed. That's how performance enhancement training should be. Learn from the different training methods out there so you have the proper and ideal training tools necessary to call upon when the goal or situation demands them the most.

Why it's often better to take a step back in your boxing training workouts.

Fighters are often paranoid that they aren't training hard enough. They can show up at the gym spar several rounds and if they get tired they freak out by performing more road work. More road work in their minds is the answer to preventing them from getting tired as they did in that sparring session.

More road work isn't the answer here to greater gains in stamina... To take a step forward in training, the fighter often has to take two steps back.

Taking two steps back in the form of cutting their training volume and rest. Now old school skill trainers may bark at this as weakness but in reality it relates to better progress.

Listen to your body during your boxing workouts. If you're coming to the gym tired, irritable, or feeling lackadaisical, perform a light workout and then take the next day off, maybe two.

This will prevent over training and once you understand how to mange your training intensity/stressors you will perform better than ever on your sparring days instead of puttering out.

Road work isn't the answer... Recovery often is.


Click here http://boxingperformance.com/ for effective recovery tips and methods.

Q/A: Boxing Strength Training Program Design.

Hey Rob,

Planning a solid strength and conditioning for the summer, here's an outline:

1 - de lower, core stability and rotation (bands, medicine ball)
2 - me upper, neck stability, flexion, extension
3 - gpp , restoration/recovery
4 - me lower, core flexion and extension, grip
5 - de upper, neck stability, flexion, extension
6 - upper power conditioning, sprints, grip
7 - strength endurance(burpees, slams, deck of cards, warrior challenges, bodyweight circuits), static stretching

What sort of recovery work do you do on that gpp day? What do you think of mobility drills stretches, activation, all that jazz? I have never looked into it. Injury prevention is obviously important to a boxer, rotator cuff work. What else should I do? Really this day is a good chance to cool my body down and get myself rested up, I want to make the most of it and add anything small that will help me in the long run.

This programme will probably go 3 weeks on, 1 week deload where volume in the weights and actual weight is halved, conditioning and other days will remain the same.

Thanks in advance,
Charis

You got a lot going on Charis. Too much in my opinion. Are you training to be a fighter with skill training on top of this? You're better doing less than too much. Try a 2-3 day strength training template. Add some plyometrics before the strength exercises on ME Upper and ME Lower.

I don't use a templet like this Charis. So for recovery we rest, get some deep tissue work done, soak in some mineral baths etc.

Mobility drills, activation exercises should be part of your program. Mobility is extremely important and overlooked. Focus on it to improve your performance and to stay healthy.

I would add some reverse wd chops and some reverse crunches also.

Charis, I have no idea what you need without knowing your weaknesses, needs/goals but I will say that prone cobras are great, forward ball rolls, face pulls, wall leans, are all very good to use.

To recover you have to manage your high training stressors, the high ones in life too.

Monitor your lifestyle habits as a solid strength/conditioning program will flow off of that. With poor habits you screw yourself. Sleep well, drink plenty of water, eat whole foods, limit stimulants.

Remember less is more. Focus on getting more done with less. You strength/conditioning program should focus on your needs and weaknesses, and supplement what you don't get from your skill training.

Click here http://boxingperformance.com/ for boxing performance strength/conditioning programs.