The rhythm Breakers...Who are they

[Bummy Davis]

Not necessarily a puncher, its a fightet that may fight out of Rhythm and is effective against the very skilled or atheltic


Ken Norton did not have the best whiskers but he had a rhythm breaking style. He proved it against Ali,Young and Holmes. Marciano had a great chin and he proved his Rhythm breaking style vs many of the slickest. Jake Lamotta was one to a degree and Harry Greb was one of the best.Vitali Klitschko has those skills. Who else falls into the Rhythm breaker title both past and present.

[McGrain]

Roy Jones may be #1 in this department. He can break his opponents rhythym without compromising his.

[Bill1234]

Hopkins is very good at screwing up another guy's rhythm.

[Bummy Davis]

Sandy Sadler and Zivic were 2 but they both brought a bag of tricks into the ring

[Duodenum]

Max Baer comes first to my mind. This trait of his was a key reason why many experts believed he would have had the best chance to upset Holmes, among Larry's predecessors as heavyweight champion. He had a crazed unpredictability well suited for breaking the mastery of control brought to the ring by a Holmes. He was good in rematches, avenging decision losses to Shaaf, Risko and Farr, also all on points, proving he wasn't wholly dependent on the knockout to win. (Nearly did take out Shaaf though, in a sort of preplay to Liston-Whitehurst II.)

[Duodenum]

Sandy Sadler and Zivic were 2 but they both brought a bag of tricks into the ringImagine Fritzie with thumbless gloves. (Or Holmes, for that matter.)

[SLAKKA]

This post has Harry Grebs name written all over it. Its all his opponents ever talked about.

"He confuses you"

[Mantequilla]

Pac.

[Duodenum]

This post has Harry Greb's name written all over it. Its all his opponents ever talked about.

"He confuses you"I considered Greb, but Harry did have some problems with master boxers Loughran and Mike Gibbons. (After first squaring off with the Phantom, Greb told his manager, "Next time, sign me up to fight just one guy.") Tunney also figured him out as their series progressed. As I said though, I did consider him, and it's a perfectly good answer.

[Legend X]

Michael Spinks.

[Legend X]

Ken Norton.

[guilalah]

Kid Gavillan was a master of syncopation who would establish a rhythm, impose it on the action, then punch inbetween the beats.

Q: Does that make him a rhythm-breaker, or a rhythm-maker?

[lefthook31]

Ricardo Mayorga for all his limitations, could take a technically sound fighter out of his game.

Frans Botha not bad either for a somewhat limited guy

[Duodenum]

Kid Gavillan was a master of syncopation who would establish a rhythm, impose it on the action, then punch inbetween the beats.

Q: Does that make him a rhythm-breaker, or a rhythm-maker?The only rebroadcast of a complete Gavilan bout I ever watched was the kinescope of his match with Hector Constance, and he came across very much as a rhythm maker. (If you closed your eyes and just listened to the loud pop his bolo punches made on contact, you could virtually hear the beat. He used it almost like a jab, initiating action with it repeatedly.)

[Blood Green]

John Ruiz is clearly the champ of this.

[Russell]

I can't think of a better active fighter who does it better then Hopkin's.

[Seamus]

John Ruiz is clearly the champ of this.

Damn it, I thought I was gonna drop this bomb.

Also, Henry Maske, Bernard Hopkins, Jersey Joe Walcott all come to mind and had different ways of accomplishing the task.

[Russell]

I figure I'll throw out Arturo Godoy here. Many feel he eeked out a points win over Louis the first time but was reamed, as Mr Bill would say. :lol:

[Mendoza]

Calzaghe, Jones, and Hopkins. Aslo Toney. Ruiz can do it with clinching, and cheap fouls.

[JohnThomas1]

I can't believe Carlos Monzon hasn't been mentioned. He's the epitome.

[SLAKKA]

I considered Greb, but Harry did have some problems with master boxers Loughran and Mike Gibbons. (After first squaring off with the Phantom, Greb told his manager, "Next time, sign me up to fight just one guy.") Tunney also figured him out as their series progressed. As I said though, I did consider him, and it's a perfectly good answer.

Fighting Tommy and Gene with one eye may wanna factor, and he beat Phantom Mike in ten!

[Bummy Davis]

Imagine Fritzie with thumbless gloves. (Or Holmes, for that matter.)

I remember the Bonecrusher,Scott Frank fight among others, Holmes with thumbless gloves would be to handicap him. It was one of his best weapons
and Fritzie could teach them all some tricks

[Bummy Davis]

Max Baer comes first to my mind. This trait of his was a key reason why many experts believed he would have had the best chance to upset Holmes, among Larry's predecessors as heavyweight champion. He had a crazed unpredictability well suited for breaking the mastery of control brought to the ring by a Holmes. He was good in rematches, avenging decision losses to Shaaf, Risko and Farr, also all on points, proving he wasn't wholly dependent on the knockout to win. (Nearly did take out Shaaf though, in a sort of preplay to Liston-Whitehurst II.)


I think Baer was a excellent fighter, it was his dedication and focus that wondered but he had the tools

[curly]

Carlos Monzon would throw 'half jabs', they came out slow, then gather alot of pace. This caused opponents to block/evade too early, really effective.

[Bummy Davis]

true

[cotto20]

Ken Norton was a master at breaking up a smooth boxers rhythm. He was poision to boxers as he proved against Ali and Holmes.

As some have said Bernard Hopkins is also a master at taking you out your rhythm.......

[ChrisPontius]

I can't believe Walcott hasn't been mentioned yet (?). Definitely him. His feet said A but his fists said B, which often translates to surprise knockdown/out. Even some of the greatest men ever to lace them up, like Louis, Charles and Marciano, had trouble figuring him out.

Calzaghe also. Kessler held advantages in athletic prowess, power, youth (12 years or so), technical ability, yet Calzaghe completely threw him off with his rhythm breaking style.

Hopkins, Monzon and Vitali Klitschko are others.

I watched Tony Thompson last weekend and he qualifies as well, even if he isn't half as good as the former names. He was slower and lesser powerful, but outlanded his opponent something like 5:1 because of his great timing. Timing is extremely important.

[Tin_Ribs]

Laguna and Rodriguez could both break up an opponent's rhythm in fine style via herky-jerky catlike movement (and strength on the inside from Rodriguez).

So could Saddler and Zivic, though for different reasons.

[EleventhHour]

As far as modern fighters are concerned, it's really hard to look good against Joshua Clottey.

[Seamus]

Carlos Monzon would throw 'half jabs', they came out slow, then gather alot of pace. This caused opponents to block/evade too early, really effective.

Good observation...

But that's the best avatar here. Never seen that picture before. What year is it from?

[GregDempsey]

aggressive fighters are usually pretty good rhythme breakers..unless they are themselves totally predicatable in their own rhythme....dempsey said that beginning fighters can be effective rhythm breakers..because they have none of their own, so they throw punches that make no sense, hence a experienced guy can get caught by a newibie when you figure he will never get touched.

[Addie]

Michael Spinks.

Boom! The very reason why I don't think Jones could handle him, or many Light Heavyweights for that matter. It was impossible to interpret what he was going to throw and which direction he was going to move in. He threw punches from every possible angle, sometimes you'd watch and think..how did he even get that off? Jones, who relies on his reflexes a whole lot, would be up shit creek.

[Bummy Davis]

aggressive fighters are usually pretty good rhythme breakers..unless they are themselves totally predicatable in their own rhythme....dempsey said that beginning fighters can be effective rhythm breakers..because they have none of their own, so they throw punches that make no sense, hence a experienced guy can get caught by a newibie when you figure he will never get touched.


Good point but when a guy gets ring wisdom and there is a method to his madness...and he throws a bomb out of rhythm its a bitch, Duran could also be one.

[Bummy Davis]

I can't believe Walcott hasn't been mentioned yet (?). Definitely him. His feet said A but his fists said B, which often translates to surprise knockdown/out. Even some of the greatest men ever to lace them up, like Louis, Charles and Marciano, had trouble figuring him out.

Calzaghe also. Kessler held advantages in athletic prowess, power, youth (12 years or so), technical ability, yet Calzaghe completely threw him off with his rhythm breaking style.

Hopkins, Monzon and Vitali Klitschko are others.

I watched Tony Thompson last weekend and he qualifies as well, even if he isn't half as good as the former names. He was slower and lesser powerful, but outlanded his opponent something like 5:1 because of his great timing. Timing is extremely important.

good post....you are on the money with JJW...funny but a R.B. can be a boxer and or a puncher, Walcott was both...Marciano was a modern day ring version of Columbo the T.V. detective, he looked like he was throwing a tap and he double up with a punch and would change up on the order of his punches, not so predictable

[techks]

It's very hard for anyone to look good against Hopkins, Clottey, and maybe Winky Wright.

[KTFO]

Sandy Saddler, Joey Maxim, Randy Turpin, Carmen Basilio, ...

[Sardu]

Saul Mamby. He had a lot of losses but I don't recall him ever being stopped.

[red cobra]

Ken Norton was a great rhythm breaker..he was poison to Muhammad Ali and should have won bout #3 of theirs.

[Chinxkid]

Awkward guys, guys who used a lot of angles, and jabbers.

[GPater11093]

how about someone like Jung-Koo Chang who didnt let you settle into a rhythm to start with

[Addie]

how about someone like Jung-Koo Chang who didnt let you settle into a rhythm to start with

You and Chang need to get a room, but yeah, I think that's a valid enough point...and the reason why I picked him to beat Lopez in the other thread. Lopez was accustomed to setting the pace and working at his own rhythm. Chang wouldn't allow that to happen, so whereas Chang would be fighting his usual fight...Lopez would be like a fish out of water.

[GPater11093]

You and Yuh need to get a room - taht would be quite quite lonely

Chang is class though

[red cobra]

Sammy Angott was a great rhythm breaker vs Willie Pep.