Okay...mad props to Shane for his scintillating win over Macarena (yeah...I said it...Macarena...time to get back to my roots in boxing).



However, if Shane still had his father in his corner for last night's fight, I really doubt that he would have looked so dominant. In fact, I think that was Shane's best performance ever...even better than his win over De La Hoya...and I really think Naazim had everthing to do with it. That said, I just feel like Brother Naazim deserves his own damn thread as he's clearly the most underappreciated trainers/strategists in the sport. So here's a couple of gems from Richardson that some people may have missed:

Yeah....Calzaghe is a gamer....I'll give him that...I like how Richardson chose to call him scrappy 'cause "crappy" is in there....lol...nice, little description/dig at the same time...


Anyway....Naazim is appreciated to this Boxing fan....HIGHLY appreciated

Established Creme of The Crop....

Brother Naazim is the man!

Reading his interview with Percy the other day I started to feel a little more confident in Mosley having a real chance to win this fight.

I agree - that fight would have looked completely different with Jack in the corner.

Man, I hope and pray that Calzaghe gives Hops that rematch. I really think it was a mistake for Hops to let Roach take the lead in the corner. I think with Naaz back in control, Hops wins the rematch in convincing fashion.

Thanks Naazim for training Shane, amazing job just in just a short amount of time together. To imagine if you had Shane his whole career how things could have went. Also, wondered how Naazim is doing since his stroke? Has it effected him with training duties or in his life in general? Congrats on a great job!!!

I totally agree! Hey what will happen with those hand wraps that seemed to have plaster of paris on them? Do you think the C.S.A.C. actually has them or could they have destroyed them? I am interested in what will come of that! What do you think will happen Ben?

CSAC has them from what I hear. Someone from Mosley's team grabbed them and gave them to the commission. I'm expecting some heavy fines to come down, possibly even a suspension, depending on how bad they were. My guess is that Margarito will be let off the hook though and they'll probably blame the person doing the wrapping. Margarito will play the "I didn't know what he was doing" card.

We'll have to see how that all plays out! I just watch the fight 2 more times this morning & I think the game plan for mosley/marg was VERY close to Bhop/pavlik! Fast str8 punches, keep your back off the ropes & expose the brawlers bad footwork! It was amazing that in both fights, the brawler was actually backed up! Classic stuff IMO!

With All Due Respec HYPE... I sort of already made a Richardson appreciation thread. LOL


But it's cool. Richardson is the best trainer in the Game and he is worthy of 2 threads.

Isn't that a bit of a stretch? I'm not doubting saying isn't a good trainer, last night was an indication of his ability as a strategist but I think he needs to do more before being called the greatest trainer in the game.

And yeah, expect his phone lines to be busy in the days to come.

As of right now I see no one better... I have thought this for a while now. (Even before Hopkins-Pavlik)

He's only trained Hopkins ( who really needs no trainer and Mosley so far as I know. Maybe I'm missing someone elese he has trained who has shown vast improvement and accomplishments under Richardson?

Nazim has been instrumental in the stoppages of these men... Delahoya, Trinidad, Margarito--- all men who never were stopped before---he orchestrated Pavlik looking like he never previously fought--- the guy has proven himself on Hopkins career alone. If Hop had him for Calzaghe-- the fight would not have been as close-- (I still say Hops won)

Good call, his VERY audible instruction in that fight was classic, "he's shoe shining like an amateur Ex.. Body shot, BODY SHOT "

I've mentioned I had the pleasure of meeting him at the Eastman fight. Very nice man.

What makes all this so good for him is him overcoming his stroke last year. It couldn't happen to a better guy.

I disagree about Hopkins not really needing a trainer. Just look at the way he looked without him when Roach took the lead in the corner. Hopkins with Roach was a totally different fighter than he was with Naazim. Likewise, Mosley with his dad, John David Jackson or even Goossen looked like a totally different fighter than what we saw last night.

As neophyte pointed out, Naazim was EXTREMELY instrumental in all of Bernard's biggest wins, including Echols, Trinidad, De La Hoya, Tarver and Palik...and now he's been instrumental in perhaps Shane Mosley's biggest win over Margarito. In fact, in two of those wins, it was Brother Naazim that noticed the illegal handwraps of Margarito and Trinidad...something that apparently a lot of other trainers never caught.

And yes, Richardson has worked with other young fighters like Rock Allen and Matt Godfrey. In fact, he runs one of the top amateur programs in the sport. He's been in the game for a long time and just because he's only known for working primarly with one fighter doesn't mean he should get any less credit than someone like Freddie Roach.

Don't get me wrong...best trainer in the game? That may debateable, but I definitely think he's one of them.

I'll go

1. Big Floyd
2. Naazim
3. Freddie

That is exaclty what I am saying. I would have to see him guide other fighters to the top before I can call him the best trianer in boxing.

You beat me to it...

I have no doubt that Naazim is the best trainer in the game.

Congragulations Nazeem, you did what you were paid to do which was come up with a gameplan & get your fighter to execute it as best they can.

Is Brother his first name?

Good question.

Its interesting because these days in boxing, you have lots of trainers but not alot of TEACHERS/STRATEGISTS...

Some guys can just train a guy real well and whip him into shape for a fight, they can motivate them during a fight, etc..


Others however, can teach fighters new techniques and come up with good game plans to win a fight. Naazim Richardson and Freddy Roach are very good at this. Its fitting that both came from the old school circles of Bouie Fisher and Eddie Futch.


I think now Naazim will become more sought after. I'm curious to see what name fighters take him on.

I've been paying attention to Naaz for such a long time now, as he really was the Chief Second in Bernard's corner, even in the final days of Fisher. If you listen to him pre-stroke yelling out instructions at Hopkins n past fights, he really does know his stuff. Not only that, but if you ever have a chance to get him one-on-one, and I have, to talk boxing, he's one of the nicest, most genuine guys you'll ever meet. When I covered Hopkins' camp for the DLH fight, I must've sat around for about 3 hours after that day's session just shooting the shit with Naazim. Really good guy, and a lot of fun to talk boxing with.

He's a great strategist and gives great advice between rounds. He has been for a long while now.

This man is a very smart trainer I like him a lot he should be getting a lot more fighters but what he does is find flaws in the other fighter across the ring in I would like 2 see him train a fighter agianst mayweather n see the outcome

Seems like a cool guy to know. Where'd you meet him?

South Florida Boxing Gym. Covered a few Hopkins' camps. Even when Bouie was head trainer, at least in these later years, Naaz was the hands on guy.

Whats his background?? Was he ever a fighter?

No. Believe it or not, he was a rapper at one point...or trying to be....but this was a long time ago. He's been an amateur boxing coach for a long time, and been with Hopkins for a while too, in the asst trainer capacity at first, and then moving up to chief second when Bouie had to be retired.

This is a good post. I semi train fighters now but I'm a trainer by trade in another field but here's my point. IMO, Boxing unlike a lot of professional sports is one of those sports that is more by what I called "passed down" knowledge. Especially nowadays with the sport not being anywhere near as popular as the other sports. Another thing because the sport is "seedy"and tends to attract more of the lower strata of society in comparison to other sports, the "trainer" culture isn't always built on learning and teaching. But basically, "how quickly can we cash out on this guy". I've seen guys be purposely developed to be what we called, "cupcakes". Fighters good enough to get in shape and be on a show to showcase the promoters fighter.

I was just building that up to say this, when you have that type of culture thats rampant in the sports, its great when you have a guy like Bro Naz (of course "Brother" isn't his first name,lol. He introduces himself as that so thats what I call him) who's willing to not only TEACH but explain the game also. As much as I like the guy lets NOT get carried away here. Boxing is too much of a "flavor of the month" sport and I hope guys don't just try to get Nas thinking he can instantly fix their game and flaws because it doesn't work like that.

Joe Gossen is another awesome boxing mind and strategist. He just doesn't have any current charges right now. Another good guy who doesn't have any significant guys that I really like is Kenny Weldon. Kevin Cunningham is VERY good also. Naz is damn good he's just the "HOT" man right now.

I honestly don't think Naazim would take on all comers. He seems to have a pretty solid belief that it takes the proper athlete, and he has repeatedly mentioned that a lot of trainers play the "numbers game" (i.e. take on as many guys as you can because you're bound to have some nice wins, regardless of how many losses you have to endure).

I was just at thering-online, watching the pre-fight interview (and by pre-fight, I mean during the middle of training camp). Naaz dropped one of his Naaz-isms when talking about training a guy like Mosley.

Naaz basically commented that in working with an athlete like Mosley, who has so many tools, it comes down to selecting the right tools for the particular job. He went on to further say, and this was the part that I got a kick out of, that, "Sometimes, it's easier to work with a one dimensional athlete. If I have a guy, and the only weapon he has is a shot gun, well then as soon as they (the opponent) touches the door knob to come on in we just start shooting off with the shot gun. If you have a lot of different weapons to choose from, sometimes you spend so much time deciding what to use that by the time you select one, the guy is already through the door and right up on you".