It takes a combination of both physical gifts and hard work. You have to be born with a certain amount of ability, then hone that God given talent and ability into an elite professional with dedication and correct training. Boxing is not for everyone anymore than painting or sculpting is, and just because anyone can pick up a paint brush or a hammer and chisel and learn how to paint or sculpt doesn't mean they can learn how to paint masterpieces or create another Michael Angelo's David, Great talent like that is something you must first be born with, then you polish the gifts God gives you with hard work to succeed at the highest levels. It's like that with anything in life, not everyone can succeed, and most don't unless they apply themselves, even if they are born with natural ability. Those born without natural ability have it even tougher.

Boxing, like all sports is more about talent. You can not teach natural ability.

You can train and do your best, but a good talent will beat the less talented.

The saying is you can not make a race horse out of a plow horse is true.

That does not mean a well trained fighter can not beat the untrained better fighter.

You have to have both. Some people are just naturally gifted.

For example, I could run a 40 yard dash and train for years, and I'll never be able to run it 4.2 seconds.

You can have a lot of heart like that kid Rudy, but never make the Notre Dame football team.

You have to have dedicated and put the work in, but you have to have some natural ability, too.

Both, you need talent, this sport just isn't for everybody, I mean if you do it as a hobby, then its fine, you will learn either way, but if you want to know if you will be a great boxer or a hall of fame then its different. Then you need dedication and hard work.

Natural talent is more beneficial than hard work, it just is. Like most sports you need certain attributes that you simply can't develope with just hard work. I play golf and practice a lot but I could never be Tiger Woods. I'm as good as my ability affords me.

I think it works both ways, personally I think great boxers can be trained, but some people say they need specific traits (strong chin/neck, etc.) So it goes both ways.

hard work

There's boxers that train for literally all their lives and still either do make it big or get destroyed in the pro's then there's boxers who've only started boxing at like 18 and become professional 3 years later, how exactly does this work?