- Joined
- Jan 24, 2011
- Messages
- 4,269
- Reaction score
- 9
Updated with Video--11/17/13
[YT]ZpeTvJcj4As[/YT]
Updated 10-23-13
Welcome Ladies, and Gentlemen; children of all ages--hurry, hurry step right up to the winning review!
I think this is the most anticipated review I've done up until this time.
People always hounding me, StRato when are you going to review winnings? When are you going to OWN winnings? Why don't you own Winnings?! Winnings are the best Shihtzu told me so [Joking shihtzu
]
This review is going to probably be my longest, so those that don't want to read, exit now.
The Backstory:
Ok 1st off, I never bagged on Winnings, or ever said they were inferior gloves, search all my posts, you will NEVER find it. What I did say though and it was probably taken the wrong way was that I wasn't sure if Winnings were worth the price.
Hopefully, this review puts all your little hearts and soul to rest. Are Winnings worth it? That is the Million dollar question after all, that is why I'm here, and in many cases you as well!
So they came in a Winning box, now to some that may not mean much but 1st impressions are everything especially to a gear attic such as myself, so It caused me to chuckle and raise an eyebrow as well. How serious are these guys? I mean its like confronting a Bigger-stronger-faster guy than you, will I... StRato Have to eat my words and praise Shihtzu, Gonz, and Majik for all eternity or will I have some dignity left after this review?!
So I open the Box, two words: ****ing Beautiful. After having, touching, and finally owning my own Winnings, I cant not tell you the LEVEL of craftsmanship involved just by looking at this thing. Turned it, flipped it, spun it, Zero flaws.
Now, I have to do it, because everyone is going to ask me, How is the leather really? You've always said Reyes is the BEST when it comes to leather. Honestly, I ran to get my Reyes, side by side its like a good fight you never want to see end, but I retract my previous statement. And like that good fight you never wanted to see end: It is a draw. Cop out response? No, They all have little small features that offset each other, I cant declare a clear winner. Its impossible it really is, and I have BOTH brands sitting in my hand right infront of me.
Putting the glove on.... the fit is ridiculous (in a good way, for a 16 oz easy to make fist, broken in like feel, not quite like the Mexican gloves but its a good middle ground. They aren't stiff but they aren't broken in all the way. Hopefully this paints a clear picture. Your hand is in the ready striking position , everything makes a straight line, thumb is in the most perfect place I must say, Im not a thumb guy but even for me, the fist is about as perfect as it can be.
So StRato tell me more about your glove! Ok ok ok!
I got with Kaz, and I said look Ive heard complaints about the winning Velcro, I have an idea how to make it better, he was very respectful and said "I think that is a good idea, no one has ever asked me that before but I will be happy to do that HAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAI!"
So I told him the dimensions and how I wanted it, it exceeded my expectations. I wasn't sure if there would be a language barrier or if he just would blow me off. The Velcro is VERY robust, infact it outperforms my Reyes Velcro, its probably 33% wider so the wrist support is more supportive than most of my elastic laceups. I wont say they outperform laceups in fear that Shihtzu would stark me. But it is AMAZINGLY supportive! This Velcro is stiff, supportive and it cranks down the most out of ANY Velcro system I have. Not to mention it is the thickest so it has a good foundation and is uncompromising.
Read the succeeding post for clarification, I ordered from Rakuten but I got the details if modifications could be done through Winning USA. Sorry for the confusion but I do NOT touch my original posts.You can see where I explained it throughout the replies through the thread.
Now for the looks:
The word "Flat" is a bad word, I think "Dark Gold" is better. Under bright light it glistens, It wont do this if you have generic bulbs that make your house yellow, but if you take it into the sun or have the really nice fluorescent bulbs that are true white, these thinks will sparkle!
The color is beautiful, I get comments all the time when I stroll into the gym, newcomers often ask me how much I paid... Yeah I just kind of smile and state, "You don't even want to know..."
I also wanted to offset the color and Im a Black and gold kind of guy. So I just winged it and tried out the "Enamel Black" so for those of you that don't know, its a TRUE black and its glossy. Its basically like if you took black spray paint and sprayed clear coat over it, it is blacker than regular black but it also has that sheen to it.
The craftsmanship on this glove is outstanding, I know im stereotyping, but Winning is like a samurai sword of the modern day era, you can tell a lot of time and effort came into making this glove. And when it all came down to it even with my request that I'm sure pissed off Kaz though he didn't say it, I can only imagine... "Stupid Gaijin, BOOOOOOOONZAAAAAAAAIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII!" He did it anyhow.
Winning is an apex glove I must say, I cant really say it has any faults except the fact it is expensive, I tailor made my winnings, not just the usual color theme but changing the design a bit as well. StRato "Was it worth it?" I would have to relent and say Yes. The are expensive, and not just because I am a gear junky, I think I finally understand why Every boxer worth a damn owns a pair. Sure Im joining the winning club but its more than that, Marquez, Pacquiao, Mayweather, Canelo, from punchers, to counter punchers, to boxer-punchers, to whatever, every type of fighter uses them for a good reason.
Now to the Meat potatoes of the review:
The Feel:
Thumb is long and in a GREAT position, grip hose is ideally placed, able to make a tight fist, padding isn't too bulky where it feels awkward, Knuckles point straight out the way they are supposed to, wrist is nice and supportive. I like the feel of the Custom Winning glove, it is the MOST anatomically correct glove I own considering ALL the factors involved. The palm has zero vent holes, but Ironically I didn't find myself getting hot in these gloves, I don't know why I think it will take more research as to why.
Ivan is 100% correct, Winning is like Fine wine, it simply gets better with age. As it feels broken in straight out of the box, after you put more and more rounds into it, I feel it simply gets better, like it molds specifically to your fist. I would advise people that own Winnings, to NOT let other people try your gloves.
Despite the lack of vent holes, these gloves probably stay THE coolest out of all my sets, I simply don't understand it.
The Padding:
Like a crazed madman I had to get some rounds in before I took off back for work, and I had an "Appointment" to prolong my lunch ;-)
The padding is THE best, Gonz has always lived and died by the sword when he says Winning has the best padding, he isn't lying so I have to throw Gonz in here because he for so long has always stood by this and he does deserve the credit here, along with Shihtzu of course, but I think Gonz has always stood out atleast to me about winnings protectiveness. Ironically, these gloves do generate a lot of pop, someone mentioned earlier they don't get a good feel behind winnings? Um, I beg to disagree, you get excellent feedback IMO. I stand behind that, They pop great, they feel great, they fit great.
The Padding I feel I underplayed in the original review. The padding is outstanding, it is THE best thing about Winning. Not only is it pretty low profile but it protects THE best a glove can protect. There is a reason every pro athlete goes and gets gloves made by Winning. It isn't a marketing ploy, it is due to the protection being the best. IMO puncher, brawler, Boxer, infighter everyone should have a pair if you are taking boxing seriously. These helped Rehab my hands when I used a pair of gloves with crappy padding aka Fairtex BGV5.
This glove has all the strengths and absolutely no weaknesses. Most gloves you will wear in your life time you would change one or two things to make it a better glove. I don't think its possible on a Winning. I am not hyping up the glove but simply being honest. The one thing I did change is the wrist, but it was POSSIBLE, so again... Perfection.
[YT]ZpeTvJcj4As[/YT]
Updated 10-23-13
Welcome Ladies, and Gentlemen; children of all ages--hurry, hurry step right up to the winning review!
I think this is the most anticipated review I've done up until this time.
People always hounding me, StRato when are you going to review winnings? When are you going to OWN winnings? Why don't you own Winnings?! Winnings are the best Shihtzu told me so [Joking shihtzu
]This review is going to probably be my longest, so those that don't want to read, exit now.
The Backstory:
Ok 1st off, I never bagged on Winnings, or ever said they were inferior gloves, search all my posts, you will NEVER find it. What I did say though and it was probably taken the wrong way was that I wasn't sure if Winnings were worth the price.
Hopefully, this review puts all your little hearts and soul to rest. Are Winnings worth it? That is the Million dollar question after all, that is why I'm here, and in many cases you as well!
So they came in a Winning box, now to some that may not mean much but 1st impressions are everything especially to a gear attic such as myself, so It caused me to chuckle and raise an eyebrow as well. How serious are these guys? I mean its like confronting a Bigger-stronger-faster guy than you, will I... StRato Have to eat my words and praise Shihtzu, Gonz, and Majik for all eternity or will I have some dignity left after this review?!
So I open the Box, two words: ****ing Beautiful. After having, touching, and finally owning my own Winnings, I cant not tell you the LEVEL of craftsmanship involved just by looking at this thing. Turned it, flipped it, spun it, Zero flaws.
Now, I have to do it, because everyone is going to ask me, How is the leather really? You've always said Reyes is the BEST when it comes to leather. Honestly, I ran to get my Reyes, side by side its like a good fight you never want to see end, but I retract my previous statement. And like that good fight you never wanted to see end: It is a draw. Cop out response? No, They all have little small features that offset each other, I cant declare a clear winner. Its impossible it really is, and I have BOTH brands sitting in my hand right infront of me.
Putting the glove on.... the fit is ridiculous (in a good way, for a 16 oz easy to make fist, broken in like feel, not quite like the Mexican gloves but its a good middle ground. They aren't stiff but they aren't broken in all the way. Hopefully this paints a clear picture. Your hand is in the ready striking position , everything makes a straight line, thumb is in the most perfect place I must say, Im not a thumb guy but even for me, the fist is about as perfect as it can be.
So StRato tell me more about your glove! Ok ok ok!
I got with Kaz, and I said look Ive heard complaints about the winning Velcro, I have an idea how to make it better, he was very respectful and said "I think that is a good idea, no one has ever asked me that before but I will be happy to do that HAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAI!"
So I told him the dimensions and how I wanted it, it exceeded my expectations. I wasn't sure if there would be a language barrier or if he just would blow me off. The Velcro is VERY robust, infact it outperforms my Reyes Velcro, its probably 33% wider so the wrist support is more supportive than most of my elastic laceups. I wont say they outperform laceups in fear that Shihtzu would stark me. But it is AMAZINGLY supportive! This Velcro is stiff, supportive and it cranks down the most out of ANY Velcro system I have. Not to mention it is the thickest so it has a good foundation and is uncompromising.
Read the succeeding post for clarification, I ordered from Rakuten but I got the details if modifications could be done through Winning USA. Sorry for the confusion but I do NOT touch my original posts.You can see where I explained it throughout the replies through the thread.
Now for the looks:
The word "Flat" is a bad word, I think "Dark Gold" is better. Under bright light it glistens, It wont do this if you have generic bulbs that make your house yellow, but if you take it into the sun or have the really nice fluorescent bulbs that are true white, these thinks will sparkle!
The color is beautiful, I get comments all the time when I stroll into the gym, newcomers often ask me how much I paid... Yeah I just kind of smile and state, "You don't even want to know..."
I also wanted to offset the color and Im a Black and gold kind of guy. So I just winged it and tried out the "Enamel Black" so for those of you that don't know, its a TRUE black and its glossy. Its basically like if you took black spray paint and sprayed clear coat over it, it is blacker than regular black but it also has that sheen to it.
The craftsmanship on this glove is outstanding, I know im stereotyping, but Winning is like a samurai sword of the modern day era, you can tell a lot of time and effort came into making this glove. And when it all came down to it even with my request that I'm sure pissed off Kaz though he didn't say it, I can only imagine... "Stupid Gaijin, BOOOOOOOONZAAAAAAAAIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII!" He did it anyhow.
Winning is an apex glove I must say, I cant really say it has any faults except the fact it is expensive, I tailor made my winnings, not just the usual color theme but changing the design a bit as well. StRato "Was it worth it?" I would have to relent and say Yes. The are expensive, and not just because I am a gear junky, I think I finally understand why Every boxer worth a damn owns a pair. Sure Im joining the winning club but its more than that, Marquez, Pacquiao, Mayweather, Canelo, from punchers, to counter punchers, to boxer-punchers, to whatever, every type of fighter uses them for a good reason.
Now to the Meat potatoes of the review:
The Feel:
Thumb is long and in a GREAT position, grip hose is ideally placed, able to make a tight fist, padding isn't too bulky where it feels awkward, Knuckles point straight out the way they are supposed to, wrist is nice and supportive. I like the feel of the Custom Winning glove, it is the MOST anatomically correct glove I own considering ALL the factors involved. The palm has zero vent holes, but Ironically I didn't find myself getting hot in these gloves, I don't know why I think it will take more research as to why.
Ivan is 100% correct, Winning is like Fine wine, it simply gets better with age. As it feels broken in straight out of the box, after you put more and more rounds into it, I feel it simply gets better, like it molds specifically to your fist. I would advise people that own Winnings, to NOT let other people try your gloves.
Despite the lack of vent holes, these gloves probably stay THE coolest out of all my sets, I simply don't understand it.
The Padding:
Like a crazed madman I had to get some rounds in before I took off back for work, and I had an "Appointment" to prolong my lunch ;-)
The padding is THE best, Gonz has always lived and died by the sword when he says Winning has the best padding, he isn't lying so I have to throw Gonz in here because he for so long has always stood by this and he does deserve the credit here, along with Shihtzu of course, but I think Gonz has always stood out atleast to me about winnings protectiveness. Ironically, these gloves do generate a lot of pop, someone mentioned earlier they don't get a good feel behind winnings? Um, I beg to disagree, you get excellent feedback IMO. I stand behind that, They pop great, they feel great, they fit great.
The Padding I feel I underplayed in the original review. The padding is outstanding, it is THE best thing about Winning. Not only is it pretty low profile but it protects THE best a glove can protect. There is a reason every pro athlete goes and gets gloves made by Winning. It isn't a marketing ploy, it is due to the protection being the best. IMO puncher, brawler, Boxer, infighter everyone should have a pair if you are taking boxing seriously. These helped Rehab my hands when I used a pair of gloves with crappy padding aka Fairtex BGV5.
This glove has all the strengths and absolutely no weaknesses. Most gloves you will wear in your life time you would change one or two things to make it a better glove. I don't think its possible on a Winning. I am not hyping up the glove but simply being honest. The one thing I did change is the wrist, but it was POSSIBLE, so again... Perfection.
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