The Importance of feints, especially in Marquez success against Pacquiao

In this thread I'd like to discuss and highlight the importance of feinting in breaking an opponents rhythm and setting up punching opportunities for yourself, I'll also be using it to demonstrate why I feel Juan Manuel Marquez outboxed Manny Pacquiao in their third bout. If you don't believe he did then these are certainly factors that led to the success he had in the fight.

There is a video floating about on the net with a lot of the same content but I've used my own box nation recording to create some gifs to try and illustrate what I feel are some of the more subtle nuances of JuanMa's performance that night, techniques and tricks that go largely unseen or ignored by the wider boxing public and casual fans.


Feinting can have many uses

1. Testing an opponents reaction
2. Drawing an attempted counter, which you can take advantage of
3. Keeping your opponent off-balance
4. Distrupting their rhythm

The combination of all of the above, especially in the case of Pacquiao, leads to frustration.

It causes him on occasion to abandon his defensive responsibilities at times, and get drawn out of position in his eagerness to land on the elusive Marquez.

Manny is a fighter with a fighters heart, he is most comfortable when he is exchanging, able to hit his opponent and make use of his best strengths, his hand speed, agility, power, and stamina.

Having all of these stymied is a frustrating experience for him and leads him to try and overcompensate and become reckless in his boxing, which leaves him open to counters

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In this gif below we can see Marquez feinting his lefthook/uppercut to the body against Pacquiao

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Pacquiao - expecting punches, covers up with his guard and steps back out of range. No punches come


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Marquez again feints to the body, drawing the same reaction from Pacquiao

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No punches come.

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Again, Marquez continues backing away from Pacquiao, circling away from his left hand, causing Pacquiao to follow him and try to step to his right to cut him off, Marquez steps in and feints, again, Pacquiao covers up and steps out of range

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No punches come

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For large parts of the round, Pacquiao has been forced to follow Marquez around the ring, unable to land any punches, without any coming back at him, in between the gifs there was a period of 9 seconds with out an attempted punch from Marquez, and Pacquiao begins to get anxious, his movements become much more erratic, with much more urgency to them

Pacquiao follows Marquez again, who again backs off and circles left

Marquez feints

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Pacquiao, frustrated, reacts passively, doesn't put up his guard, and stays in range

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Marquez strikes and Pacquiao takes two clean punches, an uppercut, and a right hand.

Pacquiao was forced to fight out of his comfort zone and play a waiting game with Marquez, who tested his patience and commitment to his defensive responsibilities (not his strongest suit)

This is an excellent example of technical boxing and ring generalship from Marquez, who was enforcing his game plan on Pacquiao by fighting the fight at his pace, controlling the tempo with his lateral movement and feinting, not allow Pacquiao to get into a rhythm, he became mentally worn down

I'll add some more later, due to the gifs this took a while to make so I hope someone reads it.

Wish I posted this from from my other account :think

 

Cheers :good