Why is the Tyson "PEEK-a-BOO" Style Not Popular??

I always find it very frustrating that Mike Tyson is regarded as "brutal beast" by media but in real he was one of most skilled and technique-heavy boxers of all time. Studying boxing tapes and embracing peek-a-boo style created those titles more than being "brutal"

 

the primary reasons are:

(1) it's [very often, I accept not always] ineffective if judges are primarily scoring you based on how many punches you land; and

(2) it's exhausting to do well.

it was [almost] uniquely well suited to a young tyson who had the youth & supreme fitness/athleticism/power for it, plus the ability to mean that judges' decisions were never going to be a consideration. he also lacked the height & reach to use certain other styles.

 

a few reasons:

1. you need ridiculously good stamina
2. you need to have a very good chin, because you will eat some nasty shoots right uppercut straight right hand( to much people only look at highlight videos of mike)
3. the more power you have the more effective the style, therefor higher weight class more effective but then you opponents also punch harder which needs a even better chin
4. more technique in general is required. A lot of boxers can be very effective with left hook, right hand ,jab in peek a boo you need almost every punch there is.

 

worth the obligatory reference to some top current fighters using it sometimes, e.g. Canelo.

 

I'm sure it's not for most fighters with a little athleticism, but it's just the concept - swarming, aggressive, jabbing counterpuncher using offensive movements to counter someone and force them into mistakes and capitalize on them - it's just inherently flawed and wrong to most, regardless of how eefective it could be. Your hands are in great position to throw jabs and cover your chin from uppercuts. I also like the heavy emphasis on shifting.

I think for someone to truly utilize it to its maximum and get the most out of it, it would probably take a fair bit more athleticism and certain physical traits than most possess. Speed is obviously huge in the peek-a-boo.

Teddy Atlas was trained by Cus when he was an amateur fighter to use this style and was very effective before physical health ended his boxing days. Kevin Rooney was also a decorated amateur using the peek-a-boo.

 

Canelo in his last couple of fights has used the peek a boo.

 

You also need a high level of athletic ability to really pull it off.
We had a lad in England names escapes me at middleweight that was trying to do it but while he had the body shot uppercut down he didnt have the power or speed behind it and his head movement was never convincing.
Tyson was fantastically quick, great balance, heavy handed a real athlete a lot of smaller gusy these days end up being like Chisora. Bulk up then loose speed some become plodders.

 

I for one would love to see a new master of the peek-a-boo style

 

Eric Bradley is a boxing trainer out of North Carolina that teaches the Peek A boo. His uncle was one of the coaches of the US boxing team in 2000 and while he doesn't really work in the pro game, he has a pretty large gym and works with young amauter fighters. I really can't think of anyone else that teaches the Peekaboo. Bradley himself is a guy that more or less learned it from studying Cus D'amato but he never knew him or had formal training in the style.

 

Because it's not a style that plays to the strength of tall fighters. Most of the top HWs today are 6'4" and over.

 

Most people look horrible doing it and have no idea what to do when using the style, rooney looked bad using it, floyd and jose looked awkward, mike was the only one who looked great with it and had it smooth. Everybody who used it looked like a wannabe tyson and failed. Thing is that nobody has mikes physical figure and intelligence, and they dont develop their own style.

 

Trying to use the Peeka boo style without the reflexes and punching power is a recipe for disaster