Body Punching...A Lost Art?

mike mcallum is a beast he's great because he was a boxer counter puncher but still threw body shots hes not like the stereotypical walking foward bodypuncher

 

Benitez & Whitaker would go to the body despite being defensive, counter-punchers.

 

how bout mexican legend julio cesar chavez baby

 

A lot of boxers are still using it, we just dont see them.

 

It's becoming a lost art because body shots don't score as easily in the amateurs. Fighters get used to either going all upstairs or only touching the body to get the hands to drop. Even the best body shots are often partially blocked, and it's not really possible for all the judges to see the punch because the head doesn't snap back or anything. So people just develop a habit of not going for it, and it carries over into their professional careers. There's always exceptions of course. David Lemiuex and Guillermo Rigondeaux are prospects that spend a lot of time downstairs.

 

You know when James Toney was on he had a nice body attack-always managed to sneak that hook into the side.

 

Mickey Ward?

 

The straight shots to the body from long range(jab and crosses) are a dying art unless you talk about technicians like Mayweather. Glen Johnson is sadly vastly underrated with his body attack. He spent the entire fight with Yusaf Mack jabbing to his stomach to open up the right hand upstairs that meant the beginning of the end. These straight shots get guys who square up and get them thinking about their bellies at long range. Most people think body punching is just getting close and cranking the hooks to the flanks but that is not always feasible.

I also think the digging upshots(uppercut digs)to the body are a dying art form. How many times do you see guys get close and wail away with hooks only to have them blocked by the arms.....when there is a gap between the arms that can be dug into. These hit the same area that the long range straight shots land on: the gut/solar plexus area. Robs you of your wind and makes you feel like you feel sick.

Counters are the body are the worst because they hurt just that much more without the forewarning to prepare for them. You don't see this much these days. If you want examples of the devastating results of counter body shots then watch the ends of: Penalosa-Gonzalez, Jones-Hill, Bute-Andrade 2

 

Recently, Hatton and Cotto were the best. Now the torch has been passed to Rigondeaux and Bute. Every fight they are in the usually throw a wicked left uppercut to the body, and more often than not the fight is over.

 

booooooooooorrrrrriiiiinnnnnngggggg

 

yarr dmitry pirog goes to the body

 

That left to the body he snuck in from time to time on Holyfield was a thing of beauty.

 

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Bute, Chad Dawson and PBF are all 3 great body punchers.