A brief history of the shoulder roll.

Discussion in 'Classic Boxing Forum' started by KletkoNetwork, Feb 18, 2021.



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  1. KletkoNetwork

    KletkoNetwork I make YouTube videos. Full Member

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    Feb 17, 2021
    What is boxing’s worst kept secret? What allowed a small welterweight with fragile and easily broken hands the ability to retire undefeated as arguably the greatest defensive boxer of all time? The shoulder roll is a perfect example of the nuance of the sport of boxing with the basics of it being simple – deflection. Standing in the orthodox stance with the lead shoulder pulled up to protect the chin and allow punches to deflect and therefore ‘roll’ with the shot.

    Simple right? Wrong. Very wrong. Like all parts of the sweet science the shoulder roll is highly complex. Requiring: lightning reflexes, fantastic body conditioning and superb distance management. If you enjoy our content, please click thumbs up, subscribe and press the bell button so our content is seen by more and more boxing fans around the globe.


    Jersey joe Walcott (competed from 1930 to 1953):

    Jersey Joe Walcott is a man who needs no introduction to fans of the sport. A fighter who at his peak possessed a truly unique sense of rhythm and footwork, that allowed him to skilfully evade power shots and sting his opponents with jabs and off-angle hooks. Jersey Joe’s version of the shoulder roll is very different to the one popularised by Mayweather; Joe kept his hands low with a combination of broken rhythm and sharp head movement. In many exchanges Joe would shuffle step and then pause creating a new rhythm and throwing off his opponents timing completely. In the rare occurrence that Walcott did find himself trapped with nowhere to dance he would lean forwards and catch punches on his outer shoulder before violently pulling back and returning fire. Jersey Joe would only use this technique sparingly and it was not a complete part of his game, favouring slipping and catching punches to rolling with shots but the ground work was laid, showing that a heavyweight fighter with remarkable reflexes and timing don’t have to stay on the outside to counter.


    Archie Moore (Competed from 1935 to 1963):

    ‘The mongoose’ and later known as ‘the old mongoose’ in the latter part of his career ruled the heavyweight division for over a decade with over 130 knockouts – that being more than any other fighter in heavyweight history. In many ways Archie Moore(More) is the godfather of the modern shoulder roll, pairing matador style pull-counters with well-timed deflection which gave him the much sought after ability to set up traps against powerful aggressive opponents by leaning forwards presenting an easy target with his lead shoulder tucked snuggly into his chest thus parading the top and side of his head. After the punch came Moore would explosively pull his shoulder either away or under the punch letting it glide into empty space and allowing for his tight straight punches. From this point in the evolution of the shoulder-roll, the countering has become more important than the defensive blocking manoeuvre itself. What was once a deflective blocking technique was now a way of staying inside the punching range of his opponent and helping alleviate the downsides of pressuring in on a fighter.


    Bernard Hopkins (competed from 1988 to 2016):

    Bernard Hopkins is one of the most disciplined fighters of modern times, after experiencing the roughest side of life growing up in Philadelphia, Hopkins found himself in prison at the age of seventeen for nine felonies, in prison he discovered his love of boxing but most importantly developed an insane mental fortitude that shows in his grinding yet sublimely tactical style of boxing. After serving five years in prison Hopkin’s entered the amateur boxing circuit and left with a record of 95 wins and 4 losses.

    Hopkin’s guard at first glance appears to be that of the traditional ‘philly shell’ which he learned in the boxing gyms of Philadelphia. ‘B-hop’ keeps his guard tight and doesn’t pull his shoulder forwards at all but rather enters exchanges in an almost fencing stance leading with his lead shoulder to push into range with straight rights before he can square up and punch from the inside. Stepping in with a wide parallel stance has its benefits – mainly for stepping out. If the opponent is offering up a counter, it is easier to dart back and get in a better defensive position if your stance is further apart. Not to mention that staying in this stance can make rolling with punches easier and less energy consuming, its not wonder that Hopkin’s continued the sweet science into his fifties with a conservative yet lucid style.

    Floyd Mayweather JR (competed from 1996 to 2017)

    And last but certainly not least, Floyd ‘money’ Mayweather. The Picasso of the shoulder roll who learnt it from his father Floyd Mayweather SR. from the time he could walk Floyd was in the boxing gym learning the craft and entered the sport as an exciting prospect who morphed an aggressive style with a brash, charismatic attitude.

    However, after numerous hand surgeries he had to adapt to his shortcomings and change his style from fast paced slugger to scientific and defensive minded athlete. Floyd became infamous for his footwork and perhaps the smartest use of this defensive technique is one that doesn’t even include fighting at all. Mayweather would allow himself to be pressured up against the ropes and would once again stand in the philly shell stance using his rear hand to parry the lead hand of his usually orthodox opponent. By the mid-point of a fight the opponent will have clocked onto him countering off their straight punches and would simply wait for him to move away or engage before trying to catch him with a simultaneous counter. Floyd knew this. Sadly, the crowd also knew this. Which could lead to many awkward stand stills in fights until Mayweather could find an opening for a lighting fast Jab and punish any attempts at retribution with one of the most well-polished pull-counters in history.

    Floyd was incredibly patient in the latter part of his career and could judge distance by inches which led to the surgical masterclass victories over many top fighters including Canelo, Maidana, Cotto and infamously using the shoulder roll as a feint to walk Ricky Hatton into a check hook which led to his head bouncing off the corner ropes like a Jack-in-the box on Crack.


    The history of the shoulder roll is vast, and probably has existed for as long as people have been hitting each other. And the tactic will surely continue to evolve and be used in different and beautifully creative ways for the rest of time.
    https://www.kletkonetwork.com/post/the-whistle-stop-tour-of-how-to-shoulder-roll
     
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