When on a defensive posture, isn't a better defense against a slow handed fighter moving the head rather than using the high guard? The main reason being you will have more reaction time to notice the punch thrown and avoid it than against a fast handed fighter. Plus the benefit of mobility and having more versatility on your counters.
Moving the head is one option. The other is defending the head with only the rear hand placed just below eye level and thus freeing up the lead hand for offense.
Your post probably belongs in the Training thread where you might receive more informed responses than you get here.
It seems that way, but not all fighters fight the same. Maidana tho avg handspeed has excellent timing, even if his opponent is pulling back or even laterally away from Maidana, Chino radars in and is within his punching range, he does this often after an exchange with most fighters. Most fighters have a rhythm where they like to reset after an exchange, not Maidana! I know what you mean about the head movement vs a slow handed fighter, but many slow handed fighters like to concentrate on the body. Unless they can be lured into a boxing match or kept in the middle of the ring with a great deal of mobility and clinching. High guard usually an invitation for opponents to throw to the body, while a guard like the Philly shell is designed to fool the opponent into thinking only one side of your face/head is protected when in reality 3/4 or more usually is. There's a video on youtube on Charley Burley that explains this in perfect detail. Fighters that exclusively used a high guard want you to hit them to the body to counter you once you open up and fighters with low guards are luring you to aim for their head.
