Boxing's Ten Commandments (from a technical perspective)

Keep your hands up

Ali, Jones, Hearns

Starling, Tyson, Arguello

 

1) Defense should be the root of all offensive. Whether it be through great upper body movement, protecting yourself with your guard, or using your legs, or perhaps head movement. Any style or method that keeps you out of harms way from punches will stem offense back at your opponent. This isn't a rule for just the counter-punchers, and aggressive fighters can counter punch too. And using defense, just for the sake of alluding and confusing your opponent EVEN if he isn't throwing punches is still a great thing. This rule, stems with the rule of all RULES to PROTECT YOURSELF AT ALL TIMES. Defense is necessity, and a great weapon of choice.

Confirmation: Mike Tyson, Muhammad Ali, Sonny Liston, Joe Frazier, Rocky Marciano, Roberto Duran, Henry Armstrong, Jack Johnson, James Toney, and Floyd Mayweather.

Falsification: George Foreman

2) Mindfulness and focus is the key to success in the squared circle. Similarly to life, mindfulness and focus are very important in the ring. Don't fall for traps, and be aware of your surroundings. Try to notice patterns, or the predictable nature of your opponents move and attack. This isn't a law of boxers, but a law for great boxing success. Mindfulness and focus can relate to the power of the will and heart. If you're heart and will are there, be sure your mind be too.

Confirmation: Muhammad Ali, George Foreman, Jersey Joe Walcott, Willie Pep.

Falsification: George Foreman, Michael Moorer

3) Be unpredictable. Even the smartest and greatest of fighters can fall into the lure of being predictable. Try to vary your attack. Vary your movement, vary your combination. Don't be a movement of repetition. Be the movement of unpredictability.

Confirmation: Muhammad Ali, Sugar Ray Leonard, Willie Pep, Sugar Ray Robinson

Falsification: Joe Frazier, David Tua.

I'm trying to sound wordy, pretentious, and biblical if you haven't notice. I should really think this and maybe ponder more and come back.

*Edit* Since this is a technical perspective. I'm being far too vague and not confining it to technical boxing enough. I shall re-think some more.

 

1 – Thou shall always keep your balance.
2 – Thou shall keep your chin down.
3 – Thou shall keep your hands up.
4 – Thou shall move your head.
5 – Thou shall work behind your jab.
6 – Thou shall step with every punch.
7 – Thou shall turn your punches over.
8 – Thou shall work both body and head.
9 – Thou shall double up your punches.
10 – Thou shall “set up” your punches.

Not all of them are purely technical, though…

And off the top of my head:
(Correct me if I’m wrong)

1
Confirmation: Jersey Joe Walcott
Falsification: Naseem Hamed

2
Confirmation: James Toney
Falsification: Muhammad Ali

3
Confirmation: Alexis Arguello
Falsification: Muhammad Ali

4
Confirmation: Mike Tyson
Falsification: Ricky Hatton

5
Confirmation: Winky Wright
Falsification: Roy Jones Jr.

6
Confirmation: Bernard Hopkins
Falsification: Wladimir Klitschko

7
Confirmation: Alexis Arguello
Falsification: Joe Calzaghe?

8
Confirmation: Julio Cesar Chavez
Falsification: ?

9
Confirmation: Muhammad Ali
Falsification: George Foreman

10
Confirmation: Alexis Arguello
Falsification: Roy Jones Jr.

 

Good list man.

8. can be Ali. He only really worked the body in the Cleveland Williams fight.

 

Love the Charlton Heston post, an absoluteky sensational opening .. If a fighter can take a good punch and he has a decent jab and a good uppercut then he cant go far wrong ..... The 2 most important punches in boxing are the jab and uppercut and if you can take a decent shot then you'll be a threat .. Boxing is all about the Jab ..

 

Against southpaws, ......circle to your left, use right hands & left hooks, and don't forget to jab. If you can back the southpaw up...even more the better.

 

No. 8 might also be Cooney. Strangely, given the height advantage he had over most of his opponents, Cooney spent a lot of time working the body and neglecting to move up the ladder. I think that cost him dearly in the Holmes fight.

This is a good list, and it appears that Arguello was the most pious fighter, as he's the exemplar for 3 of the 10 commandments. Just for variety's sake one might substitute Danny Lopez as the exemplar for No. 7.

 

I think Cooney went to the head more then Ali went to the body.

 

1. You should always be lookign to throw combinations and avoid single shots.

Example: Arguello, Pep, Whittaker, Duran, Robinson, Leonard etc....

Non example: Jones Jr ?????


2. The jab should be the most important punch

Example: Whittaker, Leonard, Robinson, Ali, Pep, Arguello, etc....

Non Example: Jones Jr ????

Im not meaning to pick on Roy Jones but i genuinly cant find any other examples of the top of my head

 

For number 1 - Mayweather at welterweight

For number 2 - Manny Pacquiao

 

thanks give Roy Jones some company

 

Thou shalt not get drawn into firefights with younger, bigger, fresher, stronger opponents.

Confirmation: Julian Jackson (vs Gerald McClellan)

Falsification: Duran (vs Moore and Barkley)

 

3. Emphasis should be placed on defence and offence equally

Example: Duran, Whittaker, Napoles, Benitez,

Non-Example: LaMotta, Greb, Robinson