Don't see this very much. What I mean is a guy feinting to hit low, for example, then throwing a left hook upstairs. The rules do not prohibit this but you rarely see it. However, you don't never see it - this is the internet after all. Any thoughts? I have seen referees rule a foul (and give a stern warning) for throwing headbutts that don't land, I don't think you could feint a headbutt...
I think it was Saddler I saw hold, feint a punch and then catch them with an uppercut. Does that count?
Kind of. And he definitely did do that. Hitting and holding is a foul after all. You see that one semi-regularly tbf because it's a part of natural action.
I wish I could think of an example, which I agree, there would have to have been instances of same but I’m not recollecting anything at this time. It does remind though how Ali literally took to placing his glove behind his neck in defence against Wepner’s incessant and potential rabbit punches. Amusing. If I could just pick up on the use of feints. Just wanted to share this brief but very nice vision of Liston feinting with the jab. I guess a feint is only as valuable as the quality of the punch already established by prior connections. A normal jab doesn’t seem like a punch that could put an opponent too badly out of position but as implied in the clip, opponents weren’t too thrilled at the prospect of copping another Liston jab in the face and moved out of position even at the mere twitch of Liston of pretending to launch the telescopic jab. This content is protected Otherwise and a bit further off the premise, against Braddock, Joe Louis threw a left hook that, as per intent, was not meant to score points, KO or even hurt his man. It was specifically thrown to perfectly knock away Braddock’s guard left hand to clear the path for the KO right. Nothing illegal but wow, you don’t see that type of skill and application every day, if at all.
Golota would have been unstoppable if he did the first few fouls on purpose knowing the ref won't deduct a point immediately, then feint throughout the rest of the fight to terrify a guy and shift between upstairs, downstairs, and the basement.
This is a dirty trick very few if any have mastered. I would think fighters would not fall for it because its illegal but it could be very effective or dangerous to the fainter if the other guy doesn't fall for it. A quick defensive guy might.
In pickup basketball, which I played a lot from my early years through my college days, I would sometimes feint running low at a shooter’s legs to try to distract his shot if I couldn’t get there to contest it. Never close enough to make contact but when I would lower and lunge sometimes it would make them think about getting undercut and they’d miss. Or at least I’d tell myself that’s why they missed. I grabbed a lot of jersey too, haha.
