Feinting - The Lost Art

For the most part it's garbage.


Though no doubt technical skills have been in decline for a while now in many ways, as far as the depth of fighters with them is concerned.

 

How so?

 

James Toney. He feints then BOOM counter right hand.

 

Because as McGrain says, plenty of fighters still feint even today in a less "cute" era.If i was to pick fights out at random from my collection, i bet it would take a while before i got one with no feinting in it.Even the most ordinary fighters from most decades make basic use of the concept as often as not.

Anyone that says feinting became a lost art after the '20's\'30's..or whatever decade becomes as suspect to me as the modern nutrition means no fighter from pre-90 or 80 etc would be able to compete crowd.

 

incidentally, one great relatively modern fight to watch for a lot of feinting playing a big part is Sanchez vs Cowdell.

Cowdell wasn't on Sanchez' level as far as overall talent goes of course, but using some good sound boxing ability, nice jab and a near constant use of tricky feints, he had Sanchez looking bewildered at times, and was able to give a fine performance.

 

Check out Vernon Forrest too. One of the last young guys to use the feint and hes tall and lanky like you are. The feint is definitely a good weapon to setup a shot with, or redirect yourself or your opponent. As mentioned Bernard Hopkins uses it alot to move out of harms way, and Roy Jones used the feint as well.

 

Feinting, what is that?....

 

I didnt really understand what you meant by your first paragraph either, but I agree with this and I would also say the technical skillset as a whole has become more one dimensional.
Ive never heard of someone investing in feinting for an entire fight its usually part of a fighters style or its not, and the use and frequency is usually determined by the style of guy you have in front of you. Some guys are easier to fool and its usually used to get your opponent to hesitate, so you can redirect, or make them move in a certain way where you can take advantage of the opening it leaves.

 

To be serious, you must do something first to make the feint effective, ram in a few hard jabs or punishing hooks otherwise the feint is ignored. There needs to be a bit of fear or at least respect envolved. Think there was more feints in the past, not sure what it proves. Maybe less suckers now?