How stupid of me would it be if ......

If youve never boxed, dont do it, you'll probably get hurt in an open division. Why would you want to just enter a tournament with no experience? Go to the gym and get some sparring in and then see where your at. I dont care if you can run 10 miles, if youve never boxed you're making a big mistake.

 

It's funny this is brought up. I go to a "regular" gym but it has a couple bags. I was loosening up on a bag last and another regular asked me if I wanted to spar sometime. I haven't done that in about 10 years. I was really enthusiastic and got his info. After a day or two. I thought better of it. You just don't jump into sparring. You do it after months of coaching, pad work and thought (unless you are 14 and they throw you to the wolves). And you certainly do not jump into competition.

 

There are many voices encouraging you to just do it, as if getting in the ring is a Nike commercial. I have to agree with Seamus and lefthook and caution against it at this time. You may get hurt, but it is likely that you will be publically humiliated when your opponent jabs your head off. At 5'9 and 260 you are probably overloaded with bulk and muscle and if you aren't sure how to cut the ring off at this time, then you need only prepare to bleed if you get in anytime soon.

Keep running -both long distance to get the weight down, and wind sprints. Spend more time on the mitts and in the mirror than on the heavy bag, where you will only foster bad habits unless a trained eye is watching and correcting you. Mitts are good too.

A couple of pointers:
1. You probably have power. You better have power. And to get the kind of power you need in the ring, you need speed. Don't plan on clubbing anyone to a KO in 3 rounds. It is unlikely if you are in with a guy who knows what he is doing even a little. Don't throw flicking punches. Those are dumb for a man your size. Learn how to punch through your target -jab like that too.

2. You're gonna need great legs. They have to get you inside quicker than a NYC cab and they have to get you over at angles too. Skip lots of rope.

3. Learn how to fight small and punch with efficient leverage.

4. Your best punch could be an overhand right. Learn how to set it up and hide it. Also, In-fighting --you're gonna need that.

5. Learn not only about countering but setting traps too. You can deal with a taller fighter outside the perimeter too. See how.

6. Lay off the heavy weights. You sure as hell don't need anymore bulk -except on your neck. Get a neck like King Kong Bundy.

 

Maybe you have something, maybe you dont. Go to a real boxing gym and spar to find out then get back to us. would you drive a car on a road without lesons?

 

It sounds like you don't have access to a boxing gym, which is worrying.

In the absense of a boxing gym. SHadow box for 3 miniute rounds with 1min rest in front of a mirror. Focus on moving your head swaying from the waist, always keep your hands tucked just above your chin, keep your chin tucked into your chest, your hands should be punching as if your throwing proper punches but you are going to recoil each quickly, DO NOT throw punches without first moving your head 1, 2 or 3 times

You're really short for a HW which is a big drawback. All the successful short heavyweights have excellent defense - see Tyson, James Toney. Practice a few of those moves, the focus is to slip the jab/right by swaying from the waist or slight dipping of the hips and countering. Always analyse and strive for better technique as you box in front of the mirror

The first time you do this you may not be able to shadow box intensely for 3miniutes and you may need longer than 1min rests. Do as many rounds as you can as often as possible

This isn't a substitute for the boxing gym but will get you allot better and in fighting shape

 

I had also assumed you had sparring and gym experience as well by way of assumption through your posts, but I'll have to agree with PowerPuncher and Duodenum...

If you haven't had any experience in a gym sparring (not against buddies at the house), this is absolutely essential. Running and weights won't help in the least. Ring survival skills and learning how to react under fire can only be obtained through experience.

 

Mark Gastineau and Ed "Too Tall" Jones were two NFL defensive linemen who famously made a go at professional boxing. While they didn't get very far with it, incorporating boxing into their gridiron conditioning did greatly enhance their speed, reflexes and career longevity in their best sport.

Gastineau in particular was known for the volume of QB sacks he generated (over 100 in his first 100 games), not due to his size and strength so much (although not small at 6'5", 266), but mainly as a result of his speed and quickness. He only took up professional boxing after he left the gridiron, but was very well known to base his physical training throughout his NFL career on boxing methodology at a time when weight training and the goal of increased bulk was becoming standard practice for most NFL linemen. (His "Sack Exchange" line mate Joe Klecko epitomized the new power lifting ethos, and may have been the NFL's strongest man at one time.) While still at the top of his game, Gastineau retired as the NFL's official all time leader in QB sacks, a statistic which became formally recognized in large part due to his impact.

Ed "Too Tall" Jones played five years for the Dallas Cowboys before retiring at age 28 to undertake an abortive three month career as a professional boxer. He returned to the Cowboys at age 30, over 20 pounds lighter, faster and quicker, and all three of his Pro-Bowl selections came immediately after his return from boxing. He retired for good in 1989, ten years after coming back from boxing, making him the first player in the opening 37 years of Cowboys franchise history to compete for as many as 15 years. (In 1997, Bill Bates and Mark Tuinei finally matched that record upon retirement themselves. But if Jones had never left the Cowboys to try boxing, he'd still hold the team longevity record by himself.) A reliable and durable performer, Jones played in every game for 13 of his 15 seasons, and probably could have completed 20 seasons or more. Like Gastineau, Jones is an excellent advertisement for the virtues of disciplined boxing based conditioning practices for gridiron performance.