I think when you box yourself you appreciate technicians a lot more

someone misspelt philippines

 

This is the quote people should be discussing more. I boxed myself, I was a high level amateur and held my own against professional fighters. Fighting off the back foot was easier for me than the front foot, but I had to become very good on the front foot because of all the tall, rangy speedsters in my weight class.

I think people also mistake people who fight negative (i.e. running, only dodging or blocking punches, showboating, etc.) vs those who fight strategically off the backfoot ( counter punches, setting up traps, timing of punches, strategic jabs, circling certain ways, disrupting the rhythm of the opponent, etc.)

 

What a load of pretentious bull****

 

I agree with this completely

 

When I see a guy with a 5 inch reach advantage running around and potshot for 12, I'm not one that's in awe about his skills. Sure it's pretty impressive to be able to avoid so many punches, but in the end you're just exploiting an advantage wich wouldn't work remotely as good what the original idea behind it was when created and ulimately defeats part of the purpose.

Cause think back to before there were a total # of rounds for example (yes I know that's ancient history) they just couldn't get away with it. They either had to mix it up at some point, or hope that they weren't the one who eventually buckled from exhaustion.
And when we got a maximum amount of rounds, it has been a lot more as it is now so that would have come in to play at that time too.

The boxers I appriciate most are the ones on the frontfoot who see and/or know the holes and can execute too.
And I roll my eyes when I see an attacking fighter having his foe trapped on the ropes for 20 seconds and he doesn't land a single punch on the one or two glaring opinings that are there for muliple seconds. Then you're missing a huge part of the instinct and also a thing that can be taught by a decent trainer.

It eventually has become a pure sport, and because of that you get boxers who can actually "play" boxing by doing very little damage on their oponents and just score points, while the damage is done by the opponent but just doesn't score enough.

Of course it's impressive when some defensive boxers can make their opponents miss and land their own over and over again. And it's also good for viewership to have opposite styles.
But when it merely becomes running and potshotting the entertainment level drops dramatically and that's what nobody wants either.

Boxing is a savage sport. The reason we have KO's of the year and fights of the year is because we want to see boxers hit eachother, and HARD. KO's and KD's are the highlights of the sport.

 

Manfred - I'm a fan of technical boxers but to claim that Mayweather's priority is to knock his opponent out is incorrect. He paces himself and picks up rounds by hitting with pin point accuracy, speed, timing and great punch variety and by not getting hit due to his tight defence, anticipation and reflexes. He's as talented as they come but doesn't press for the KO. However, as he can and does lay it down on his opponent at times, (usually turning it on after a rest), I enjoy watching him.

Marquez is my favourite boxer as he is a reasonably high volume counter puncher and technician. I box and try to emulate his combinations because he is exciting. Someone like Lara, who I admittedly have only seen against Canelo, makes me want to switch over to something more exciting, like golf.

 

When you box, you appreciate all boxers, not only technicians.

 

You can understand them and appreciate their finesse more, but more likely you end up hating them even more! :hat

 

To a degree, I've definitely become a much bigger fan of BHOP and JMM since boxing myself. But it also makes you realise how special unorthodox fighters like Manny are.

 

:deal

The shoeshiners only like floyd and no one else, no one. And i bet half of em have never stepped inside a gym let alone a ring.

 

I agree

I'm 3-0 in fights at school so I can appreciate technique more than some can.

 

:good good record mate, now theirs nothing padded about that record. school fights are the hardest.

 

I think you appreciate people who box in a similar manner to yourself. I've only done pad and bag work briefly, never actually sparred. Once I'd started to do that, I began to notice things that I thought were good/bad way more than I used to.

 

The more you know/understand boxing and its subtleties, the more you appreciate a fighters craft.

 

Excellent post.

I like to imagine what fights like Mayweather vs. Maidana would end up like if they were 20 rounders (or even LPR rules). Does Mayweather pick him apart and eventually capitalize on his exhaustion/frustation, or does Maidana wear Mayweather down with those hard shots round after round.

The 'technical" boxing style was designed to win an attrition fight over a LONG bout. You could win by picking with the jab, cutting the guy, and just wearing him down by making him miss for hours. Of course, you had to be in amazing shape to pull it off.

I think that style today is kind of misused. The fights are shorter so that fighters can produce more action, not so they can treat boxing like a game of tag for 12 rounds. Boxing is about hurting the other guy so badly that he can no longer fight you, and I think guys like Mayweather are not in the spirit of what the sport was intended to be.