Is "ring rust" even a real thing?

I don't fight profesionally so I don't know but a few things that would spring to my mind are things like pacing yourself (if you're constantly fighting you can probably do it more consistently, better), general confidence and the mental aspect coming into the fight.

That's assuming during your time off you were still properly training all the time.

 

yes!

 

Yes !!!

Your anticipation and reaction time improves with constant use.

"Ring Rust" (general statement) occurs in all sports activities.

Example: that's why baseball has spring training, and it shows up when racing automobiles, tennis, basketball, and so forth.

 

I have seen articles that use the term... Boxing and/or fight game.

I agree that professional boxing isn't a game. But then, when does pro football... not become a "game" ?

Any time one guy is out to intentionally hurt (injure) his opponent..
I think the "contest" no longer is a "game".

If the boxers "spar" at 100 % effort then "ring rust" wouldn't occur, or sparing at 100% would "knock it off".

But then, you wouldn't have many boxers in condition to fight in the matches.

 

Sparring is a lot more casual than a professional fight or even an amateur fight.

 

plus, no one spars at 100% and if you do you won't be in that camp long.

 

It doesn't make sense to me either. Perhaps it has more to do with performance under intense pressure and under the lights. This cannot be simulated. However , most everything else can be simulated in sparring.

Which is probably why Floyd showed zero ring rust in his various comebacks, especially the one against Marquez. Floyd is also known to go hard in sparring, the doghouse and all that.

 

When The elite guys beat up their sparring partners they get new ones. Ward is also known to go hard in sparring.

 

Yep, beating up the boss in sparring is a definate no-no, unless you want to be shown the exit sign, When Ali had that Rushed comeback that was geared up to the Frazier Money-spinner he fought Quarry and looked good but three rounds was not enough, Quarry and others felt it might of got interesting if not for the early termination, Rust was a worry, it certainly appeared to show itself in the next fight with Bonavena, Ali looked sluggish and out of sorts, He really could of done with another warm-up as a final sharpner..

 

A single fight seems of too short a duration to act much of a sharpener. The ratio of time spent sparring versus time in a real fight is massively tilted on the former. especially now with these long layoffs. I really think it has much more to do with accilimitization to fighting in front if an audience, pressure, etc. than sharpening skills.

 

Like a car. Its runs better and faster after broken in. :yep

 

No doubt. He suffered a huge gash while sparring with headgear for the Super Six final. :yep

 

Remember all the **** Froch talked about it?