#OnThisDay: The beating Rocky Marciano handed Don Cockell broke every rule in the book

Posted by
u/McClain3000
6 years ago

Bending below the waist line?

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I feel like some fighters praised as defensive geniuses often bend below the waist line when evading punches. Specific fighters that come to mind are Guillermo Rigondeaux, and Pernell Whitaker. It is my understanding that bending below the waist line is illegal however no one seems to mention it. Personally I feel like this is just as bad as, if not worst then excessive holding. When a fighter is trying to clinch you can evade them or land punches when their coming in and then attempt to work out. When someone bends down and away like Pernell short of kicking them there is nothing you can do to hit them. What are your thoughts on this.

Here are some specific links for evidence: Rigo, Sweet Pea

 

You go girl.

 

C ockell, the "Light - Heavyweight" right here...

https://scontent.fman1-2.fna.fbcdn....jB8NEhPI4wm8lwkkOhzKjbsw_87CN3glQ&oe=62AEDA3F

 

A different specimen there!

 

Boxing Rule Question - ducking below your opponent's waist.
https://forums.sherdog.com › ... › Boxing Discussio

 

There's nothing in that and if anything it leans toward it not being a foul in the pro's.

 

Again there's only speculation and opinion, nothing more.

 

Harold Letterman has complained about this on more than 1 occasion.
Floyd alot of the time, Whitaker back in the day, Dirrell vs Froch, that is against the rules but seems not to be enforced.

If a punch lands on the back of their head due to them being bent below their opponents waist, which happened a couple times in the Froch Dirrell fight, the guy bending low is supposed to be at fault. Again, not commonly enfored but that is a rule. Happened in Afolabi-Huck too quite a bit.

 

Is it illegal to duck below the waist line? - Boxing Forum
https://www.*******.com › non-stop-boxing › 369...

 

That`s it? Marciano did it constantly don`t you understand, all that did was allow Tyson to slip 1-2 punches, how many did Marciano evade by CONSTANTLY using this tactic like Floyd?

 

I would agree if they get rabbit punched too bad. This is the risk.

 

Is clinching against the rules?

Let me say again that a lot of the stuff you consider below the waist simply isn't that low regardless of any perceived rule.

 

Clinching to much is cheating, Fury kept grabbing Wilder in a head lock then put all his weight on him making him gas, he also punched then held so Wilder couldn`t counter, that`s cheating, Bonecrusher Smith constantly holding Tyson was cheating. Akinwande constantly holding Lewis was cheating etc.

 

I think a better question is what champions didn't have habits that were a bit suspect under a strict application of the rules.

Holding and pushing on the neck is probably the most common one - with 70's Ali, Wlad and Fury being perhaps the most famous serial offenders.