The all things technical thread.

Amazing how much they struggle ain't it? even someone as technically adept as Floyd has his problems. It's that different look and things coming from the opposite side. When all things are even southpaws have a advantage no doubt. Not only because orthodox fighters are not used to seeing them often (btw i don't know if that's the main reason, there's more southpaws now than ever before and it should be standard to get plenty of sparring with one, back in the day it must've been more difficult because there just wasn't that many around). But i think the main reason orthodox fighters struggle is because the lead hands are so aligned that it makes it very difficult to catch a skillful southpaw with your jab and time him. Most of your punches coming from that angle get easily deflected or slipped.

The thing i don't understand is how orthodox fighters don't use their advantages. They have the same advantages that southpaws have over them. The same problem the orthodox stance sees in facing the southpaw, the southpaw also sees them problems from the opposite side too. But they generally win the foot positioning battle. I think it's just more than orthodox fighters not being used to southpaws, although that's got a lot to do with it. It must be weird when you've been told and trained to expect punches from one angle and direction and they keep coming from the opposite. I'm a southpaw myself and when i was in the gym i always found that i had an advantage. Even guys that were MUCH better than me would occassionally get caught with BS punches by me. And it was easier to slip their over the top punches and get under then it was against another southpaws. Most of time i would always end up almost behind them if i somehow made them even partially miss we would be get into a tangle.

The key as you say Mand. is trying to win the foot positioning. Keeping the lead foot outside the southpaws lead right foot and moving away from the power hand. The problem is the orthodox fighter has to keep thinking about doing these things and as you know Mand when i fighter has to THINK and not be instinctive it's not ganna work and he's ganna start hesitating and not getting off. I have seen fighters trying to think against southpaws and it only takes that milli-second while you're thinking and BOOM! You could actually see USS Cunningham doing this on saturday in patches. In his expressions and mannerisms you could see he was thinking 'must do that, must remember to do this'.

I think the worst must be to fight a technically good counter punching southpaw. If the southpaw takes a step back, tucks his chin and draws the orthodox fighters lead and gets him to come then the orthodox fighter is so open to be countered inside his lead. This is probabily the move and punch that i've seen southpaws hurt orthadox fighters most with. Incidently, it was the same one that Cunningham got caught with a few times and the one that dropped him (IIRC) was a perfect illustration of it.

One of the best guys who knew how to fight southpaws was Mike Spinks. His body rhythm allowed him to offset people. He also threw one of the best punches to hurt a southpaw with and that's a sneaky left hybrid uppercut. Southpaws really struggle against this punch. I've seen it over and over. Spinks actually ko'd Marvin Johnson a really good southpaw with this exact punch.

5.12 of the vid below.

[ame]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BKW1cm3QtUU[/ame]




For me the trick is to get southpaws coming forward. In general most of them have an advantage when you show your hand. Keep them coming forward and don't just follow them around for no purpose they love that. Be instinctive is also another way to offset a southpaw.

In todays era Bernard Hopkins probabily fights southpaws the best. He does exactly what they're aiming to do to him and he flips the switch. He draws their lead and brings them into no mans land. He's also very instinctive and throws his punches, especially the straight right (the best punch against a southpaw) with quick release and accuracy. His experience of training with guys like John David Jackson also helps him and of course his all round technical ability and awareness. Something most orthodox fighters don't have.

 

Only of late?

:good

 

You're so right about parrying, mate.

Here's a post i did in another thread.

 

That was brillient. Probabily my favourite 'face-off'. Marquez solved the rubix cube.

The thing is though that Manny is not a 'traditional' southpaw. In that he's got a different and unsual and awkward body rhythm. Plus his punching pattern is so different to so many in that way he's unique.

It's helped him that he'd had two looks prior to that fight and so he'd figured him out before and became comfortable with his punching pattern. That was crucial because Pacquiao relies on the element of surpise with his speed and herky jerky style.

What Marquez does is that thing i talked about of getting the southpaw to tread into no mans land. He takes a small step backwards which allows him to get some room and take the sting of Manny's faster punches. He then comes back with combinations whilst Manny's feet are planted after he'd mostly overcomitted. It's beautiful to see. He almost always wins the foot positioning battle. He seems to be the only one who can punch WITH Pacquiao aswell which is key because Pacquiao relies on finishing off extended exchanges and that way giving the impression that he won it, which invariably impresses the judges.

Marquez is generally good at taming speed. What with his timing, accuracy and positioning. I remember what he did to Derrick Gainer. Another speedster.

 

That's a good point. Parrying should really only be done with straight or 'lighter' punches as you're essentially trying to anticipate in most cases. Power punches and those which come wider like hooks should not be parried because they can get through on you. Those punches should be slipped. The problem is not every fighter knows how to slip or roll with punches, or even get underneath them. Which leads them to just trying to take it on the guard. Which can work if done properly. Andre Ward for example blocks a lot of over the top stuff by opening his gloves. he doesn't just rely on that though, he can slip under them too.