Just have a look in slow motion of the punch that KO'd Hatton. It started at Pacman's hip and despite it being a shot thrown with a stamp on it from miles back, Ricky didn't see it coming because it started out of his line of sight. It really pisses me off whenever I hear Jim Watt bleating on and on about how all boxers should keep their hands up and then when they get hit,he uses this to justify his opinion,as if it's a surprise that boxers actually get hit sometimes!!!! Watt always used to critize Carl Froch over and over again for keeping his hands low. I bet he feels a prized twat now
Why? Froch gets hit a lot, that is clear. The reason for that is he drops his hands, and does not have the reactions to compensate for it.
I'm sure Watt said that Pac had started boxing at '7 pounds 8' Which is quite an achievement to come from that from low to beat the man at 140.
Why would Watt feel daft for criticising Froch about his hands? Taylor almost KO'd him! Surely he'd feel vindicated if nothing else?
Ricky was going in with his hands low,head up.Hows that reducing the target he would have been better doing an Arthur Abraham and getting the mufflers on and elbows in. Pac would jab and Rickys head would move out of the way seconds after connection. Froch is the same, slow reactions like that they need to have their guards up.
No no no NO NO NO!!! What about all the other boxers who have been KO'd in history who DID keep their hands up? The point I'm making is that fighters have different styles,none of which are perfect, but they adapt/adopt them to suit themselves. Almost, nearly, will soon be.........doesn't matter. Froch is still unbeaten having fought both the world class Pascal and Taylor, although I was only using Froch as an example. I could have chosen Floyd Mayweather
And Watt will still critcise Froch. Becaue Carl is a hard hitter with a decent chin but he does have a crap defence. Yeah a former world champion with sweet job on sky feels like a prized twat because a middle aged postman doesn't like him. And it started at Pacmans hip so Ricky didn't see it? Does he not have eyes that works like everybody elses then? Hatton lost to the best fighter and coach on planet.
Yeah you could have but Mayweather is an atg and his natural attributes along with a shell defence allow him to get away with it.
Mayweather simply uses a different style of defence. That Philly Shell is great if you have the reflexes to pull it off, and if you watch carefully all angles are covered at the times that matter. His chin is covered by his shoulder, his ribs are covered by his elbows and his chest is covered by his forearms. However, often when he's on the ropes he'll use a conventional defence and keep his arms high. Froch seems to keep his arms down and have no reflexes, and is easily hit. There is definitely room for criticism. It probably helps his jab to have the hand low, its a double edged sword but when you get put on your ass by Taylor and hit on a regular basis I don't think he's exempt from critcism for keeping his hands low.
You're missing the point. The point is that different boxers have diferent styles and contary to what Jim Watt or the ABA believe, there is NO DEFINATIVE method to be employed at all times. The reason I gave Froch as an example is that Jim Watt always used to say he would 'have to tighten his defence' if he wanted to suceed at the highest level. How many examples of 'unconventionial fighters do you want me to provide? My occupation in this argument is irrelevant. I am also a boxing coach with an open mind as to how the sport should be approached. And the fact that Jim Watt was a world class boxer is more than likely to hinder his analysis than add to it. You don't need to have been a champion at any sport to understand it's nuances
there is no definitive method to defence but keeping your hands low makes it easier to slip punches and come back with counter shots also it stops cuts happening as holding gloves in front of your face means when the gloves get hit your heel of your hand goes stright through your skin happened to me once.
Obviously Froch's(and others) methods have their disadvantages. But why don't SO CALLED experts point out to the viewers the advantages as well and explain why a certain boxer is adopting a particular method??? Answer.......either a) they don't know because their knowledge is limited or b) they are simply poor commentators
Speaking of commentatry gaffes I couldn't help but laugh when the camera panned at Hatton's family after the knockout and Darke said "And there's Hatton's father Jennifer". :rofl