Theory about knockouts and punch resistance

The points that you raised on the factors that influence resistance to being knocked out are certainly true.
But genetics are just as important, as is muscle memory in terms of building a tolerance to taking shots.
I think the determination of the fighter plays a role too, the fight or flight reaction is ingrained into every aspect of the fighter.
But the proper iron jaws are just a gift from nature. In this case I’m talking about a fighter eating a short flush, taking the full weight and impact of the shot.
When I was younger my dad used to get samples from martial arts and combat companies to test the effectiveness, and there were all different types of head guards, some padded ones and some with a Perspex face guard and neoprene inserts that would fit tight to the contours of your face, there was one that was from mizuno that was the Perspex type. Me and my mates would have parties at my house when my parents were away and we would get the head guards out and punch each other full force in the face while standing with hands behind our backs, no bracing for the shot and you would get the impact of the punch but without the contact of the fist, you could take the shot and stay up every time.
It was dangerous but we were young and dumb and drunk mostly, so I think it was obvious that taking away the contact from the first it increased the surface area of the impact which would cause the power to be spread out rather than concentrated into a small area.
The ability to take a shot and not get knocked out is a skill that can be learned to a certain extent by staying light on your feet, being constantly moving, turning away from the direction of impact, moving out of range as the punch comes in.
It is not an exact science and there are many variables involved, but I have a decent chin and have never been knocked out, I’ve had a good amount of fights and been hit with some heavy shots and even with a bat once.
But I don’t have a big skull, a strong neck and I doubt I have a good amount of that cfs stuff because I get Tinnitus and I almost pass out from injections.
Great question though

 

What's punch resistance?

I'd say it's physical, cardio, behavioural and mental.

Behavioural because you want a well balanced stance, and you want some of your feet planted + your legs to feel solid (even though you're reactive and on the balls of your feet). You also want your chin tucked quite snug into lead shoulder. I mean WTH was Herol Graham doing putting his chin in the air that high?! Also, HG's stance always seems backfoot heavy, he's obviously relying on his reflexes to get out of range and lean back from the waist but that means he's kinda got one foot out of the grave already (granted, he does go front foot heavier when going aggressive) - I guess my point being is his stance isn't well balanced from relying on this lean back style.

Physical because you still want strong legs, hips/waist, core, back and neck. I personally feel that punch resistance has a lot to do with the strength of your legs and neck the most. I'd add dehydration & fasting to this category and I think once a fighter's natural BMI/fat % has moved up, it's just a net negative.

Cardio because you don't want to be caught slipping when you're tired - being sloppy, e.g., dropping lead hand, untucking chin, etc.

Mental because any doubt of your own abilities or weaknesses will poke out. Also, once you've been knocked out or down, your confidence is breached with doubt, unless you're a friggin A-100 macho.

Punch resistance means that if any of the above aren't in tiptop shape, your resistance is gone or at least you're on a downward spiral. Also, I don't think you can necessarily see what happens to the brain when a punch connects on the button from the outside so judging it based off how much the head rotates isn't the most methodical.

 

Having just rewatched the Wilder-Stivene clip above, I was reminded of just how atrocious the lack of skill was in that fight. Wilder fought like it was his first time in a professional ring. Hands at waist, poor footwork, no defense, just winging shots from the rafters with no set up whatsoever. Luckily for Wilder, Stiverne showed up looking like a beached whale. He didn't even pretend he was in there to win. Not sure he threw a meaningful punch the entire round.

 

I'm not sure movement of the spine would affect the brain as such.

The head spin is the most prevelent thing that causes knockouts, alongside not seeing the punch.

If a fighter anticipates impact:

• neck muscles tense
• head movement is reduced
• rotational acceleration drops

If the punch is unseen:

• maximal head snap
• instant shutdown

When talking about the straight shot or shots without rotation, a different mechanism occurs to cause the KO:

A straight punch causes rapid forward–backward acceleration of the skull.

What matters is how fast the head stops, not just how hard it’s pushed.

Inside the skull:

• The brain lags behind the skull due to inertia
  
  
• It impacts the inner skull surface (especially frontal/occipital regions)
  
  
• Pressure waves propagate through deep brain structures
  

Even without rotation, sudden deceleration can transiently disrupt brainstem–thalamic signalling.

This is why:

• a piston-like jab can drop someone
  
  
• fighters get KO’d while braced and looking straight at the punch
  

 

Graham didn’t see the punch coming at all, that’s a huge factor.
Conditioning I would say is the main factor along with size of/strength of scull

 

I personally asked Samuel Peters what happens when you get knocked out..

 

Some good articles on the subject:
https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC7649325/
https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/13...ing-a-knockout-some-aspects-remain-a-mystery/

There is still debate as to the exact molecular mechanisms for a "Knockout", but in terms of the biomechanics involved it can be viewed to be due to: the accelerative/decelerative forces imparted on the brain as it moves throughout the skull; impact damage of the brain striking the cranium; and rotational forces on the brain that can send shockwaves through it. These forces can all impart transient damage/changes on a molecular level to the brain that lead to temporary lost or impaired consciousness.

 

I asked him years ago when he would stop by for Bible studies on Wednesdays..

 

The main ingredient is very simple. Genetics.

 

Remember a lot of damage can be taken in sparring rather than in fights.

This happened to Riddick Bowe.