What boxing techniques are "lost arts"? Have any techniques improved?

BTW, what time periods are you comparing here?

 

I completely disagree.

Nonito Donaire does this all the time. For instance vs Vazquez after feeling his power and getting range in the early rounds Nonito used the parry very liberally. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u3y-vJ8lP3Y. See rounds 4 (17.27) and the entire round 5 (starts at 19.42) for examples.

Here is a sparring match of lesser known prospects displaying the parry technique. Michael Hunter spars Andrew Tabiti at the Mayweather Boxing Club. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WSBQL_JGEts. For example just watch the first min. Tabiti is using the parry defence.

What about GGG?? He does this all the time. He evens blocks straight rights with the outer elbow of his jab hand. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Pybq6h4VTNg. See 1.31min.

Here is a random amatuer bout from 2008. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6zP54QBf4BM. My friend in the red uses the parry defence very well. Catching the opponents jab and shooting his own back.

The parry defence is used all the time. This thread has no validity. Every pro gym I trained at from Sydney, Bangkok, Miami, New York, Manila taught this. Being able to effectively use this in a fight? Well that is a different story.

Carl Froch, Mikkel Kessler, Tim Witherspoon, Floyd Mayweather, Marco Antonio Barrera, heck even Kelly Pavlik uses the parry defence at times, B-Hop.

Recent examples well here look at ex-Olympian Lee Selby. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=il2n1vJFOQw. In this one bout he literally does EVERYTHING OP is complaining about. Head movement, off center punching, ring generalship, jab-parry on and on....

 

Because those physical skills are very valuable to Olympic boxing. Point scoring, in-out and being quick-fisted typically make the top level international Olympic boxers. 3 x 2 mins is a short fight and you need to score as many points as possible - inside fighting, body shots that judges might not see are not preferred by fighters in those systems. You wont win on points totally defending, offense becomes the priority and its primarily straight punches to the head that all judges can clearly see. Those defence skills are there but most wont fully develop them mid-way through their pro careers. Plus boxing is very very hard. Its so difficult to stay in the pocket and perform the skills you are talking about. That's why we love the ATG's they, they make operating in the pocket and mixing offense/defence as one. Most fighters cant do that, you need tremendous reflex, balance and coolness under fire.

 

But styles make fights. You might learn the parry but it might not suit a fighter's particular natural stance or talents. I think you are being too hard on the current pros. They are still very talented but I agree to some extent that blocking punches with your hands is the easiest and best default defense. It seems like with the Olympics and onset of Roy Jones people try to focus too much on the athletic reflex only defence (hand down, quick head movement).

You are advocating the 2-handed parry. This means both hands are away from the body. Quick reflexes are needed because you can be countered very easily. Sandy Sandler you mentioned as you prime example was one heck of a talent. He was unique, long arms, great reflexes and happened to punch like a truck. Catching punches helped him break the distance as he loved to stalk and he was still able to generate huge power with his arms being extended. Not to mention that 2 handed parry is exhausting for the shoulders try holding your arms up for over 10 rounds. Sandler had great stamina as well and if a fighter broke that plane and got inside Sandy could blast them. Its a combination of things that enable that certain style to work. Breaking the rules doesn't make you special, the greats break the rules because they are special .

 

Kostya Tszyu had a good 1 handed parry. His left was basically permanently extended catching lots of shots and he had a ram rod jab that was very effeective. Most fighters won't get power on their shots with arms outstretched but not with Kostya. Kostya also had quick feet to enable the parry hand to be at effective range at most times. Very hard to do, he made it look so easy.

The only recent example of a 2 handed true parry style would be from MMA Nick Diaz. He has the same physical traits as Sandler - long lean, stamina and agressive stalker. Always super fun to watch but he would get tagged way to much even with the outside barrier created from those arms.

 

Here's an example of your defensive head movement thats long forgotten. Billy Dib an Aussie featherweight world title challenger. Personally I can't stand his style but he is a slick mover. http://youtu.be/p52xNe-RDrk. 8.33, 8.45, 8.55, 9.08 etc etc.

Danny Garcia has medicore defensive head movement, but on offense its not half bad, ugly and overexaggerated but it works for him. 0.42, 0.44, 0.59 etc. https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=IfeWIQcPtXM. For all his faults he does move his head when he punches, sometimes he wings those wide hooks and his head is level with his opponents opposite hip. Just look at the finishing barrage at 2.00-2.20 very obvious that he is punching off center.

This thread is pushing it to say the least. I disagree in the strongest way possible to pretty much every one of your introductory statements. I could go on and on with more video evidence but its pointless. I have sparred Olympians and did very poorly and watched many pros train - in the gym with them. Very many use the skills you mentioned as forgotten. Not to be rude but you are just plain wrong about it. Believe what you want.

Emmanuel Augustus trained at a gym close to my house for a time. It was incredible to watch him shadow box. He was in a trance, drunken side stepping with head movement so vigorously for 6 straight rounds, like it was life and death. And that was just his warm up.

Shane Mosely came to the gym and sparred all the amateurs one by one about 6 rounds in total. He toyed with them and was mucking around not even punching but jabbing and moving his head in ways you cant really teach a fighter. He would be in strange inside positions but be totally impossible to hit cleanly.

Antonio Margarito , a fighter who consistently got nailed with every punch actually trained with lots of head movement drills https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=EF45brMDAAU 6.22 -7.00. But because he doesnt have any reflex or footspeed advantages in the ring he has little choice but to be a plodding brawler.

 

Excellent posts!

 

The 20's? Looks like a poor man's version of MMA from that time period. People who say it's not as good now as then are from another planet, IMO.

Has it declined since the 70's? Perhaps, but there still been fighters say from the 90's to now that would give ANY ATG from pre-1970 a run for their money or would actually beat them.

People say HW's are bigger for example, and that's true, but with someone like Wlad he had the power AND punch selection to rival and trouble EVERY HW of all time. Size is irrelevant in some regards.

 

I can see what you are saying. Boxing is in a slight lull period in certain divisions but we still have ultra talented fighters like Kovalev, GGG, Nicholas Walters, Ward etc. They have a lot of the skills you mentioned but dont use them as often as many old greats- that I can agree with.

The Olympian I sparred challenged for a world title vs Francisco Vargas in 2014.

 

Using the arms to deflect and block.

 

Fighter using their heads to get underneath, and move the opponent back, as control. Old timers did it more...Ezzard Charles, Roberto Duran, Henry Armstrong, Jake LaMotta, Ray Robinson (some)...
Andre Ward does this very well...and there's a youtube of GGG giving it practice.