James Toney in his prime was my favorite fighter to study. He was slick and displayed old school defensive skills. Fuck moving straight back. That’s a cardinal sin in boxing. Angles are a lost art. Turning a fighter doesn’t allow them to set and punch. When you cut angles you create openings to counter and punch your opponent. Tying up and grappling with a fighter zaps strength. Moving straight back still allows them to seem like the aggressor.
In the amateurs there is no time for such defense unless you are hurt by a punch. Referees disqualify for excessive holding. Holding allows a ref to get to involved in the fight and nobody wants that.
Cutting angles allows you to control your opponent and hit them at will. Boxing in a tight circle doesn’t drain you like running around the ring would. If you are gonna stand in front of your opponent roll and ride with the punches. Roll and fire right back. Rolling doesn’t consume a lot of energy either. This is boxing defined. To hit and not be hit, to evade a punch yet be in position to counter and land a punch. Tying can zap energy. Box smart. Learn how to box in a tight circle and roll with punches. You can own center ring doing this controlling your opponent if they are indeed pressing you. Boxing isn’t running around the ring like it’s a track. It’s not holding to smother a fighter’s punches. That is a tactic.
I loved how James would step around Iran Barkley when they fought and rip into him. A true art. Now watch and learn what angles and rolling can do for you.
You don’t see 9-0 World Champions too often and you also don’t see many 2 time (should have been 3X) Olympic Gold medalist either. Guillermo Rigondeaux is just that fighter though. He demolished Rico Ramos last Friday night ripping the WBA superbantamweight title from Ramos with that impressive win.
Rigondeaux may be a stinker lulling people to sleep when he fights but the dude is damn good. He’s a fucking machine and he displayed impressive punching power in this fight. His quickness, movement, smarts, speed, along with his vast amateur experience make him an advanced world champion with only nine fights. Keep in mind Guillermo is 31.
He could improve on stopping and setting down on his punches more instead of being overly tentative at times. He has been slowly growing as a pro and it’s hard to transition from the amateurs to the pros when a fighter has over 300 fights like Guillermo does.
He does have a great trainer in Ronnie Shields. Ronnie has been working on getting Guillermo to open up more instead of picking and moving. He opened up in the 6th round knocking Ramos out. That fast accurate deadly power along with his savvy skill makes Guillermo an intriguing match up for several top fighters.
One such fighter he called out is no other than Nonito Donaire. THAT would be a great fight as Nonito is moving up. Nonito is a beast but how would he handled Guillermo’s ring savvy, speed, and skill? Guillermo seems to have what it takes to neutralize Donaire’s strengths. This fight should happen and should happen sooner than later.
We will see just how good the 2x Olympic Gold medalist and WBA super bantamweight champion is. One things for sure. Against Donaire, I highly doubt there will be a dull moment in that fight!
Here’s a great European vs American fight style q/a I pulled off of the boxingperformance.com forum. Wise and talented UK boxing trainer John Houston breaks both fight styles down and discusses the pros and cons.
John Houston in the US you always hear trainers talk about the classic European _style_, when an American fights over seas. What is the biggest difference between the two, what makes up the European _style_ and what _style_ do you feel is better when matched up with one another? I know skill prevails with both _style_s but I’m curious to know advantages of one over another. Thanks, Stephen
Stephen, I think the differences in _style_ between American and European boxers are diminishing, a consequence of communication and ideas being easier to disseminate these days.
I suppose the old definition would have been that European boxers box from a more stand up straight position with a tight closed guard, while American boxers employ more fluid waist movement, often with hands held lower. The other difference from these respective stances is the punches thrown. From the straight up; close-guard more straight punches flow, while the American _style_ can favor hooks.
Historically it has to be said, the American _style_ seems to have prevailed when they are matched up. As you say, skills prevail, but all things being equal the American _style_ seems to have come out on top more often, at least in professional boxing. This is really borne out by the fact that the differences between the _style_s are diminishing mainly due to the European adoption of American _style_s. I remember being taught a “British” jab (thrown with the thumb facing up) and an American Jab (palm down) by an old trainer when I started boxing. Now it is only the palm down jab taught as routine. The hook over in the UK is in a transition period, with a lot of amateur trainers still teaching it as thrown with the palm facing down, while most pro’s over here, and an increasing number of amateurs throw it in the American _style_ of thumb facing up.
The growing amalgamation of the _style_s can be seen in the variety of _style_s Europe now exports. Our own Ricky Hatton has taken to calling himself The Manchester Mexican, to reflect his aggressive, pressure fighting _style_. I think the trend will continue as trainers are able to watch different _style_s and swap ideas more freely.
Muhammad Ali turned 70 years young today. Happy birthday champ!
I have Ali as the #1 best heavyweight champion that has lived thus far. Here’s my reason why.
Ali fought in the golden era of the heavyweight division. Fighting everyone from Archie Moore,Sonny Liston, Floyd Patterson, Joe Frazier, Ken Norton, George Foreman, Ron Lyle, Ernie Shavers, Leon Spinks, Ali fought them all.
Ali’s true greatness may never be truly defined since he was robbed of 2.5 years of his career due to not fighting in Vietnam. Ali was the first 3 time Heavyweight Champion.
Ali’s speed, movement, toughness, ring smarts, mouth, and self belief were what made him special. More so though the many top fighters he fought and dominated.
His reflexes were beyond quick. He would often make fighters angry by fighting in the pocket and then dance away out of danger before they could get off. His ring generalship is legendary. Muhammad Ali was known to admire and idolize Sugar Ray Robinson and calling him “The King” ” The Master” “His Idol” Ali often looked like a heavyweight version of Sugar Ray Robinson with the way he fought. Just like his idol, nobody did it like Ali.
Bryant Jennings used a fine mix of looping head shots and effective counters to win a 10-round unanimous decision against Maurice Byarm in a heavyweight bout on Saturday night. Jennings remained undefeated at 12-0 with five KOs, while Byarm, whose father, Lionel, was Evander Holyfield's first pro opponent, lost for the first time, falling to 13-1-1. […]
Bernard Hopkins never believed in three-headed cows until he saw the two-headed calf. It's a freak of nature, and when Hopkins looked eye-to-eye, and, well, eye-to-eye again, at the mounted head, it made him contemplate what other kind of absurd animal roamed in the wild. Why couldn't a cow with three heads be alive and mooing? […]
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