Ring Strategies

Boxers generally attempt to land short, fast combinations and then quickly shift position to avoid a possible response by their opponent. Strategically, the ring’s centre is generally the desired position since a boxer is able to conserve movement by forcing the opponent to circle around them. When in the centre, the boxer is also less likely to be knocked backwards against the ropes surrounding the ring and cornered. Depending on the boxer’s style, the centre is the desired location as cornering opponents is always a good strategy. Most fighters, though, will not move around the boxer in the centre because doing so makes them vulnerable to shots thrown at good angles. Movement is the most important tool in the ring and allows the fighter to avoid punches that were not telegraphed. If a boxer is standing still, his opponent has a better chance of hitting him. A fighter anticipating a shot while stationary is less likely to be able to evade the shot than a fighter already in motion.

Less common strategies

The “rope-a-dope” strategy

• Used by Muhammad Ali in his 1974 “Rumble in the Jungle” bout against George Foreman, the rope-a-dope method involves laying back on the ropes, covering up defensively as much as possible and allowing the opponent to land punches. Weathering the blows, the boxer lures the opponent into expending energy whilst conserving his/her own. If successful, the attacking opponent will eventually tire, creating defensive flaws which the boxer can exploit. In modern boxing, the rope-a-dope is generally discouraged since most opponents are not fooled by it and few boxers possess the physical toughness to withstand a prolonged, unanswered assault.

Bolo punch

• Occasionally seen in Olympic boxing, the bolo is an arm punch which owes its power to the shortening of a circular arc rather than to transference of body weight; it tends to have more of an effect due to the surprise of the odd angle it lands at rather than the actual power of the punch. This is more of a gimmick than a technical manoeuvre; this punch is not taught, being on the same plane in boxing technicality as is the Ali shuffle. Nevertheless, a few professional boxers have used the bolo-punch to great effect, including former welterweight champions Sugar Ray Leonard and Kid Gavilan.

Boxing Styles Terminology
In boxing, no two fighters’ styles are identical. A boxer’s style is evolved as he applies what he has been taught or picked up in practice, and performs it in such a way as to suit himself. Nonetheless, many terms are used which broadly describe a boxer’s style. Note that a boxer is not necessarily limited to being described by one of these terms. A fighter may be described as a boxer-puncher or may be skilled at both in-fighting and out-fighting, for example.

Out-fighter
Muhammad Ali
A classic “boxer” (also known as an “out-fighter”) seeks to maintain distance between himself and his opponent, fighting with faster, longer range punches, most notably the jab. Since they rely on weaker punches such as the jab, boxers tend to win by points decisions rather than by knockout, although some boxers (such as Lennox Lewis) have notable knockout records. Boxers attempt to control the fight by using their jab to keep their opponent at range, and using fast footwork to evade any opponent that closes in. They are often regarded as the best boxing strategists due to their ability to control the pace of the fight and lead their opponent, wearing him down gradually, and exhibiting more skill and finesse than a brawler.

Boxer-Puncher
A boxer-puncher is an out-fighter who has heavy fire power in their punches. They use the same hit-and-move tactics of an out-fighter, but instead of winning by decision, they tend to wear you down before scoring the knockout. For a fighter who uses this style to be effective, they need to have good footwork, good stamina and endurance, good jabs and/or leads, and good speed and power.

Brawler/Slugger
A brawler is a fighter who generally lacks finesse in the ring, but often makes up for it by volume of sheer punching power. Many brawlers tend to lack mobility in the ring and have difficulty pursuing fighters who are fast on their feet. They prefer a more stable stance from which they may throw the harder, slower punches (such as hooks and uppercuts) and tend to ignore combination punching. They may also have a tendency to load up on their punches more (to pull back the arm before throwing the punch so as to have a greater distance to gather momentum over before the punch’s impact). Their slowness and predictable punching patterns (single punches with obvious leads) often leaves them open for counterpunching.

In-fighter
In-fighters or swarmers stay close to an opponent, throwing intense flurries and combinations of hooks and uppercuts is a fighter who attempts to overwhelm his opponent by applying constant pressure. Swarmers tend to have a very good bob and weave, good power, a good chin, and a tremendous punch output (resulting in a great need for stamina and conditioning). Boxers who use the swarmer style tend to have shorter careers than boxers of other styles. Sustainining the adequate amount of training required to execute this style is nearly impossible throughout an entire career, so most swarmers can only maintain it for a relatively brief period of time. This inevitably leads to the gradual degradation of the sheer ability to perform the style, leaving him open to increasing amounts of punishment. This style favours closing inside an opponent, overwhelming them with intensity and flurries of hooks and uppercuts. They tend to be fast on their feet which can make them difficult to evade for a slower fighter. They also tend to have a good “chin” because this style usually involves being hit with many jabs before they can manoeuvre inside where they are more effective. Many swarmers are often either shorter fighters or fighters with shorter reaches, especially in the heavier classes, that have to get in close to be effective. Tommy Burns was the shortest Heavyweight champion at 5’7, while Rocky Marciano had the reach at 67-68 inches. However, heavyweight Jack Dempsey (a modern cruiserweight in size) at nearly 6’1 in. tall with a 77 in. reach was an exception to the rule. Famous swarmers include Henry Armstrong, Carmen Basilio, Nigel Benn, Melio Bettina, Tommy Burns, Joe Calzaghe, Julio Cesar Chavez, Steve Collins, Jack Dempsey, Joe Frazier, Gene Fullmer, Kid Gavilan, Harry Greb, Emile Griffith, Fighting Harada, Ricky Hatton, Jake LaMotta, Rocky Marciano, Battling Nelson, Mike Tyson, Bobo Olson, Manny Pacquiao, Floyd Patterson, Aaron Pryor, Tom Sharkey, David Tua, Mickey Walker, Micky Ward, and Jimmy Wilde.

Bob-and-Weave Fighter
Many short in-fighters utilise their stature to their advantage, employing a bob-and-weave defence by bending at the waist to slip underneath or to the sides of incoming punches. Unlike blocking, causing an opponent to miss a punch disrupts his balance, permits forward movement past the opponents extended arm and keeps the hands free to counter. Some bob-and-weave fighters have been known for being notoriously hard to hit, a well-known example being Mike Tyson early in his career. Another example is Joe Frazier.

Puncher
The term ‘puncher’ refers to a fighter with a powerful punch, but is not a true descriptor of boxing style. Punchers are capable of knocking out their opponents with few punches if given the opportunity to land them cleanly, and in some cases, scoring a KO with only a single blow. Notable punchers include Jack Dempsey, Mike Tyson, George Foreman, Joe Louis, Lennox Lewis, Marvelous Marvin Hagler, Thomas Hearns, John Mugabi, Julian Jackson, Felix Trinidad, Earnie Shavers, Rocky Marciano, Joe Frazier, Roy Jones Jr., Nigel Benn, Naseem Hamed, Diego Corrales, Jose Luis Castillo, Chris Eubank, Kelly Pavlik, Manny Pacquiao.

Counterpuncher – a sub‐category where a boxer decides to utilize techniques that require the opposing boxer to make a mistake, and then capitalizing on that mistake. A skilled counterpuncher can utilize such techniques as winning rounds with the jab or psychological tactics to entice an opponent to fall into an aggressive style that will exhaust him and leave him open for counterpunches. A good example of this is the Marquez/Mayweather fight wherein Mayweather was able to draw Marquez, a highly tactical and technical boxer, into making rudimentary mistakes. Lone jabs of the opposing fighter that miss are often met with swift jabs or quick combinations. For these reasons this form of boxing balances defense and offense but can lead to severe damage if the boxer who utilizes this technique has bad reflexes or isn’t quick enough. While swarmers do sometimes counterpunch, it normally doesn’t fit in with their more aggressive crowding tactics. Notable counterpuncher’s are Andre Berto, Timothy Bradley, Adrien Broner, Charley Burley, Floyd Mayweather, Bernard Hopkins, Vitali Klitschko, Juan Manuel Márquez, Archie Moore, Jerry Quarry, Salvador Sanchez, Max Schmeling, Dick Tiger, and James Toney.

Southpaw

Southpaw – a boxer that fights at a left‐handed fighting stance as opposed to an orthodox fighter who fights right‐handed. Orthodox fighters lead and jab from their left side, and southpaw fighters will jab and lead from their right side. Orthodox fighters also hook more with their left and cross more with their right, and vice versa for southpaw fighters. Some naturally right-handed fighters (such as Marvin Hagler and Michael Moorer) have converted to southpaw in the past to offset their opponents. In the Rocky (film series), Rocky Balboa and Clubber Lang are southpaws, as well as Mason Dixon who is played by actual light‐heavyweight southpaw Antonio Tarver. Famous southpaws include Melio Bettina, Ruslan Chagaev, Tiger Flowers, Marvin Hagler, Naseem Hamed, Zab Judah, Michael Moorer, Manny Pacquiao, Antonio Tarver,Pernell Whitaker, and Winky Wright.