boxing = hand combat...why is back hand, slapping, hammer punches illegal?..

[toshmurph]

is there an official rule that states slapping, back hand or hammer punching is illegal? cause calzaghe slapped his entire career and it was never an issue with the refs.

You're an idiot... I take it the entire point of your post was to come out with that comment on Calzaghe!?

[Robbie Barrett]

Because that's what the rules say. Maybe they felt it was degrading because people used to give the wife a backhand back in the day.

[Makunouchi]

Personally I don't see the backhand as being effective, the hammerfist is only going to be used from a mounted position like in MMA. Both bear significant chance of injuring your hand.
That said I don't think the back hand should be illegal because I don't see any extra risk to your opponent and alot of guys hit with backhands by mistake when throwing unorthodox jabs. It wouldn't change the game because its a useless strike and it would cut down on unneeded penalty calls. Hearns is a good example, that flicker jab had to hit a couple of people with the back hand every now and then but it was probably too fast for the ref to tell.

[bklynboy]

Personally I don't see the backhand as being effective, the hammerfist is only going to be used from a mounted position like in MMA. Both bear significant chance of injuring your hand.
That said I don't think the back hand should be illegal because I don't see any extra risk to your opponent and alot of guys hit with backhands by mistake when throwing unorthodox jabs. It wouldn't change the game because its a useless strike and it would cut down on unneeded penalty calls. Hearns is a good example, that flicker jab had to hit a couple of people with the back hand every now and then but it was probably too fast for the ref to tell.

And if the backhand was legal then forearm smashes and elbows would harder to call. Miss with a right - now backhand your opponent's head (oops ... was that my forearm? ... my bad).

In boxing you strike and remove your arm/glove; there is no grabbing (hear that Klitschko), pawing, holding, forearm hits, elbows, etc...

[Beercules]

Just when I thought someone couldn't possibly be more ******ed, boom

[themachine140]

Even if you could hammer fisting is only effective if your mounting your opponent, backhanding is only effective if you spin. In boxing you must stay on your feet and you must face your opponent at all times.

Oh contrare, hammer fists are an effective hit, in a fight for you life you can use it to hit the sides near kidneys, if your in a grapple to break knees, to the collar bone, to the ears, and deadly move is to the side of the neck on the corradid artery IT WILL KILL! Those moves can be used in a street or fight for your life all from an upright stance

Sourcess: my dad 16 year marine vet, going on 8 years in the af that he learned in Marine Corps mma, oohrah

[Sugar Adam Ali]

I think any form of punch, either backhand or hammer should be legal..

Open gloves shouldn't be allowed..

Does anyone remember Samuel Peter getting frustrated by toney and throwing an "ear clap" punch with both hands at James.. The ref warned him and I'm like wtf, that should be legal IMO

[RAV3N]

I think any form of punch, either backhand or hammer should be legal..

Open gloves shouldn't be allowed..

Does anyone remember Samuel Peter getting frustrated by toney and throwing an "ear clap" punch with both hands at James.. The ref warned him and I'm like wtf, that should be legal IMO

Pac did a similar thing to Clottey and was also warned.

[Sugar Adam Ali]

Pac did a similar thing to Clottey and was also warned.

Yeah I remember that... I think that punch should be legal.. It's boxing, I don't see what the big deal about that punch is

[strykr619]

Boxing does not mean 'hand combat', boxing means boxing. And within the rules of boxing, there are set definitions of what constitutes a legal punch. A strike with an open glove, the back of the hand, or the side of the hand is not regarded as legal.

The key point is that boxing is a sport and not unrestricted 'hand combat' as you suggest. And in any sport, the rules are constructed in a manner that places emphasis on what people regard as the primary skills of the sport. Letting people do stuff that undermines the value of those skills in a contest only undermines the sport as a whole.

Queensbury nonsense from the 19th century.