Is blocking punches an underrated defensive maneuver in recent times?

Well, I disagree there tbh. Mayweather, for example, often switches to a high guard stance, and his rear hand very rarely drops below his chin. This is one of, if not the, greatest defensivet fighters of all time, and he seems to understand the benefits of both. One isnt better than the other, its just different. Different pros, different cons. Dempsey doesn't say that you shouldn't block punches. He just puts the skill lower in the rankings than the deflections and the evasive movements. Based on my own experiences and my current understanding of boxing as a science I think he was spot on.

The gloves are bigger but his main point still holds. It's better to defend in such a way that both of your hands remain free to punch back. Well, I disagree there tbh. Mayweather, for example, often switches to a high guard stance, and his rear hand very rarely drops below his chin. This is one of, if not the, greatest defensive fighters of all time, and he seems to understand the benefits of both. One isnt better than the other, its just different. Different pros, different cons.

You cant translate Dempsey's style exactly to today because the gloves are so different. You can defend half your face just by sticking your glove to your chin now where in his day that would have been largely pointless. The gloves are bigger but his main point still holds. It's better to defend in such a way that both of your hands remain free to punch back.

I'll go with Jack Dempsey's boxing knowledge each and every time. You cant translate Dempsey's style exactly to today because the gloves are so different. You can defend half your face just by sticking your glove to your chin now where in his day that would have been largely pointless.

Boxing fans underrate efficient boxing styles in general not just defence. Look at how people were rating Errol Spence's footwork the other day on here. He has excellent footwork, always in position to land shots, not wasting movement and energy flying around the ring like a novice.

Not always true! Evasion can lead to a boxer sometimes being off balance and out of position. leaving them vulnerable to getting countered. Even boxers that have good evasive movements can easily be forced out of position from a feint or probes. For me, it's best to evade punches when I've perfectly timed my opponent's punches and figured out their rhythm. Until then, I prefer blocking and using distance control. I'll go with Jack Dempsey's boxing knowledge each and every time.

Winky Wrighs high guard is a great example of what you're saying and a lot more effective due to being able to counter after blocking I agree with that completely. I think Winky's losses to Vargas, Vasquez and Simon could easily have gone his way if not for judges apparently viewing many of the punches that bounced off his guard as scoring punches.

It depends, there's a big difference from a bog standard high guard which someone like Artur Abraham utilises and someone like Winky Wright or Gassiev does. Gassiev doesn't just stand there with his hand up, he also blocks with elbows and shoulder, parries shots off his gloves, deflects blows to create opportunities to counter and also uses some head and upper body movement. Joshua does the same it's basically catching and countering. High guard works very well against guys who throw straight punches as the defensive fighters gloves are in the way, which is why Dorticos struggled to land vs Gassiev. But Gassiev threw uppercuts and hooks to get around Dorticous' high guard, that fight was a great example of what shots work against a high guard and also the difference between a basic high guard and the catch and counter high guard. So yes it can be underrated if you don't know the difference. But having said that the best defensive fighters use more head and upper body movement to slip shots and the use their guard to block, deflect and parry shots. Watch the Hopkins/Wright fight to see how the high guard fails against the slip and slide style of Hopkins. Hopkins did a great job of breaking through and around Winky's high guard. Great example to pick. Meanwhile Trinidad struggled to land a single clean punch on Winky. I remember Hopkins had a very sneaky moment where he threw a right and left hook around the guard which drew Winky's guard slightly wider, then Hopkins used that opening to land a sneaky, clean uppercut up the centre.

Your hands should always be up in position to block incoming punches from the start. Blocking is definitely effective and I think underrated. The reason it's underrated is because it doesn't look at good. At the same time, you can't just solely rely on just covering up. Eventually, the opponent is going to punch threw that guard. You'll have to reset eventually. Utilizing many defensive moves is the most effective. Blocking or catching, parrying, evasive footwork, slipping punches, bobbing and weaving. Blocking is the most efficient as far as stamina management is concerned. The biggest problem with blocking is doesn't set up counters as well as other defensive moves.

Erislandy Lara has faced many hard hitting 154 punchers. I specifically wrote that Lara is shorter than a lot of his competition and strikes upward, similar to the way Rigo pot shots upward busting through guards. Doritos is tall, that was against him, and he has to throw downward towards the guard. That's where all the glove cushion protects the fighters guard, whereas the shorter guys can sneak their shots between the palms and wrists of the high guard and landing on the nose and mouth. There were times where Doritos landed through Gassiev's guard. Doritos has a nice KO ratio because there isn't a formidable style against a Cuban at Cruiser. The Doritos bout last night was great. Gassiev looked great Dorticos height and lenght help him to have power. His power come from that leverage, he has the same reach as AJ.

If Doritos had the physique of Lara or Sullivan Barrera they would have broken through Gassiev’s guard. Doritos height played against him. When Doritos throws his right his arm is going downward. Lara, being shorter and more athletic, pops his right upward that sneaks between the palms of the gloves, so breaking high guards is easier. A full sized big Middleweight Erislandy Lara would retire Arthur Abraham even in his prime. I had to read this a few times to understand that you're actually saying Lara would have an easy time breaking through Gassiev's defense. Not a Dorticos who fights like Lara, but an actual fighter with Lara's height and physique?... lol...

Yeah the guys who go gaga over excessive bobbing and weaving when it isn't necessary seem to consider themselves the opposite of guys who like brawlers who throw looping hooks, but it's basically the same thing. If someone doesn't really know what's going on they'll figure the guy who did the most exaggerated movements must've won.

As soon as I saw the title of the thread, I knew this had to be about GGG's EXTREMELY slick defense. He never gets any credit for blocking with his forehead. The Ouma fight is a perfect example. PERFECT defensive performance from GGG. I had Murat Gassiev more in my mind than Golovkin due to his recent performance against Yunier Dorticos where he showed tremendous defense through blocking and deflecting punches.

Parrying truly is a lost art in this day & age but at the elite level I can understand y. For 1 unless it's a complete mismatch parrying isn't easy. As for blocking of course Logically it's better to take 1 on the arm than the chin but getting punched in the arms hurt. Lots of fighters have broken their hands getting punched in their hands. Also incompetent judges may see or count it as landed punches.

It's better to see a guy block than to catch punches with his face. However, Jack Dempsey in his book "Championship Fighting" talked about the hierarchy of defense. And blocking was the least preferable defensive technique. Deflecting/parrying was considered superior. While evasion (slipping, bobbing, footwork, pulling away) was the king and most preferable...because it left both hands free to counterpunch. There are levels to this boxing game. Not always true! Evasion can lead to a boxer sometimes being off balance and out of position. leaving them vulnerable to getting countered. Even boxers that have good evasive movements can easily be forced out of position from a feint or probes. For me, it's best to evade punches when I've perfectly timed my opponent's punches and figured out their rhythm. Until then, I prefer blocking and using distance control.

Making them miss is more impressive than blocking it's not even an argument. You still take damage blocking punches, making them miss also takes far more out of the oppoonent.. Yes, but there is a time and a place for everything though and trying to TOTALLY evade every punch with head or body movement is extremely disadvantageous. It can drain one's stamina, it can make their movements predictable, it can force one to be out of position and be vulnerable to getting countered and so forth so on. Sometimes, it's much better to block than to make opponent miss every punch. Evading punches as a counter puncher to counter punch an opponent can be viable. However, an aggressive minded boxer who focuses more on offense and more on hurting / damaging his opponents doesn't need to evade too many punches because their objective isn't to totally not get hit. But rather, to minimize the damage they take whilst maximizing damage they inflict upon their opponent.

It depends, there's a big difference from a bog standard high guard which someone like Artur Abraham utilises and someone like Winky Wright or Gassiev does. Gassiev doesn't just stand there with his hand up, he also blocks with elbows and shoulder, parries shots off his gloves, deflects blows to create opportunities to counter and also uses some head and upper body movement. Joshua does the same it's basically catching and countering. High guard works very well against guys who throw straight punches as the defensive fighters gloves are in the way, which is why Dorticos struggled to land vs Gassiev. But Gassiev threw uppercuts and hooks to get around Dorticous' high guard, that fight was a great example of what shots work against a high guard and also the difference between a basic high guard and the catch and counter high guard. So yes it can be underrated if you don't know the difference. But having said that the best defensive fighters use more head and upper body movement to slip shots and the use their guard to block, deflect and parry shots. Watch the Hopkins/Wright fight to see how the high guard fails against the slip and slide style of Hopkins.

A very valid point. Definitely under appreciated.

Charlo blocking a 1,2 combo ( same hand)then countering with a Check hook ( same hand)was the most beautiful thing I’ve ever seen. Very beautiful

It's better to see a guy block than to catch punches with his face. However, Jack Dempsey in his book "Championship Fighting" talked about the hierarchy of defense. And blocking was the least preferable defensive technique. Deflecting/parrying was considered superior. While evasion (slipping, bobbing, footwork, pulling away) was the king and most preferable...because it left both hands free to counterpunch. There are levels to this boxing game.