Boxing's Lost Arts?

[Slugfester]

I think open glove parrying is something I seldom if ever see today. I believe this only results from an equipment change--glove size--rendering the technique somewhat obsolete. What are boxing's lost arts, and maybe why. I assume there are nearly lost arts as well. I will take either.

[Willie Pep 229]

The experienced boxers would best answer this question.

DIGRESSION: Anyone know if JAB is doing is OK? Is he preparing for a fight or is he posting on other forums?

Do fighters today know how to roll a punch like Duran?

I never actually understood the 'corkscrew punch,' but they say it was designed to tear the flesh open. But I haven't heard a commentator use the phrase (as best I can remember.)

Does anyone 'fight off the ropes' as Quarry used to do? I still remember the bizarre Quarry-Ellis WBA Championship go, with Quarry wanting to lay on the ropes for leverage and Ellis taunting and waving him back to ring center.

Switch Hiiters are rare today.

You seldom see fighters willing to trade hooks today. I suspect most trainers today preach against it, but boy it could be exciting when two fighters would try to impose their will on eachother.

Body punching.

The Fitzsimmons Shift.

As pointed out above, you can't thumb anyone anymore. Which is a good thing.

Using measured Low Blows as a tactic, e.g. Dempsey, to test an opponent's resolve. Or maybe Taylor's belt line punches to throw off Chavez's timing.

Does anyone clown as a tactic anymore, e.g. Baer, Rosenbloom, Whitaker? It could be effective in an odd way.

Does anyone fight like Greb anymore? The Human Windmill (so we are told) or has the game in fact actually evolved, making such a style obsolete?

Um? ? Need to think. I'm sure there are more.

[Ivich]

The experienced boxers would best answer this question.

DIGRESSION: Anyone know if JAB is doing is OK? Is he preparing for a fight or is he posting on other forums?

Do fighters today know how to roll a punch like Duran?

I never actually understood the 'corkscrew punch,' but they say it was designed to tear the flesh open. But I haven't heard a commentator use the phrase (as best I can remember.)

Does anyone 'fight off the ropes' as Quarry used to do? I still remember the bizarre Quarry-Ellis WBA Championship go, with Quarry wanting to lay on the ropes for leverage and Ellis taunting and waving him back to ring center.

Switch Hiiters are rare today.

You seldom see fighters willing to trade hooks today. I suspect most trainers today preach against it, but boy it could be exciting when two fighters would try to impose their will on eachother.

Body punching.

The Fitzsimmons Shift.

As pointed out above, you can't thumb anyone anymore. Which is a good thing.

Using measured Low Blows as a tactic, e.g. Dempsey, to test an opponent's resolve. Or maybe Taylor's belt line punches to throw off Chavez's timing.

Does anyone clown as a tactic anymore, e.g. Baer, Rosenbloom, Whitaker? It could be effective in an odd way.

Does anyone fight like Greb anymore? The Human Windmill (so we are told) or has the game in fact actually evolved, making such a style obsolete?

Um? ? Need to think. I'm sure there are more.

Duran would employ something similar to the Fitzsimmons Shift on occasion.
I don't see much slipping of punches now,many seem to rely on a high gloves stance to avoid punches,with little head movement.Hooking off the jab is also not so widely practised today imo.

[GhostofDempsey]

Not many fighters throw a hook off the jab today. Not enough double-triple up on the jab while moving their opponent backwards towards the ropes. I'm still baffled to see fighters who don't know how to properly cut off the ring.

[Slugfester]

The experienced boxers would best answer this question.

DIGRESSION: Anyone know if JAB is doing is OK? Is he preparing for a fight or is he posting on other forums?

Do fighters today know how to roll a punch like Duran?

I never actually understood the 'corkscrew punch,' but they say it was designed to tear the flesh open. But I haven't heard a commentator use the phrase (as best I can remember.)

Does anyone 'fight off the ropes' as Quarry used to do? I still remember the bizarre Quarry-Ellis WBA Championship go, with Quarry wanting to lay on the ropes for leverage and Ellis taunting and waving him back to ring center.

Switch Hiiters are rare today.

You seldom see fighters willing to trade hooks today. I suspect most trainers today preach against it, but boy it could be exciting when two fighters would try to impose their will on eachother.

Body punching.

The Fitzsimmons Shift.

As pointed out above, you can't thumb anyone anymore. Which is a good thing.

Using measured Low Blows as a tactic, e.g. Dempsey, to test an opponent's resolve. Or maybe Taylor's belt line punches to throw off Chavez's timing.

Does anyone clown as a tactic anymore, e.g. Baer, Rosenbloom, Whitaker? It could be effective in an odd way.

Does anyone fight like Greb anymore? The Human Windmill (so we are told) or has the game in fact actually evolved, making such a style obsolete?

Um? ? Need to think. I'm sure there are more.

Much of what you mention are not actual techniques. Deciding to throw intentional borderline blows (if it even happened) is a decision not a technique or a so called lost art. Another ditty is that switch hitters were always rare. As you yourself note, clowning is a tactic not a technique. I don't consider it a boxing art. At rodeo bull riding events and circuses clowning is an art, not a tactic.

The rest is good to go. You are right, I know there are more extinct boxing techniques. or on the endangered species list.

The open-glove-parrying-of-a-punch technique I started the thread with, also acted as a feint or distraction when the right hand is suddenly put out of position with the motion. Old era fighters would go into this when there was no punch to block.

[Willie Pep 229]

Much of what you mention are not actual techniques. Deciding to throw intentional borderline blows (if it even happened) is a decision not a technique or a so called lost art. Another ditty is that switch hitters were always rare. As you yourself note, clowning is a tactic not a technique. I don't consider it a boxing art. At rodeo bull riding events and circuses clowning is an art, not a tactic.

The rest is good to go. You are right, I know there are more extinct boxing techniques. or on the endangered species list.

The open-glove-parrying-of-a-punch technique I started the thread with, also acted as a feint or distraction when the right hand is suddenly put out of position with the motion. Old era fighters would go into this when there was no punch to block.

OK but that's because boxing is an art. Boxing is a martial art. So I understand why you don't see these tactics as an art. They don't equate to that martial art of boxing.

But prize fighting is an art unto itself, and these tactics, (one of which happens to be the martial art of boxing,) have been employed by master fighters since its conception.

If you accept hitting with an open glove an art and not a tactic, why then do you consider the other tactics not part of the art?

Certainly no one considers hitting with a open glove a part of proper boxing.

Anyway, it is an interesting question to return too as new thoughts arise.

________________

It was Lou Duva who bragged to Jim Lampley that he taught Meldrick Taylor how to throw off Chavez's timing by hitting him on the kidney belt as he came in.

Watch the fight with that in mind and you will see two things, that Taylor did it all night long, and that it worked. But yes, a tactic, not an art. I guess!

[Dr. Z]

The experienced boxers would best answer this question.

DIGRESSION: Anyone know if JAB is doing is OK? Is he preparing for a fight or is he posting on other forums?

Do fighters today know how to roll a punch like Duran?

I never actually understood the 'corkscrew punch,' but they say it was designed to tear the flesh open. But I haven't heard a commentator use the phrase (as best I can remember.)

Does anyone 'fight off the ropes' as Quarry used to do? I still remember the bizarre Quarry-Ellis WBA Championship go, with Quarry wanting to lay on the ropes for leverage and Ellis taunting and waving him back to ring center.

Switch Hiiters are rare today.

You seldom see fighters willing to trade hooks today. I suspect most trainers today preach against it, but boy it could be exciting when two fighters would try to impose their will on eachother.

Body punching.

The Fitzsimmons Shift.

As pointed out above, you can't thumb anyone anymore. Which is a good thing.

Using measured Low Blows as a tactic, e.g. Dempsey, to test an opponent's resolve. Or maybe Taylor's belt line punches to throw off Chavez's timing.

Does anyone clown as a tactic anymore, e.g. Baer, Rosenbloom, Whitaker? It could be effective in an odd way.

Does anyone fight like Greb anymore? The Human Windmill (so we are told) or has the game in fact actually evolved, making such a style obsolete?

Um? ? Need to think. I'm sure there are more.

NO to thumbs, low blows. Who can afford to clown for now? Greb had near super human stamina , that is why few if any can fight like him. And the man was fast with his hands and feet.

[BKM-]

The old grappling techniques Foreman used in the 70s, and was even allowed to use in the 90s. Today most refs would probably tell you no pushing, no grabbing etc.

[kara]

A manager not being able to match two of his fighters against each other due to conflict of interest. Now it happens all the time.

[them_apples]

Thumbs are attached now so you can’t. They are also usually foam filmed and don’t open and close that easy. If you snipped the thumb attachment on a reyes glove it would be similar. They also used to roll the gloves up before fights to limber them up.

open hand defense, and I forget the name - but defending yourself by grabbing the shoulders of your oponent with arms straight out and deflecting shots with your arms and ducking your head behind your arms was a clever old school defense technique. Extremely badass as well