The Boxing Art of Defense

[KlownvonnomaD]

Personally I think the same arguement could apply for nearly every sport.

I think causal fans like to see Goals, KO's, Touchdowns whatever (and obviously so do the die hard fans)
But true fans of the sport will appreciate the skill, tactics and discipline that go in to closing down a team/oppontent.

I've always been a fan of good tactics and turing someones strengths against them regardless of the sport.
But at the end of the day its each to their own.

[Pac-KO]

well the first rule in boxing is defend yourself at all times.
i like the art of defence, although pac is my favourite, i enjoy his exciting fighting style.
i enjoy watchin old fights of pernell whittaker who was exciting in his own right. floyd is good to watch for his technical skills. he was even more exciting as a lightweight when his attacking skills were also supreme

[Pacquiao'd]

In boxing the guy who is hit less over the course of 12 rounds usually wins.

Defensive IMO is the most important part of boxing. If i were a boxer I would be a defensive minded fighter. You prolong your career and make things easier on yourself in the ring.

chuuuuuuch

[Steak]

In boxing the guy who is hit less over the course of 12 rounds usually wins.

Defensive IMO is the most important part of boxing. If i were a boxer I would be a defensive minded fighter. You prolong your career and make things easier on yourself in the ring.

not necessarily. A few of the greatest defensive fighters of all time have ended up in bad shape at the end of their career. Benitez in particular had a VERY short career(although you could also argue that was because of lifestyle).

There are two things you need to consider:
1. When you are a defensive fighter, you almost never expect yourself to get hit, so you dont tense up to brace for the shot, so your head gets popped around and jiggles around your brain-thats more lasting damage. You dont get hit often, but when you do, it hurts.
2. Sometime it can be really beneficial to just knock someone out early. its better to get hit a lot for 4 or 5 rounds than to get hit a moderate amount for 12 rounds.

If you actually look at the guys with the longest careers, most of them werent really defensive masters. well, sure they had their fair sure of defensive skill, but I dont think you could say their entire style was centered around fighting defensively.

...that being said, even the most offensive of fighters rely heavily on defense. its not just about protecting yourself, defensive skills help supplement your offense and in general define your entire style.

[Walterson]

not necessarily. A few of the greatest defensive fighters of all time have ended up in bad shape at the end of their career. Benitez in particular had a VERY short career(although you could also argue that was because of lifestyle).

There are two things you need to consider:
1. When you are a defensive fighter, you almost never expect yourself to get hit, so you dont tense up to brace for the shot, so your head gets popped around and jiggles around your brain-thats more lasting damage. You dont get hit often, but when you do, it hurts.
2. Sometime it can be really beneficial to just knock someone out early. its better to get hit a lot for 4 or 5 rounds than to get hit a moderate amount for 12 rounds.

If you actually look at the guys with the longest careers, most of them werent really defensive masters. well, sure they had their fair sure of defensive skill, but I dont think you could say their entire style was centered around fighting defensively.

...that being said, even the most offensive of fighters rely heavily on defense. its not just about protecting yourself, defensive skills help supplement your offense and in general define your entire style.

Bernard Hopkins

[Steak]

Bernard Hopkins

He didnt spend most his career as a defensive minded fighter.

although hes a fair exception.

[Too_Slick]

In boxing the guy who is hit less over the course of 12 rounds usually wins.

Defensive IMO is the most important part of boxing. If i were a boxer I would be a defensive minded fighter. You prolong your career and make things easier on yourself in the ring.

This exactly.

[brick wall]

So what is your opinion on defense, and how important is it to you?

there are only 2 facets in a fighter's arsenal...offense and defense which are of equal importance imo. too much defense favors the fighter because it prolongs his career and protects his body but it bores the fans. too much offense is riskier to the fighter but brings excitement to the fans. I'm a fan not a fighter so i prefer fighters who bring exciting fights. it's a man's sport, and if you look at history this sport was invented purely to entertain people. of course it has evolved to what it is in modern times but the aspect of entertainment is still the main focus. it's no secret why people in fight venues suddenly erupt in wild cheers the moment somebody gets knockout or the fighters engage in toe to toe exchanges. whereas if they decide to be defensive, they get booed on a lot of occassions. it is what it is...if i want to see good poise, good balance, agility or the science of good movement i'd rather watch ballet or dancesport maybe.

[Main Source]

People say Mayweather fights are boring, i actually find them very entertaining to watch. He defines the sweet science

True. Couldn't agree more.

Hopkins and Toney is what I call "art" in this specific sport.

[Emphasis]

From gathering everyone's perspective on this topic, It seems most everyone agrees that defense is extremely important in Boxing.

What it comes down to from reading everyone's post, is how the fighter chooses to utilize their defense in correspondence to their other attributes.

How a fighter integrates defense in their skill-set makes them unique and I can agree with that.