Why are backhands illegal?

[Darcyforsythe]

Because its a slap not a punch

[shadeyfizzle]

You kind of just answered it right there. Back hands are seen as unsportsman like.

Queensbury rules changed the way the sport was practiced and it was made to be seem more as a gentleman's sport.

I wonder why its unsportsmanlike. Me and a buddy were playing around with backhands at the gym the other day and it adds a whole new level of strategy. Shots that you would counter suddenly reduce you to covering up because it would come right back

[Chups]

Floyd calls backhands "Josies"

LOL! That's hilarious.

[Spray_resistant]

IDK, no reason why they should be but they are those are the rules for whatever reason.

[SplitSecond]

why? would you like to see fighters using that?

[Rico1965]

Reserved for Pimps to keep their ho's in check.

[BostonGuy]

Muhammad Ali used to throw the jab out and sometimes keep it extended into his opponent's face; while the jab was extended he would backhand or "swat" his opponent. It's actually kind of funny to watch Ali do it and it was more a nusance than to inflict damage...

[shadeyfizzle]

why? would you like to see fighters using that?

I think it would add an entirely new dimension to the game to be honest. There's so much you can do with it.

Imagine speedy guys with long reach flicking backhands like jabs with slightly more power.

Power punchers being able to protect themselves from being countered when they overreach with the right bomb.

Being able to counter inside fighters from all sorts of weird angles you normally would never be able to.

So many practical uses im just wondering why its never been implementrd

[Doctor_Tenma]

Foreman too, he'd slapped guys than push em.

[edgarg]

Anyone know???

I believe that it is because many years ago, an old time fighter (used to know his name but cand now recall) unexpectedly KO'd his opponent using what he called "the pivot punch" which was done by extending his arm and spinning around suddenly, rather like they do in MMA.

It was so surprising that it was considered unsporting and against the rules of boxing which were to hit the opponent with that part of the CLOSED FIST involving the KNUCKLES. It was specifically made illegal.

I am not certain that there is much less padding on the back than the knuckle part of a glove, but even if there is, a knuckle blow is much more powerful than a backhanded blow.

If you recall, pre mandatory glove fights were known as "bare knuckle fights".