Why don't today's heavyweights 'work' the body?

[yoz]

In the Wlad-Wach fight, for instance, Wladimir left himself wide open to body shots, but, for some reason, Wach went head-hunting all night. OK, I know the guy (Wach) is pretty limited and Wladimir has a great defence, but is this a problem in the heavyweight division as a whole? Are they all head-hunters?

Yes, the Klitschkos' are a step above the rest, but would today's HWs enjoy greater success if they 'went to the body'?


Just curious...

[onetwopunch]

Because the HW division is the less talented division in boxing.
- They dont have the foot work of the older great HW's
- They lack the technical skill that only comes from years of boxing.

[The Hammer]

Many of them do. Off the top of my head:

Price KOed Skelton with a body punch.

Pulev went to the body against Dimitrenko and Ustinov, and in his 4th pro fight, knocked Skelton out with a body punch.

Vitali hit Arreola with some nice body punches.

Glazkov got Hamer with some body punches.

Fury discouraged Johnson with some body shots.

Chagaev stopped several of his earlier opponents with body punches.

[Shameful]

inb4 some1 says "Ali 'never' went to the body"

[yoz]

Many of them do. Off the top of my head:

Price KOed Skelton with a body punch.

Pulev went to the body against Dimitrenko and Ustinov, and in his 4th pro fight, knocked Skelton out with a body punch.

Vitali hit Arreola with some nice body punches.

Glazkov got Hamer with some body punches.

Fury discouraged Johnson with some body shots.

Chagaev stopped several of his earlier opponents with body punches.

You're right to bring those up (Pulev esp.); but, on the face of it, there don't seem to be many 'all-round' fighters in the HW division.

Vitali doesn't readily employ body/inside work and Wladimir very rarely throws shots to the mid-section.

I think the last time I saw consistent body work in a HW fight, it was the Vitali-Chisora bout. I know the former is in decline, but Chisora did have some success.

[gingerbreadman]

That's true, only guys I can think of that work the body consistently are Fury and Pulev

[dan_cov]

A few do but why would a guy that is 6ft7 go to the body? No need to IMO

You go to the body, you're giving your height advantage away & risking getting drilled up top.

[VapeRippa]

At any weight one punch can end a fight, this is multiplied by 10 at heavy.

Leaving yourself exposed after body punching can result in getting ktfo right there, when you couple that with being a plodder, overweight and not possesing one hair of athleticism in your dna....thats a recipe for disaster. Just my opinion.

[jri9d0]

To be honest it's just not heavyweights anymore. Inside fighting altogether is almost a lost art.

[damuttz112]

Superheavyweights killed it, most modern day fighters have to turn into lard asses to compete. Ali did go to the body against Bugner & Lewis.