Generally, COMBINATIONS of punches are MEMORIZED or SPONTANEOUS?

[Bald Shavers]

Sugar Ray Robinson's combinations were spontaneous. Eveyone else's was programmed muscle memory.

There was no pattern in Ray's combos.

Jab...left uppercut to the body...left hook to the head (executed in less than one second resulting in a knock down)

left hook to the body....left uppercut to the body...left hook to the head...right cross to the body...right cross to the head...(early against Fullmer)

jab to the head...jab to the body....jab to the head....straight to the head (against Charlie Fusari - this combo ended in a knock down)

Naturally, Ray also had basic combos like jab....right cross...left hook, etc.

[boliodogs]

As a former army amateur boxer I voted memorized. When I found a combination that worked for me I practiced that combination thousands of times. Then in a fight if I saw an opening for one of my favorite combinations the punches would naturally come without thinking about it.

[LoadedWraps]

This is a question that I have always had.

Which boxers have premeditated combinations of punches and which ones have spontaneous ones? (Examples)

Thanks in advance.

It's both if you train correctly. Muscle memory comes first when you learn how to box because repetition creates muscle memory and muscle memory is important for fundamentals but if you can't mix it up with your repertoire and you can't change speeds, intelligent fighters who can take advantage of that, will.

I can throw set combinations I was taught or invented myself or learned from fighters I study or I can create my own combinations on the fly, it depends on many things in a fight, too many to mention and if you ask a question like this then that kind of information is above your head anyway.

Also, didn't vote on your poll because it's crap. Boxing can't be discussed in such binary terms/absolutes.

[Scipio2009]

Likely a mix of memory and being spontaneous, tbh; depending on the camp the fighter is brought up in, trainers try to build muscle memory reactions in anticipation for certain shots (pull counter off of a slow jab, catching the hook to the body and running shots, double-jab and right hand to create space after engaging, etc).

You add that the effectiveness of certain shots also picks up when you string punches together, and it's pretty sensible to teach muscle memory shots in combination (catch the left hook, fire the right hand and throw your own double left hook, head/body, behind it)

[FeFist]

Both.

You don't literally think over every punch in the sequence, but you will respond to openings and how your body is positioned.