sparring against heavier opponents

[GentlemanBoxer]

@mconstantine

Yeah brother. The head coach there is a no bs old school kinda guy. I dont think hes ever trained champions but thats more because his guys are all local and boxing isnt very big here (suprisiny seeing as were 95% hispanic here)

Its an amazing atmosphere. Gritty, bllod sweat and tears type but also built on respect. 1 cussword and hell warn you, second cussword and hell ban you from the gym.

[J.Dempsey]

your 6ft and 145lbs? you must be ripped?!

it's great to try all size opponents, fast, slow, boxers, brawlers and as its sparring try different things out and see what works,

I recently got whooped by a taller opponent, who jabbed the **** out of me and kept me at range, so I tried 'tyson style' head movement and counters last night..after 3 rounds i was absolutely shattered, (it really takes it out of you moving your head that much) but worked a treat, i was moving around so much he didn't know when to throw and I landed some good clean shots..i'm going to build up my stamina to do 6 rounds non stop movement like that.

set a goal and go for it, goodluck!

[mconstantine]

@mconstantine

Yeah brother. The head coach there is a no bs old school kinda guy. I dont think hes ever trained champions but thats more because his guys are all local and boxing isnt very big here (suprisiny seeing as were 95% hispanic here)

Its an amazing atmosphere. Gritty, bllod sweat and tears type but also built on respect. 1 cussword and hell warn you, second cussword and hell ban you from the gym.

He loss me with the no cussing lol.

But he has you guys sparring for very specific purposes and sparring bigger/smaller guys to facilitate those specific purposes. That is great coaching. That is what sparring should be about...working on things in particular.

J.Dempsey...I've tried that Tyson, bobbing/weaving style against taller opponents and yup, it's exhausting and I just find it hard to accept that I will have to take punches coming in. I pride myself on and like good defense so that bugs me.

[GentlemanBoxer]

@mconstantine

Yeah, way i see it, boxinv is the sport of gentlemen, not a backroom brawl. Thats why i dig the no cussing. But several guys have gone to other gyms exactly because of what you said. Some folks just need that for the intensity i guess.

@j. Dempsey

Have you tried simply backing up? Sometimes thatll throw off a taller guy who is used to fighting guys coming in the front door.
Stay out of range of his jab, obviously that means youre outta range but it might frustrate HIM into coming into you, which usually makes guys fight short.
I prefer infighting but i stay out of reach until the other guy opens up and i can slip a jab or cross to get inside, exactly because i dont have a fighters physique and gas faster than a fat kid running acter an ice cream truck if i bob and weave too much

[TRTboy]

I know how you feel bro. I basically spar guys who outweigh me 15++ lbs regularly because of the lack of guys that are around my weight ( I weigh 135 lbs ). And it can wore on you man.

It is beneficial in the way that it develops your tolerance for heavier punches, it makes you work on your footwork and head movement, overall it helps to improve your defense in my case anyway.

The things that I don't like when I'm sparring bigger guys aside from the heavier punches is the fact that you can't really work on your inside game if both of you are going hard because of the strength difference. Even if I block a punch the impact moves me and gets me out of position to counter. So I end up just pot shotting and throwing 1 punch at a time and move which is again is good because you are developing another part of your game.

Now sparring with bigger guys that are equally as good as you is ****ing hell. I spar an instructor at the gym who is atleast 15 lbs heavier than me and fit as ****. We spar hard and he just beats the **** out of me. I spar him just to pretty much get used to the pain of taking punches.