Chin is an Underrated Attribute in Boxing

[Double_L]

I've been looking at all these prospects and supposed elite up and coming fighters who have been losing their 0's lately, and I've noticed that a lot of them have something in common: a lacking chin.

You can have all the speed and power in the world, but when one punch can change it all, you have to have one or more of these attributes to bail you out: ring smarts to tie up, good recovery, or the heart to survive. There are rare occasions where heart completely makes up for the lack of chin, such as Arturo Gatti. But those kinds of fighters are few and far between.

Average experienced fighters can take advantage of this. Even journeymen have a punchers chance at any point in the fight. This is a huge disadvantage which cannot be understated.

Some recent examples IMO:
James Kirkland
Andre Berto
Amir Khan (deserves props for Maidana fight but put him in with any puncher, let alone one with skills, and it will be a nervous 12 rounds)

To a lesser degree:
Juan Manuel Lopez (though you can argue very poor defense for his defeat)
Yuriorkis Gamboa (even though he hasn't lost yet, it's possibly his biggest weakness)


Imagine if some of these fighters had iron chins. They would be nearly unstoppable. Where would Pacquiao be, especially with his reckless style early on, if he didn't have a great chin?

Agree? Disagree? I'm not saying it's the end-all be-all attribute, I'm just trying to say it's a MAJOR component to being an elite level fighter, and it often tends to get overlooked.

[Battle*Hardened]

I fully agree. In boxing it's what sets the elite apart from the average.

[VolumePuncher]

One thing I want to address: Just because Khan was put down in the first round of one fight does not mean he has a weak chin. As far as I'm concerned, that argument became moot after he took countless big shots from Maidana and stayed on his feet. Sadly, boxing tends to be one of those sports where people either view you as exceptional or a bum, and having an "average chin" just doesn't seem reasonable to most fans.

As far as chin as an asset: Of course it's an awesome attribute to have, but I don't think it's as important as you're making it out to be and I'd much rather have a guy who's good defensively. After all, what does it matter how good or bad your chin is if you hardly ever get hit with a clean shot?

[Larry the boss]

if berto haS A WEAK CHIN THEN SO DOES ORTIZ CAUSE BOTH WENT DOWN 2 TIMES..POINT IS BOTH HAVE POWER AND BOTH FOUGHT WRECKLESS..CHIN IS DEPENDANTE ON BALANCE,AWARENESS AND MENTAL TOUGHNESS..ANYONE CAN GET DROPPED

and gamboas knock downs come from him being off balance cause he getr caught in between his shots alot

[Double_L]

One thing I want to address: Just because Khan was put down in the first round of one fight does not mean he has a weak chin. As far as I'm concerned, that argument became moot after he took countless big shots from Maidana and stayed on his feet. Sadly, boxing tends to be one of those sports where people either view you as exceptional or a bum, and having an "average chin" just doesn't seem reasonable to most fans.

Before the first knockdown it appeared he got staggered by a jab. Combine that with the fact that Prescott hasn't exactly been on a KO rampage after that fight. I do give him HUGE credit for surviving vs. Maidana (honestly I don't know how he did it), but lets not get carried away here. He was knocked down and hurt by feather-fisted Willie Limond and KD by Euro-level journeyman Michael Gomez. It's not just the Prescott fight.

As far as chin as an asset: Of course it's an awesome attribute to have, but I don't think it's as important as you're making it out to be and I'd much rather have a guy who's good defensively. After all, what does it matter how good or bad your chin is if you hardly ever get hit with a clean shot?

I sort of agree with you there. Good defense might even be preferable to a solid chin. The only thing is, chin is an inherent attribute, defense is not. I.e. you can teach defense but not chin. Also, it only takes one split-second lapse in concentration for you to go from winning to KO'd. Case in point Foreman vs. Moorer. With a good chin you can take away that variable from the equation.

It would be extremely hard to keep up perfect defense for 36 minutes (45 mins in the olden days) to mask a glass chin vs. a great fighter.

[Double_L]

if berto haS A WEAK CHIN THEN SO DOES ORTIZ CAUSE BOTH WENT DOWN 2 TIMES..POINT IS BOTH HAVE POWER AND BOTH FOUGHT WRECKLESS..CHIN IS DEPENDANTE ON BALANCE,AWARENESS AND MENTAL TOUGHNESS..ANYONE CAN GET DROPPED

and gamboas knock downs come from him being off balance cause he getr caught in between his shots alot

You're right maybe I shouldn't have him on the list, or have a list at all because it actually detracts from my point. In my opinion though I do think his chin is a little lacking, maybe not weak but around average.

Ortiz's chin is actually pretty good in my opinion. A lot of people wouldn't have recovered from the 6th round KD which was a huge punch. As for the Maidana fight, a lack of heart, not chin, stopped him there.

[theplayerpimp]

I think canelo has a weak chin too and it will be his undoing in the future.

[goblin213]

James Kirkland
Andre Berto
Amir Khan (deserves props for Maidana fight but put him in with any puncher, let alone one with skills, and it will be a nervous 12 rounds)

To a lesser degree:
Juan Manuel Lopez (though you can argue very poor defense for his defeat)
Yuriorkis Gamboa (even though he hasn't lost yet, it's possibly his biggest weakness)

All these guys have ****ty defense.

[edgarg]

to have a good chin is a fine attribute, but let us not forget that as well, a fighter needs to have either a good defence, or an attacking style which acts also his defence...like Tyson .

To have a good chin can be a disaster without one or more of the other neccessary talents. i can think of David Izon, who had such a good chin that in EVERY fight, he had the blazes battered out of him, and won only through sheer tenacity. I often would think, if the guy would ONLY go down, or take a knee, it would break up the flow.

I'll NEVER forget one fight,-can't recall which- where he was bashed all around the ring for about 8-9 rds and eventually managed to land a good one which put his opponent down for 10. Poor Izon, thrust his almost unrecognisable, badly battered face into the camera shouting to his folks at home...."I'm a contender, I'm a contender...."

Well he was only a contender for another fight or so, when all the heavy punishment caught up with him, and he just faded away. I can honestly say that he took MORE punishment than ANY fighter I've ever seen. I don't know what happened to him after...........

Poor guy.

[Rassclot]

One thing I want to address: Just because Khan was put down in the first round of one fight does not mean he has a weak chin. As far as I'm concerned, that argument became moot after he took countless big shots from Maidana and stayed on his feet. Sadly, boxing tends to be one of those sports where people either view you as exceptional or a bum, and having an "average chin" just doesn't seem reasonable to most fans.

As far as chin as an asset: Of course it's an awesome attribute to have, but I don't think it's as important as you're making it out to be and I'd much rather have a guy who's good defensively. After all, what does it matter how good or bad your chin is if you hardly ever get hit with a clean shot?

Amir does have a weak chin. he has been dropped numerous times in his career including in the amatures.

Maidana just doesn't have fast power, his power is more thudding. you rarely see him 1 punch KO someone in the head. usually a break down over the course of a fight to the body. etc.


Anyone with legit fast 1 shot power would clean KO Khan. Like Pac or Tszyu would clean KO him at some point over 12 rds. Judah has a shot too. you can tell how good a chin is by looking at it.

Khan looks like someone with a fragile mandible. unfortunately small, sharp and pointy. he's got it all.