Boxing

Most uneducated observers think of boxing as two big brutes throwing punches at one another until one falls down. It’s not that simple though. Professional boxers that are good enough to lay out their opponent on the canvas and win championship belts are usually tactical masters that have a boxing style down to sweet science. Boxing styles are generally broken down into four categories; they are out-fighter, puncher, in-fighter and boxer-puncher.

An out-fighter likes to maintain their distance from their opponent while unleashing fast long-range punches. Most out-fighters rely on their jab and win more by points than by knockouts. However, there are many out-fighters that have sent plenty of opponents to the canvas. Out-fighters are usually the best tactical fighters in the boxing world and use their tactical superiority to control the pace of the fight. Some famous out-fighters include Muhammad Ali, Lennox Lewis, Roy Jones Jr., Larry Holmes and Oscar De La Hoya.

A puncher, also called a brawler by some, is a boxer known for their raw punching power, and will have a lot of knockout victories. Due to their ability to end a fight in just one punch, a “puncher” is often given a “puncher’s chance” versus any opponent because they only need to breach their opponent’s defenses once to end the bout. Most punchers tend to have more trouble with fast-moving fighters, especially those with quick feet to elude their powerful shots. Punchers usually prefer to face slow-moving fighters because it makes it easier to connect with that one big punch. Some famous punchers include Mike Tyson, Felix Trinidad, George Foreman and Rocky Marciano.

An in-fighter likes to stay close to their opponents and unleash quick flurries of punches and well-timed combinations that highlight hooks and uppercuts. For an in-fighter to keep from landing on their back over and over, they need to have a “good chin” because they’ll likely take a number of punches throughout a fight because of the close proximity to their opponent. Some famous in-fighters include Joe Frazier, Jake LaMotta, Shane Mosley and Jack Dempsey.

A boxer-puncher can come out of any of the other three categories. Most boxers that make it to the big-time have to have at least some knockout power in their punches. A boxer-puncher may be an in-fighter or out-fighter, but steps out of their element at times during a fight to throw big punches and tries and drop their opponent in one punch.