By Maral from NazoBoxing.com
It may appear like boxers are doing the same moves over again. But if you pay attention, there are actually different techniques or fighting styles used in this sport. Learning (and perfecting) some of these styles can level up your performance inside the ring.
7 Best Fighting Styles in Boxing
The “Pressure Fighter” / “Swarmer”
This fighting style is intended to put a lot of physical and mental “pressure” on your opponent through a series of offensive movements. It would appear that a pressure fighter is recklessly coming forward to his opponent, throwing non-stop punches.
However, this style is very important because judges give more scores to the fighter who first initiates aggression in the bout. More importantly, this boxing style is used to overwhelm your opponent. The non-stop “attack” is meant to make a person react, move, and strategize more until he becomes physically and mentally drained.
Roberto Duran
Roberto Duran, Joe Frazier, and Mike Tyson are some of the greatest pressure fighters of all time. To successfully execute this boxing style, you need to have top-notch stamina and cardiovascular strength. Offensive movements can drain your energy too, so you have to be physically strong and fast.
Incorporating HIIT, cardio and strength training, and bag workouts into your daily training session can help you become an effective pressure fighter.
The “Counter Puncher”
If your opponent is a pressure fighter, this fighting style is one of the best approaches to overcome him. Counter-punching works well when your opponent is in attack or offensive mode. This style involves turning your opponent’s offense into your offense. Muhammad Ali, Juan Manuel Marquez, and Floyd Mayweather are among the most renowned counter punchers in the history of boxing.
Muhammad Ali
It takes great skills to become an effective counter-puncher. Finding the right timing, capitalizing on the openings, and drawing attacks to trap or trick your opponent are techniques that you develop over the long term. An important rule in counter-punching is to be unpredictable. Therefore, the more techniques you know (offensive and offensive), the better.
Great counter-punchers utilize punching bags to master different combinations. Footwork is also going to be a massive part of your success. Ensure you spend as much time as you can in sparring and shadow-boxing to perfect your movements.
The “Pure Boxer”
Floyd Mayweather
Pure boxers are those who maintain their distance from their opponent, always in a defensive mode and waiting for the perfect moment to hit. Many people think it’s a boring style but it’s a very helpful technique that allows boxers to strategize.
Pure boxers often wait for their opponent to make the first move before stepping out to strike. However, they make sure that when they do, they release clean and powerful punches. You also don’t want to underestimate a pure boxer because to become one, you have to be good at all other fighting styles. Meaning, you have to be good at counter-punching, pressure fighting, and swarming.
George Dixon, Joe Walcott, Muhammad Ali, and Floyd Mayweather Jr. are some of the best pure boxers of all time. This fighting style is also called “out boxer” and “out fighter”. Fighters who execute this style correctly rarely get knocked down.
The “Slugger”
Sometimes, it takes just one or maybe a few big, powerful punches to knock your opponent down. This is the mantra of boxing sluggers. Fighters who choose this style focus their training entirely on enhancing their punching power. Jack Dempsey, George Foreman, Henry Armstrong, and Joe Frazier are great examples of sluggers.
Jack Dempsey
You’ll notice that sluggers are often bigger and heavier. That’s because they prefer to land forceful punches to knock their opponent down. To become good at this style, you’re going to spend a lot of time on the heavy bag. You also need to train your upper body to deliver explosive blows.
The “Boxer-Puncher” or Hybrid Puncher
This style of fighting is the most dynamic. It combines the skills of a pure boxer and the powerful blows of a slugger. Ideally, all boxers would choose to be hybrid boxers. But this fighting style is very difficult to master.
This is because you’re not only focusing on just one or a few aspects. You have to be great at everything, from your strikes and footwork to your strategy. The boxer-puncher style can be used against all other fighting styles.
To execute this style successfully, you have to:
- Develop your punching power.
- Train your speed, power, stamina, strategy, footwork, and techniques.
- Constantly train and work your overall body to become physically strong and powerful.
Which Boxing Style Suits You?
You might be wondering what boxing style suits you. While some fighting styles will appear more to you than others, your goal should be to adapt to the game. Meaning, your style should evolve for you to win or survive inside the ring.
But of course, it would be difficult to master all the fighting styles. You can choose one style to perfect, based on your strengths. Then, train harder to incorporate the other styles or techniques. Also, remember that developing your boxing style takes time and consistent effort.
If you’re just a beginner, you want to focus first on the basics which include mastering the correct stance and movements. As you mature as a boxer, you’ll develop your style and learn to adapt to what works best in a specific match.
Consider these tips to develop your fighting style:
- Start with your natural fighting style.
Some people are naturally more aggressive while others are more passive. Some people are innately strong and powerful, others are naturally fast.
- Train harder.
If you want to be a pressure fighter, you have to work on your speed and footwork. If you aim to be a power puncher, then you’ve got to work on your upper body strength to intensify your punches.
- Consider your opponent’s fighting style.
As mentioned, you have to adapt to the game. While you should focus on enhancing your techniques, you must also study your opponent’s patterns so you can tweak your style if you need to.
I am a fitness addict who is always ready to help others learn through my experiences and encourage them to get on the right path and never give up!
