Important Facets Of Boxing Training

Boxers train just like any other athlete. They have to be quick on their feet, have good hand eye coordination, balance, strong and they must have the physical and psychological capacity to take severe blows to the head. Other requirements are speed, agility and flexibility. Every boxer will have their own training program based on their strengths and weaknesses. It is as much a physical as a psychological sport. Competitive boxers are known to be the best conditioned athletes in the world.

Some boxers concentrate on one particular area such as strength. However, trainers advise that the best boxers excel in all areas of the sport. Boxers need to be prepared to take severe blows to the upper body and come back fighting.

Speed is very important. Speed of movement in the hands to punch and feet to keep moving are necessary. Many boxers jog and play other aerobic sports so that they remain light on their feet and are quick, quick, quick!

Power and strength. Many boxers are power lifters and lift weights every other or every day. Trainers will set up punching bags for boxers to practice their punches and so that they can punch consistently rather then throwing wild punches.

Coordination of the hands and eye are very important. Not only to boxers have to deliver punches but they also have to defend themselves. To do this they have to be able to dance around on their feet, stay balanced and deliver punches.

Stamina is very important. This means that you can go all of the rounds necessary without getting tired, exhausted and out of breath. Professional boxers must be able to endure 15 rounds and to deliver power packed punches throughout.

Strategy is important. Some boxers have been known to swing madly and wildly and then exhaust themselves. The idea is to give direct and precise hits and provide an overall well rounded offense and defense.

Trainers work with boxers to develop a schedule and build on their strengths and weaknesses. Most generally, a schedule is devised which would rotate the various training activities such as running, sparring, lifting weights, conditioning drills, skill and core training. The sport is thought to be 70% anaerobic and 30% aerobic.

The training program is vigorous and the athlete must be a dedicated participant to withstand the psychological, physical and mental pressures.

It is to the boxer’s advantage to punch short and quick and then shift their position, to get out of the way! Most boxers prefer to remain in the center of the ring ideally, to force their opponent to dance around them. The boxer also has to worry about being knocked into the ropes and could then be cornered. They say, to move, move, move to avoid being a target.

Commonly Used Boxing Moves

He is regarded as the best boxer of all time, Muhammad Ali. In his first fight, he was the underdog and was not favored to win against Sonny Liston. From the beginning, it was clear that he was going to win, as he continuously came back fighting his opponent and would not let up.

Mohammed Ali’s ability to move quickly as he was not known to be a heavy slugger but, he certainly was able to dominate the ring and give Sonny Liston a run for his money. Mohammed had some unusual moves such as swaying his back, bending at the waist and lunging forward with a punch. He would often catch the other boxers off guard.

Some people regard it as a bloody brawl where fighters hash it out till the best man is standing. It is hard to see strategy, agility, sportsmanship and strong bodies beyond the blood and guts but, there are strategies and training involved to get to the point of competing in boxing.

There are boxers known as brawlers who hit hard, and lack any finesse. These boxers use brut force to knock their opponent down. There is very little class involved with this type of fighting and these boxers tend to have arrogant attitudes and tend to have a very high opinion of themselves, so they are not well liked. The famous brawlers are Sonny Liston, Mike Tyson and George Foreman. They are known to have the size to box and use it any time they can to intimidate and strike out at their opponent.

The in fighter likes to strike at close range. They are moving, moving, moving and are hard to keep up with. They will strike when least expected to give a combination of punches in a row. The in fighters need to have extra bulk and strength to strike relentlessly and hopefully, knock their opponent out. Mike Tyson at one time, was known as a very good in fighter. Unfortunately, he used his talents outside of the ring and had ended up doing jail time on several occasions.

The out fighter punches at a distance but, is able to give severe blows. These boxers tend to lighter in weight and need distance to get strike with force. They have to be able to move well to duck punches and to keep weaving in and out.

The Hybrid boxer is known for mixing all of the styles to include brawling, in fighting and fast jabs. They will catch their opponent of guard by mixing it up and appearing to be boxing hap hazardly because they are all over the place. They are known to punch recklessly to catch their opponent off guard.

A Short History Of Boxing

The world of boxing is certainly controversial and has had many problems over the years with lawsuits and a few boxers ending up in jail after winning national titles.

The World Boxing Council was started by 12 countries some of which were the United States, France, Mexico, Peru, Panama, Brazil and others. There were nine governing bodies.
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If you are into boxing you have most likely heard of the World Boxing Council, which originated with Don King. The acting president is Jose Sulaiman who runs the organization. However, Mr. King is clearly the governing body and makes all of the decisions. Some people believe that Don King corrupted the world of boxing by bending the rules to suit his needs

Mr. King really popularized the sport and has brought it to the forefront on many levels. At one time, the sport was played behind the scenes in warehouse and small gyms across the country. However, Mr. King worked towards popularizing the sport and promoting boxers and the sport itself.

In the boxing world, the biggest upset of all time was the 1978 fight between Leon Spinks and Muhammad Ali. Most people thought Muhammad Ali would win however, Leon Spinks won. Then another great fight was the rematch between the two. Then another well known fight was between Larry Holmes and Ken Norton. This was another fight that was promoted successfully by Don King.

The world of boxing changed completely, and was deemed somewhat safer when the WBC reduced the number of bouts from 15 rounds to 12. This made the match somewhat safer.

Don King worked to find and promote talent. He promoted fights that were fought not necessarily to defend titles but, the promotions and the hype made people want to watch and cheer for the underdogs. He thought long term and hoped the fighter would bring in residual benefits for years to come.

Don King acted like a father figure for the fighters and he was criticized for this. Some people believed he was exploiting fighters for his own financial benefit. He also ran into some problems with some fighters such as Mike Tyson who ended up in prison and James Buster Douglas who has his share of problems.
Don King had a list of champions that he promoted and were lucrative for everyone involved including Roy Jones and Gracino Rocchigiani, Carlos Zarcate, Bobby Chacon and hector Camacho.

The WBC suffered several lawsuits claiming that the organization exhibited actions that diminished boxers and caused unnecessary harm. In 2004, the WBC entered into bankruptcy and the organization dissolved.

Today there are a multitude of boxing organizations in place including the North American federation, Caribbean Boxing Federation, European Boxing Union, Asian Boxing Council and the World Boxing Council.

Boxing Belt Champions

The World Boxing Council originated with 12 countries, including, the United States, Puerto Rico, Argentina, Venezuela, United Kingdom, Peru, France, Chile, Mexico, Panama and the Philippines. The object was to work towards unity and have a governing body over the sport of boxing.

The sport of boxing awards champions with a variety of belts. They are certainly well earned and each carries a level of distinction that was most likely won with a great deal of blood and sweat.

There four authorities in the sport including the World Boxing Organization, the World Boxing Council, the World Boxing Association and International Boxing Federation. All of these award belts to champions of the various weight classes. It's a sign of great achievement in the world of boxing.

In the past couple of years, the World Boxing Association has awarded over 18 belts in a variety of weight classes including the well known boxers Oscar Lay Hoya and Mohammed Ali. There have been some boxers that have been stripped of their belts because they failed drug tests and were found to be taking steroids.

There are a variety of heavyweight champions including Joe Louis, Muhammed Ali, Archie Moore, Evander Holyfield, and Virgil Hill. In the super middle weight category, Sugar Ray Leonard is the reigning champ. The middle weight boxing champs are Thomas Hearns and Carlos Monzon.

In the sport of boxing, points are given for clean, direct hits that are legal, and higher points are recorded for strikes to the head. The boxer with the most points wins. A boxer may win if his opponent is knocked down and unable to get up. Or if a player is injured and cannot continue to box, the win will be recorded as a technical knockout.

The boxing world has hall of fames which are the International Boxing Hall of Fame and the World Boxing Hall of Fame. The International hall of Fame was established in 1982 in Canastota, New York.  Those honored there include Carmen Basilio, a middleweight champion and Billy Backus a welterweight champion. Other inductees have been Jack Johnson, Sugar Ray Robinson, Muhammed Ali and Archie Moore, Csrlos Monzon, Beau penning, Azumah Nelson, Tony Tubbs and Ken Buchanan.

The current heavyweight champions include Nicolay Valuev and Wladimir Klitschko. In the light heavyweight category, Silvio Branco and Clinton Woods. In the middleweight category, Mariano Carrera and Arthur Abraham. In the welterweight category, Miguel Cotto and Kermit Clinton. In the lightweight division, Juan Diaz and Julio Diaz. In the featherweight division, Chris John and Robert Guerrero. In the cruiserweight division, Valery Brudov and Jean Mormeck. In the super middleweight the champions are Mikkel Kessler and Alejandro Berrio. In the junior welterweight division, the title holders are Junior Witter and Lovemore Ndou.

Boxing During The Popular 1920’s Era

Boxing is and has always been a very physical game because essentially, two people are punching each other with the intention of possibly knocking someone out so that become unconscious. The boxers wear padded gloves and protection, but the numerous severe blows can cause injuries and possibly death. Great boxers are agile, quick on their feet, strong and must be in excellent physical condition.
Essentially boxers fight as amateurs or professionals. As an amateur, boxers cannot accept money. Many amateurs box because they enjoy the sport and most typically, box for an organization.
The sport of boxing was played over a thousand years ago. Today, the popularity of the sport has declined and only major headline boxers are followed as well as the Olympic games.
Boxing is one of the oldest sports. In the 1860’s, there was a change from using bare fists to using gloves. They also included three minute rounds with a rest period. A British sportsman, Marquess of Queensberry sponsored the new rules and they were used in tournaments.
During the 1900’s the sport was illegal in the United States. In 1920, a law was passed to allow the sport of prize fighting. The sport began to grow in popularity. The first promoter of the sport was George Rickard. The first championship match was between Jack Dempsey and George Carpenter. Dempsey won the fight and remained champion until 1926.
The ‘million dollar game’ was between Jack Dempsey and gene Tunney. It was a record because over 100,000 people paid $2500.00 or more to watch the fight.
Jack Dempsey was a colorful character. He was loud and attention seeking and made numerous claims, similar to Mohammed Ali that he was the worlds greatest fighter. He had is share of barroom brawls also, as he was known to fight inside and outside of the ring.
The 1920’s were known as the golden age of boxing. Joe Louis was the reigning king of boxing and he held the heavy weight title for the longest period of time during that era.
In the mid 1900’s, the great fighters were Archie Moore and Rocky Marciano. Rocky Marciano won a total of 49 fights.
In the 1950’s, people were interested in watching the games on television than actually watching fights. The small boxing clubs were not as popular anymore and had to close.
In the United States the sport is regulated by the World Boxing Association and the World Boxing Council. Across the world, the International Boxing Federation regulated matches which are played internationally.
Amateur boxing is popular in boys clubs and sport camps. The sport has most recently gained popularity in women, who enjoy the sport because of the amount of physical conditioning needed to excel in the sport.