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Boxing News Delivers Stats and Gossip

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From just about any type of information that is available today through the media and from online sources, boxing news is the best way to stay on top of the happenings in the wide and varied world of professional and amateur boxing.

It is interesting to note that professional boxing has evolved into one of the very few sports that has definitely been instrumental in the development of what is now known as sports entertainment. And in some cases, the boxing news reports and media hype is partly entertainment in and of itself as well.

Just a quick look at the amount of attention and hype that swirls around any major professional event of this sport makes it clear that this is a powerful and popular spectator sport franchise. And, the boxing news helps to keep the interest high with its own versions of hype and gossip.

Interestingly, this professional sport is one of the sports that enjoys some of the most intense coverage. And, with an array of colorful characters, intriguing anecdotes and bazaar incidents, this sport news rarely lacks in sensationalism.

And, it seems the sports fans of this professional sport just cannot get enough of the boxing related trivia and other interesting tidbits. They love to read and watch anything they can get from the boxing news.

Not only that, but it seems that many professional boxers choose to live life to the fullest and often are in this sport news, not just for their accomplishments in the boxing ring but also for other reasons that cross over into their personal lives in many instances. It often seems the althetes actually seek out things they can do to bring this extra attention to them.

For fans who want to know the full inside scoop about their favorite professional boxer, match-ups, bouts, its history or statistics, there is a wide range of news publications such as boxing magazines, that are available in the marketplace.

Such magazines delve into the personal lives of the boxers in addition to the extensive coverage they give to the sport and events. They also cover much of the day-to-day happenings in the sport and are also quick to cover any available gossip about the individual boxers, especially those most popular at the moment.

Some of the boxing news magazines are primarily devoted to those fans who are most interested in keeping up-to-date on the upcoming fights, results of recent matches and the current ratings for the various fighters and their statistical information.

Other focused magazines on this sport provide more news regarding trends in the sport, reviews of different venues and professional boxer interviews, sometimes going into great depth.

Still, other magazines concentrate more on the analysis aspect after the fights, boxing trivia and on introducing the new personalities who are emerging into the sport.

Regardless of what kind of boxing news you are most interested in, you will no doubt be able to find just the right magazine or internet web site that can supply you with the information you most want to delve into.

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Different Styles In Boxing

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No person is the same. And the adage can be said in the sport of boxing. All boxers understand that the rule of the game is simple – punch your opponent until you knock him out, gives up, or the final bell sounded. But then, the way a boxer fights is what makes him different among the rest.

There are different types of boxers, depending on their strengths, their skill levels, and other correlated attributes. A boxer plays the game the way he does because of the fusion of all these features.

Different Boxing Styles

Brawler / Slugger

Brawlers are those who punch and punch with utter disregard for technique, relying heavily on their punching power to win. Most of them are slow and has poor footwork skills. They also tend to get hit a lot and most of the time, they catch a lot of shots on the way in.

While this can be a bad idea for a sound boxer, brawlers who can take tons of punches and deliver tons of damage in return sometimes win bouts. One powerful punch is all they need to win a fight.

George Foreman was a pure brawler and his durability along with his relentless style makes him one of the most feared brawlers when he was still active.

Classic boxer / Distance Fighter

The classic boxer, also known as the distance fighter, optimizes the distance between him and his opponent. A distance fighter prefers to pepper their opponents with long distance punches, most notably the jab, in an effort to keep them at bay and tire them throughout the fight. Another trait of the classic / distance fighter is that they also have better footwork than most of their opponents.

The jab and other long range punches do not carry huge amounts of power, which explains why most distance fighters win by points. However, a distance fighter knockout their opponents if they are able to tire them down the stretch.

Most notable proponent of this style is Muhammad Ali, whose quick feet and sharp jabs helped him become one of the legends of the sport. It is also important to note that Ali is no power puncher. Boxer-Punchers

Boxer-Puncher

Perhaps the type of boxer that requires a lot of skills in their armory, the boxer-puncher tend to wears their opponents down with powerful combinations and go for the knockout using a series of punches or even with just one shot. With deft footwork and blazing hand speed, they can slide in and do some damage and slip out before the other boxer can retaliate. Most traits of a boxer-puncher include speed, good chin, and extreme mobility.

Manny Pacquiao is a fine example of a boxer-puncher. He is naturally fast and agile and he also packs power in both hands.

Swarmer / Pressure Fighter

As the name suggests, pressure fighters prefer to stay up close and in front of their opponents and throw a lot of powerful combinations to frustrate them, take them off their game, and wear them down for the big finish. While their style may be the same as the brawler / slugger, a pressure fighter is more defensively sound and a lot skillful than their brawling counterparts.

Pressure fighters can bob and weave, slip to the sides, and prefer to duck punches than block them. They also have to have a strong chin because they also tend to get hit a lot, although not as much as a brawler.

One remarkable pressure fighter is Mike Tyson. He always closes the distance between him and the other man and unleash flurries of power punches to keep the bout short and sweet.

Counterpuncher

Perhaps the most defensive-minded of all types of boxers, counterpunchers have tons of defensive skills at their disposal. A counterpuncher is almost always not the aggressor, but their offense is always initiated with good defense.

A counterpuncher throws a shot after slipping or deflecting the other boxer’s punches. To be an effective counterpuncher means you need to have some decent amount of power as well as above-average hand speed.

Perhaps the most known counterpunchers today include Floyd Mayweather, Jr., and Juan Manuel Marquez.

Matching up the styles

Each type of boxer can dominate and be dominated. A brawler can easily beat a pressure fighter but struggles against a distance fighter. A distance fighter on the other hand, tends to have a hard time against pressure fighters.

But there are some instances where a boxer changes his style while in the fight to gain the upper hand. Bernard Hopkins can switch from a distance boxer to a pressure fighter if the situation calls for it. Manny Pacquiao, a boxer-puncher, can easily revert to his brawling self if he feels his opponent will go down with sheer punching power.

Each style has its potential to make any bout exciting and fulfilling, despite its flaws and shortcomings. As they say in boxing, styles make fights.

The Most Common Boxing Techniques

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Perhaps the most recognizable of boxing techniques is the Peek-a-Boo. Yes, there is a childs game by that name. The execution of the Peek-a-Boo is very much like the game. In the game, the hands are placed over the face to hide it.

In boxing, a boxers hands go up in front of his face to provide extra protection to the face and head. It is a commonly used stance in fight scenes in movies. It has been used in everyday fights as well. Children on the playground instinctively put their hands up in front of their faces, fists balled in preparation to defend or attack. Boxers use the Peek-a-Boo in a similar manner. It allows them to launch combinations from a defensive stance.

To properly carry out the Peek-a-Boo, a boxer places his hands in front of his face. The forearms remain loose and the gloved hands are held somewhere on the same level with the nose or eyes. By holding the arms and hands up, the face and head are guarded. This position also provides an excellent stance from which to deliver punches to your opponent. You can block an incoming punch with one hand and throw a punch with the other hand.

Combinations also work well from the Peek-a-Boo. The one-two punch is well set up. Others may include punching the body, the head and then the body again. Or two punches to the body followed by one to the head. These combinations are usually practiced on equipment such as a boxing dummy or punching bag to improve speed and force before going up against a live opponent. Practicing with a small punching bag, known as a speed bag, also teaches the boxer to keep his hands up in the Peek-a-Boo.

The Peek-a-Boo also provides ease at avoiding incoming punches. The head can be moved from one side to the other. Bobbing and weaving are often done as well. The head and neck can be hastily moved to dodge a hit. Rapid ducking can become the force behind a punch on the way back up.

Perhaps the most widely recognized of boxing stances, the Peek-a-Boo is very versatile. As a defensive move, it protects the face and head. It also puts the hands into a good position for delivering blows to the head and body of your opponent. It doesnt have to be strictly one or the other. It flows easily from deflecting to punching with little need for adjusting or pausing. It is one of the most common and also most effective boxing techniques.

Boxing From Ancient Greece To Modern Times

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One of the favorite sports of North Americans is boxing. In fact it’s still growing in popularity. Many other countries also have a number of boxing organizations.

Boxing has along lineage historians have traced it as far back as 4000 BC to the empires of Rome and Greece. Boxing known by other name back then, seems to have been a much rougher and brutal game than now.

In modern times boxing though known to get out of hand at times is basically a safe game with rules and regulations to protect the boxers. Back then the game continued till one of the opponents was declared dead. Also instead of boxing gloves the game was fought with metal spikes and fists.

Gloves are required for both amateurs and professionals. There are no longer any spikes used, and scores are kept by computer to determine the winners. Boxers wear special head-gear for their protection as well. In actuality, even though regulated, boxing is one of the few hand-to-hand sports still in existence.

Boxing is fun for the spectators, as they watch two athletic competitors battling it out. In most cases the participants are matched as to skill, weight and strength. The winner of the match is presented with a trophy to keep in honor of the victory.

You will find it hard to believe that the sport that is so popular in North America was not so till 1800’s. Nowadays it is Americans who are at the top of most International boxing competitions.

Not only men are adept at the sport of boxing, women have stepped center ring and have become as experienced as the men. Women have yet to find a place in the Olympics, but this can’t be far behind.

In most cases professional boxers began as amateurs. Some well known names who have engaged in this sport are George Forman, Leon Spinks, Muhammad Ali, Floyd Patterson and Oscar de la Hoya.

Professional boxing and amateur boxing have some slight differences in the way the boxing match is laid out. Professional boxing consists of four to fifteen rounds, while amateur boxing has only three rounds. The average length of a professional match is twelve rounds.

Judges decide who wins the match, by totaling the points of each fighter. Once they arrive at the score, they announce the winner. If someone is knocked out, it’s a win for the one who threw the final punch. If the person hit can get up before ten seconds have passed, they will usually keep fighting.

In the fast paced modern life more and more people are turning towards boxing. People from all ages are becoming its students not only to fight but also to remain fit and healthy and deal with the stress and worries of life.

Boxing continues to be a popular sport to watch, especially by men, who eagerly watch the ring from the safety of their armchairs.

The Rise Of Muay Thai Boxing

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Muay Thai is an intense sport, sometimes referred to as the “Art of Eight Limbs”. This name is owing to the eight points of contact involved in the fighting: two hands, two feet, two elbows and two knees. The sport was born on the battlefield, which long ago in Thailand involved only short-range weaponry such as spears, pikes, clubs, etc. Since it was essentially hand to hand combat in those days, it was an evolutionary necessity for the fighters to develop the greatest advantage they could with whatever bodily means they had available. Thus, the advent of Muay Thai.

Muay Thai boxing has since evolved into a sport from its original use as a military skill. It has been practiced by everyone from young students and commoners to the King of Thailand himself. In fact Muay Thai boxing was actually a part of the Thai school curriculum until the 1920s. It was then discontinued because of concern over the injury rates, but people can and do still practice it in gyms and clubs. It is quite popular, and with the right training injury rates are quite low.

Equipment has seen only moderate changes over the years. It used to be that boxers’ hands were wrapped with horse hair, which in later years was replaced with rope bindings or strips of tape. This was both to protect the hands of the fighter and also to inflict more damage to the opponent. It was in the 1930s that the sport was codified and the bindings replaced with today’s gloves.

It is the peoples’ passion about Muay Thai that was vital in bringing it from the battlefield to the sport ring. Now daily matches can be found all over Thailand, and are always very popular with many avid fight fans in attendance, both Thai and foreigners alike.

Many successful fighters have a background in Muay Thai. The discipline and strength required to be successful in this sport transcends to mixed martial arts easily. Training is intense, and tradition is important. Utilizing the skills you learn during Muay Thai training can be the difference between a good fighter and a bad one.

Whether you’re interested in Muay Thai Kickboxing, Jiu Jitsu, or even wrestling, having the skills from across multiple disciplines can create a well rounded fighter which is required in any mixed martial arts sports. Across the World, the sport of mixed martial arts has become incredibly popular.