By Paul Strauss: Fighters are always taught to avoid “admiring their work”. When honing their craft in the gym, their knowledgeable trainers will harp on moving after they’ve thrown their combinations. “Don’t stand there and admire your work,” they are repeatedly told. The obvious reason is that if the fighter fails to move, he will be available for counter punches. Most of the time that means moving to the side. A few great ones could safely pull off moving straight back, hopefully out of range. Muhammad Ali is of course the most famous for this maneuver.
Of course the problem with this tactic of “not standing there” is that everyone under the sun knows it, and can plan accordingly. It involves anticipation. In other words, a fighter directs his punches to where his opponent is going to be, not to where he was a second ago. A lot of times it’s the “timing” thing that allows for a slower fighter to gain victory over the faster fighter. However, all too often a fighter who knows what needs to be done cannot “let his hands go”. That’s because there’s an odd sensation involved that must be recognized and conquered. Too often fighters can’t manage the intellectual part of it. He has to do what he knows needs to be done rather than what he sees.
The result of this failure is a split second “hitch” that allows his opponent to evade a fighter’s effort to counter. Too often the fighter’s desired counter punches amount to no more then a beginning studder step or cocking of the extremity. The best advice is not taken, and that is to just “let your hands go”. It’s the time to do it….. when your opponent is not punching anymore He’s just finished his combination and is on the move. It’s the proverbial hit and run, or hit and don’t be hit that we all know.
Good and great fighters have mastered that mental versus visual problem. As previously stated, they’ve learned how to time and anticipate their opponent’s movements. They know the moment when their opponent is moving is an opportunity. In fact it generally is one of the safer ones in the ring, because for that brief moment you’re not being hit.
For the most part, that has been the case in boxing. At risk of being redundant, hit and don’t be hit, or hit and move, which is countered with timing and anticipation. That has been the case until someone exceptional like Manny Pacquiao comes along. Good and great fighters try the prescribed remedy with him, but some how they’re still eating leather. Here’s the scenario. Manny sets them up for a combination with feints and movement, or simply reads them and beats them to the punch. He unleashes his combination…….let’s say a three punch combination that starts with a jab and finshes with a right hook. His orthodox or right handed opponent trys to counter with his own left hook to the head, which Manny ducks under. Now, here’s the good part. At the same time Manny moves to his right, but incredibly he hits his opponent three more times……..let’s say two shots to the body, with a finishing head shot….. while on the move! There is no opportunity for timing or anticipation, because there is no lull in the action. Not only did Manny not stop to admire his work, he kept working! There is no opportunity for his opponent. Manny pulls off this manuever like no one else.
Hopefully it’s not too presumptuous in thinking that Sugar Shane Mosley and his trainer Nasim Richardson will undoubtedly plan the unsual strategy for an orthodox fighter fighting a southpaw. They will want Shane to establish his jab, both to the head and body, and get Manny to hopefully run into it with his aggressive style. They will want Shane to move to his left away from Manny’s power. This plan, of course, also involves the added benefit of containing Manny’s ability to move to his right. Normally that is a proven effective strategy, and if carried out correctly will also hamper the southpaw’s ability to escape punishment. However, with Manny, it means his opponent is moving right into more punishment, as unbelievable as it seems. The opponent not only gets hit with the initial combination, but continues getting hit and turned. If he starts reaching, Manny’s punches will come up from under, after he’s already pummeled the body. It’s a beautiful thing to watch.