Boxing may seem like a very simple sport, but deep beneath the surface, it’s an incredibly nuanced martial art with multiple degrees of technical mastery. Aspiring fighters begin by learning the basics, but once the fundamentals are sound, unique styles begin to form.
Most fighters tend to lean towards a focus on offense, while some prefer to be more defensively inclined. Whatever the case may be, boxing allows for complexity while still managing to be quite complex.
Throughout the history of the sport, there have been a handful of fighters who have exhibited unique and interesting fighting styles. Some styles are so incredibly unorthodox that it is very hard to emulate in sparring. Preparing for these types of boxers then becomes extremely difficult, because sparring partners are unable to copy their style.
The boxers on this list have all showcased a distinct style throughout their careers, unique only to them, even if just ever so slightly. And while they are often imitated, they are never duplicated.
It’s time now to celebrate the many offensive and defensive innovators throughout boxing history. Today, Evolve Daily shares seven boxers who have incredibly unique fighting styles and techniques.
1) “Prince” Naseem Hamed
Nicknamed the “Prince”, former British professional boxer Naseem Hamed is known for his flamboyant ring entrances and unconventional boxing style. He competed between 1992 and 2002, wowing audiences with his bravado and charisma.
His style featured snake-like movements, showcasing incredible torso flexibility and cat-like reflexes. Hamed would often fight with his guard down, loose and ready to strike at any given moment. In addition to his athleticism, Hamed also possessed one-punch knockout power, and that made him a very dangerous fighter during his time.
Hamed finished his career having won multiple world championships at featherweight, also reigning as the lineal champion for a brief period. He is one of the best featherweights in history.
2) Floyd “Money” Mayweather Jr.
If you’re a fan of boxing, then you know who this next man is. Yes, Floyd “Money” Mayweather Jr., defensive genius and arguably the greatest technical fighter to ever compete in the sport. During his prime, Mayweather was virtually untouchable. Only a handful of fighters were able to truly hurt him, but he always recovered and fought back. He has never been truly down in a fight.
Featuring a style that is derived from the popular Philly Shell, Mayweather incorporates heavy use of his boulder-like round shoulders to deflect opponents’ punches and countering with his own. With great head movement, Mayweather is able to slip and evade shots as if they were being thrown at him in slow motion.
Mayweather retired with a perfect 50-0 record and is considered one of the greatest fighters of all time, pound-for-pound.
3) Guillermo “El Chacal” Rigondeaux
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h5A6NiykQkQ
Slightly different from Floyd Mayweather, Cuban Olympic gold medalist Guillermo “El Chacal” Rigondeaux is one of the greatest defensive fighters in the history of the sport. Never mind that he hasn’t been a professional boxer for very long. Rigondeaux has had an extensive amateur career, where he spent most of his time honing his skills for international competition.
With unrivaled footwork and a distinct ability to slip and block punches, Rigondeaux runs circles around his opponents, making them miss badly while countering with laser-sharp accuracy. Rigondeaux doesn’t like to commit when there is danger present, however, and some fans feel he is overly-defensive for his own good.
He has been heavily criticized for not being a finisher and opting to win bouts by decision instead of going for the crowd-pleasing knockout. But Rigondeaux does what he has to do to win the only way he knows how.
4) Sergio “Maravilla” Martinez
Nicknamed “Maravilla” or “The Spider”, former middleweight world champion Sergio Martinez from Argentina is as unique a fighter as they come. With movie star good looks, undeniable charm, and charisma, Martinez terrorized boxing’s middleweight division between 1997 to 2014.
His style has been described as “crowd-pleasing” because of his preference to fight with his hands extremely low, almost inviting opponents to come charging at him with their best shots. When opponents commit to their offense, however, is when Martinez attacks.
Martinez’ most memorable victory came in November of 2010, rematching then undefeated and widely-considered the most avoidable man in boxing at the time — the long and rangy Paul Williams. Williams had defeated Martinez prior, so the Argentinian was looking to exact revenge. One minute into the second round, Martinez knocked Williams out cold with a single punch.
Martinez also owns one of the longest title reigns in middleweight history, having held the lineal middleweight championship for 50 long months.
5) Manny “Pacman” Pacquiao
Filipino boxing sensation and the only eight-division world champion in the history of the sport, Manny “Pacman” Pacquiao of General Santos City, Philippines is one of boxing’s all-time greats. He came into prominence in 2003, after defeating Mexican legend Marco Antonio Barrera with a shock 11th round TKO. Since then, he has blazed a trail through the ranks to become arguably the finest offensive fighter of his era.
Pacquiao boasted of a virtually unlimited reservoir of energy and stamina, able to maintain a furious pace from the 1st round to the 12th. Every punch he threw had bad intentions behind it, and he never stopped punching. Most opponents succumb from his relentless pressure, as they are unable to cope with his non-stop all-action style.
Against Joshua Clottey in 2010, Pacquiao threw over 1200 punches — an absurd number if you think about it. Against Antonio Margarito in the same year, Pacquiao threw close to a thousand. That’s absolutely insane.
Pacquiao’s style is completely unique, and no one has been able to copy his particular pace and rhythm.
6) James “Lights Out” Toney
Former three-division American boxing champion James “Lights Out” Toney always considered himself a natural-born talent, having possessed a distinct ability to fight from an early age. By the time he first stepped into a boxing gym as a teenager, Toney knew he was made to be a boxer.
With a unique flow to both his offense and defense, Toney utilized incredible head movement and footwork coupled with astonishing reflexes to stifle opponents with his technical mastery. Toney would often toy with opponents, allowing them to tee off their hardest shots only to find nothing but air.
Toney loved to stay in the pocket, hiding in corners and hanging out along the ropes — all areas of the ring most fighters were uncomfortable to be in. He excelled in the most dangerous of circumstances and always came out on top.
In 1991 and 2003, Toney was voted Fighter of the Year by The Ring magazine and the Boxing Writers Association of America. He is one of the greatest middleweight fighters of all time.
7) Joshua Clottey
Although not an all-time great, Joshua Clottey of Accra, Ghana is on this list because of his unique defensive style which featured the African blocking most of his opponents’ punches with his long, bulky arms and shoulders, and his unbelievably tight glove guard.
As a child, Clottey had a passion for playing football, a sport that was introduced to him by his father. He then moved from Ghana and spent a few years in the United Kingdom before later immigrating to the United States.
Clottey was a dangerous fighter in the sense that, he wasn’t an easy guy to beat. And even if you did beat him, he would make you look terrible. His defense can be likened to a turtle shell, which is extremely hard and impenetrable. It is very difficult to land a clean punch against Clottey, and he would operate behind this airtight defense to score points and even stoppages.
One glaring flaw with Clottey’s style, however, is that he had a tendency to become too defensive, often neglecting his offense just so he could remain safe behind his guard.
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