"Typical European Boxing Style" - what does that statement mean?

Just curious as to what is the typical European boxing style? Who personifies it? Do people consider it good or bad? Do different gyms teach European style boxing? Did it derive from the boxing schools in pre-1989 USSR?

Is there a typical American style of boxing?

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Originally Posted by Rantcatrat

Just curious as to what is the typical European boxing style? Who personifies it? Do people consider it good or bad? Do different gyms teach European style boxing? Did it derive from the boxing schools in pre-1989 USSR?

Is there a typical American style of boxing?

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Basic stand up straight style with hands help up heigh.

right... best example would be Kessler i'd think..

Hands held high as opposed to low. Does the style rely more on defensive skills?

It follows that Carl Froch does NOT have a typical European style?

straight up, hands high, lots of jab right hands, usually not putting on a ton of pressure, its a generalization really but there's some basis too it.

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Originally Posted by Rantcatrat

Hands held high as opposed to low. Does the style rely more on defensive skills?

It follows that Carl Froch does NOT have a typical European style?

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As someone said Mikkel Kessler is the best example of a typical European style, or Frank Bruno. And yes Carl Froch does not have a typic European style. Carl Froch's trainer is Brendal Ingle i believe who had Naseem Hamed, Herol Graham, fighters with that low hand unorthodox style like Carl Froch.

I'm thinking the distinction between American and European styles isn't as pronounced as it once was, especially in the pros. It's still there though.

Where you really saw a sharp distinction in styles was over the years in the amateurs, Olymics and World Championships, between American and Eastern European boxers, USSR especially, at the heavier weights.

It seems to me that the styles of the Cubans, such as Stevenson and Savon, were closer to the Europeans than the Americans.

This Eastern European style not only had the hands up high, but farther out from the body than the Americans

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Originally Posted by Nonito Donaire

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Originally Posted by Rantcatrat

Hands held high as opposed to low. Does the style rely more on defensive skills?

It follows that Carl Froch does NOT have a typical European style?

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As someone said Mikkel Kessler is the best example of a typical European style, or Frank Bruno. And yes Carl Froch does not have a typic European style. Carl Froch's trainer is Brendal Ingle i believe who had Naseem Hamed, Herol Graham, fighters with that low hand unorthodox style like Carl Froch.

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Gotcha. Thanks for the help. I'm just trying to make sense of it, please excuse my questions is they are dumb.

If I follow correctly, it isn't a bad or good thing, it's just a style?

Clottey has that style in a way, right? Abraham holds his hands up high too, does he have the European style? Did Winky use that style? Are there American examples of it?

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Originally Posted by OumaFan

straight up, hands high, lots of jab right hands, usually not putting on a ton of pressure, its a generalization really but there's some basis too it.

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Yeah, usually not too aggressive or a big puncher either.

Guys like Calzaghe, Kessler, Froch, Hatton, etc. are much more aggresive, interesting & better punchers than your typical Europeon style.

Sven Ottke might be the prototype - safety 1st. Maybe Cory Spinks isn't really from St. Louis?

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Originally Posted by Nonito Donaire

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Originally Posted by Rantcatrat

Hands held high as opposed to low. Does the style rely more on defensive skills?

It follows that Carl Froch does NOT have a typical European style?

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As someone said Mikkel Kessler is the best example of a typical European style, or Frank Bruno. And yes Carl Froch does not have a typic European style. Carl Froch's trainer is Brendal Ingle i believe who had Naseem Hamed, Herol Graham, fighters with that low hand unorthodox style like Carl Froch.

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Agree with Kessler being the best example. Ingle ain't Froch's trainer though, it's Robert McCracken, who I don't really know much about apart from that he trains Howard Eastman as well.

Ive always thought it was a pretty lazy way for commentators to describe fighters. Seems slightly outdated now as well.

Robert McCracken fought Eastman too. As well as losing a "world" title fight against Keith Holmes. Spent a period of his career based in the states after winning Brit and Commonwealth titles*

His mum died the day of the Froch-Pascal fight, yet he went through with the fight without informing anyone until after. Pure class.


*That looks like a wiki copy and paste job. It's not ;D

the americans take on effective lifestyle within europe also applys to our boxers.

Strong, efficent, predictable - to be fair as far as the central/eastern european fighters it seems to be spot on ie:klitschko bros, ottke, abraham etc

We in britain tend to sway towards the american side of things in that we take to our flair fighters just that bit more as it puts bums on seats ie:prince naseem, eubank

I'd actually have to say Kelly Pavlik has a typical European boxing style.

Stands straight up. Hands high. Flat footed.

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Originally Posted by Hulk

I'd actually have to say Kelly Pavlik has a typical European boxing style.

Stands straight up. Hands high. Flat footed.

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Yeah, good one that!

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Originally Posted by Fenster

Seems slightly outdated now as well.

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Completely agree.

Yes, the Euro style is there but as we've seen theres been a HUGE change in that as the years have passed. I would say mainly from the mid 90's and on is when the shift/change happened.

I do believe the actual term as stated by Fens is outdated...

I think the two fighters that personafy that style which is the most conventional style I've seen is Juan Manuel MArquez and Marco Antonio Barrera, it means you are the purely orthodox fighter who keeps his hands up, uses fundamentals in their purist form.

I think guys chronologically from Ali to Leonard through WHitaker to Roy JOnes and Floyd Mayweather have adapted their great athleticism into boxing which means, they have a wider stance, more upper body movement, hands held low and use the shoulder and reflexes to get away from punches. There will be a lot more guys in the next generation of both Brittain, US, and Cuba that have adopted this style. ALso places like Kazakhstan or wherever, you are seeing even the ex-soviet countries adopting a more fluid style of fighting.

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Originally Posted by CGM

I'm thinking the distinction between American and European styles isn't as pronounced as it once was, especially in the pros. It's still there though.

Where you really saw a sharp distinction in styles was over the years in the amateurs, Olymics and World Championships, between American and Eastern European boxers, USSR especially, at the heavier weights.

It seems to me that the styles of the Cubans, such as Stevenson and Savon, were closer to the Europeans than the Americans.

This Eastern European style not only had the hands up high, but farther out from the body than the Americans

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You see the Savon and Teofilo type guys fighting more like Eastern European fighters, but you watch guys like Gamboa, Rigondeaux, Emileo Jr, and they are fighting more with the Floyd Mayweather or Roy Jones JR type of hands down, a lot less foot movement than guys like Leonard or Ali, and a lot less reliance on the jab.

It just came to me right now saying "Euro Style" is like saying "Who are you with the North or the South?"
Just outdated... IMO

http://i482.photobucket.com/albums/r.../civil_war.jpg

Typically, olden European fighters fought vertically, back straight, legs straight, forearms parallel and facing the ceiling.

The guard is also primary focused toward protecting the face and head, not as much focus on body protection or attack as the American style.

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Originally Posted by Nonito Donaire

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Originally Posted by Rantcatrat

Hands held high as opposed to low. Does the style rely more on defensive skills?

It follows that Carl Froch does NOT have a typical European style?

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As someone said Mikkel Kessler is the best example of a typical European style, or Frank Bruno. And yes Carl Froch does not have a typic European style. Carl Froch's trainer is Brendal Ingle i believe who had Naseem Hamed, Herol Graham, fighters with that low hand unorthodox style like Carl Froch.

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right on brother, euro stlye hands up baby hands up lol, a very good defensive strat as its always harder to get the money shot, although it is harder to counter their jab unless your a great body puncher or a tall long jabber, look at kesler he is a good example of a strong tall fighter no low hands, but it didnt work against calzagghe because he went for the mid points and off stepped for the headshots, a perfect example of a great boxer. back to the american style, they have a driven force about them when it comes to style, everyone wants to be flash and boystruss, hands down and chin out like roy jones does, they like to style it out, i think the best defensive style is that of early tyson, hands under the chin and elbows covering the mid, a great technique for sliping jabs and countering the other fighters moves, if you notice tyson like to throw punches at the same time as his aponent, moving to the opposite set and landing flush.

Is the European style a better style because it facilitates better defense? Do people look down upon it?

My intuition is that there is a negative connotation when describing a fighter as possessing a European Style. Is that wrong? Why is that?

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Originally Posted by Rantcatrat

Is the European style a better style because it facilitates better defense? Do people look down upon it?

My intuition is that there is a negative connotation when describing a fighter as possessing a European Style. Is that wrong? Why is that?

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I think somew European fighters in the past were seen to be a bit wooden basic and one dimensional.
Predictable because they followed the textbook.

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Originally Posted by hitmandonny

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Originally Posted by Rantcatrat

Is the European style a better style because it facilitates better defense? Do people look down upon it?

My intuition is that there is a negative connotation when describing a fighter as possessing a European Style. Is that wrong? Why is that?

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I think somew European fighters in the past were seen to be a bit wooden basic and one dimensional.
Predictable because they followed the textbook.

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A win is a win. I guess, however, the style may lead to less exciting wins?

to be robbed??

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Originally Posted by Rantcatrat

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Originally Posted by hitmandonny

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Originally Posted by Rantcatrat

Is the European style a better style because it facilitates better defense? Do people look down upon it?

My intuition is that there is a negative connotation when describing a fighter as possessing a European Style. Is that wrong? Why is that?

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I think somew European fighters in the past were seen to be a bit wooden basic and one dimensional.
Predictable because they followed the textbook.

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A win is a win. I guess, however, the style may lead to less exciting wins?

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Oh I absolutley agree, but I think the term was deminuitive and would have referred to a fighter who was limited by his style.

If I can think of an example, Richie Woodhall would be one.
A really nice fighter that fought by the textbook, but when faced with the proposition of a guy like Calzaghe he didn't have the tools to become top tier.

Like a few have said, it's outdated to say "typical" european style. It's would be better to say "old school" or "traditional" european style. Yuri Foreman is one of the best examples of this style. He's from Belarus and Israel who fights out of New York. He's a LMW Sven Ottke.

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Originally Posted by RozzySean

Like a few have said, it's outdated to say "typical" european style. It's would be better to say "old school" or "traditional" european style. Yuri Foreman is one of the best examples of this style. He's from Belarus and Israel who fights out of New York. He's a LMW Sven Ottke.

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i like yuri! hope he goes alot further then ottke :)

Fine solid style, couple rough spots in his early career but keeps winning so people cant deny him.

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Originally Posted by Tito BHB

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Originally Posted by RozzySean

Like a few have said, it's outdated to say "typical" european style. It's would be better to say "old school" or "traditional" european style. Yuri Foreman is one of the best examples of this style. He's from Belarus and Israel who fights out of New York. He's a LMW Sven Ottke.

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i like yuri! hope he goes alot further then ottke :)

Fine solid style, couple rough spots in his early career but keeps winning so people cant deny him.

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I like Yuri, too. I just wish he would go in for the kill when he's totally outclassing somebody.

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Originally Posted by CutMeMick

It just came to me right now saying "Euro Style" is like saying "Who are you with the North or the South?"
Just outdated... IMO

http://i482.photobucket.com/albums/r.../civil_war.jpg

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Man,you havent lived in the South obviously, because it isnt outdated to the south

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Originally Posted by RP33

right... best example would be Kessler i'd think..

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Actually the best example would be an early version of Wlad....Straight standing, hands up high, punches thrown in almost a planned out sequence.....EG- Jab, Left Hook, Straight Right.....Little upper body movement....

The standard European style is also best described as robotic, I think it is more or less due to repitition in training, they often work so hard at perfecting the punches that they leave little room for anything else...

Though the style does add to power because they focus so much on technique...Turning the body with the punch, not over extending, etc...

One of the biggest problems with the style is it's defense is very easy to figure out though the hands are held in a position to make sure you are not hit and those who follow it to the "T" do not really know how to variate mid fight..guys who are good body punchers and punch on all angles usually have little problems with it

Great style for the amateurs...not so much for the pros

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Originally Posted by Tito BHB

to be robbed??

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:lol:...I think that would more or less be limited to Germany