Reverse Engineering Archie Moore and his "Lock" System

[Andre]

I've been watching a lot of Duran lately and he seemed to follow a lot of pathways on this flowchart, especially as he liked to catch jabs a hell of a lot.

It's funny as there is no 'set play' for defending jab-hook combinations, or hooking of the jab (or off a feinted jab etc).

Both got nailed by similar shots (De Jesus/ Patterson).

If you watch Duran in the rubber match against De Jesus, count the number of jab-hook-cross combinations he throws. Obviously learned something over the years.

It's a good system to work from in parts but not exclusively (flaws noted above). It doesn't account hooks being thrown from further outside as more fighters could manage to do over the years, as athleticism increased.

There is a real simple method for defending against jab/hook combinations. You catch the jab- don't reach out for it, keep your right hand right in front of your chin. To block the hook, pick your right glove up and shift your weight onto your left foot and turn slightly over that foot. This enables you to roll a bit inside the hook rather than having it hit you square when you block it. Also, it puts you in position to come back with your own left hook. Finally, the motion of turning over the left leg is the same as it is for throwing a right hand; a right uppercut is a nifty counter to a hook to the body and you can drop a straight right inside a wide hook, especially one thrown from outside.
Archie probably didn't account for 'long range hooks' because, in his day, they were thrown mostly by rank amateurs. Indeed, going back to the earliest days of the gloved era, when long range hooks were called swings, they have been viewed with disdain. But, to many in boxing, disdain is nothing to get you down, so that is not why swings fell into disfavor. It was because when you swing, you don't really know which part of your hand is going to hit the opponent so swinging caused hand problems. Modern gloves, not athleticism, have made them favorable again.
Not to mention that boxing is in such dark days, skill-wise, that it is seen as entirely likely that one will fight guys- regularly- that are so defensively inept, that you can leap in and potshot them, like in a movie.

Top post.

Excuse me diverging but talking about swings and hooks.

I've always thought it weird seeing fighters not swing a shot through the path of an opponents head who is playing around or has the habit of going side to side. Follow the path of the target and it will get it even on the way back, move in with a tight hook or step out to the side and swing one through the path.

How many times do you see people fix a stance and take straight pot shots at a head that is simply moving side to side in front of them? I recon 99% of the time.

I remember Roy would even put his hands near his knees and do it! Could never get over how he knew how dumb or frustrated his opponents were at that stage to get away with that shit.

Like you say mate dark days skill wise.