See going backwards and pulling away are 2 really different things. First if you stay in your corect stance your head will be of the center to your right(for orthodox). This means it will be at the furdest distance from your oponents right hand. In this position we can not talk for right cross. I have written a post befor a week or so about the right cross. There you can see Kenny Weldon (someone who knows something about boxing not like me) explaining it. So from this position if i go backwards with taking my head with the leg rotating my front leg and sholders i have acomplished 4 defensive manuvers in one. First the sholder row then this makes my head to go even further off the center. So i have sliped a punch in the same movement. Then it comes the loading on the right hand which i can use as a reaction punch (this makes 3). And on the last place going away from your left hook. So in this position i am secure, i can throw punches and i can move. Here are some examples what you can do with this movement:
http://www.saddoboxing.com/boxingfor...-videos-3.html (at about 4 min)
(at 5:30)
(at 1:45)
(at 4:46 there is more on our dicution)

(at 1:40 to the end)

So this are the reasons why i think going backwards is really solid move!
Now lets talk about the pull away. On my mind comes Muhamed Ali. He is constantly making this pull away and get hit so many times. Hire is a small example:
(at 6:40)
YouTube - gggleeson68's Channel (and all the guys in this clip)
Between this movements there is so much difference!