Oscar's Defense

**J_Undisputed** · 05-10-2006 09:20 PM

Tucking your chin and deflecting blows with your arms is part of a good plan against a guy like mayorga, because he like to throw wide, sweeping hooks and any straight punches tend to be so sloppy and telegraphed, that you can see them coming a mile away.

Against a heavyweight that boxes and has a longer reach than you, its generally a bad idea to hang your arms out like that and invite a bomb to roll in straight up the middle while you're fighting off your back foot and your chin is up (as rachman did). Especially when your opponent is using the jab to sting you, set you up and create openings, rather than just blind you and measure distance like mayorga tends to.

I think if you try to change the way mayorga fights, you will negate a lot of his power. The guy has a lot of a aggression and his bad form generates good power. You can teach a guy good form, and he may be able to land more because of it.... but for a fighter like mayorga it would probably negate his effectiveness. Even if it did make him better, I wouldn't look for it for more than 2 rounds. The minute he gets hit, he'll revert back to his old brawling self.

**Purist** · 05-10-2006 09:55 PM

Some of Mayorga's power is also from angles where you don't see the punches coming and they go for your temple.

**J_Undisputed** · 05-10-2006 11:37 PM

Originally Posted by Starr

Some of Mayorga's power is also from angles where you don't see the punches coming and they go for your temple.

To me, the angles you speak of are a by product of his awkward style. Sometimes they are the only way he can land those punches. No disrespect, but with his accuracy I doubt hes really pinpointing a particular part of his opponents head as much as he is trying to just land the shot. I have never really see the guy slip in, pop someone from an angle, where it looked skillfully planned and executed. Was the damage intentional? yes, but its not the "can't miss" kind of technique that appears premeditated and kind of thing he has sharpened over the years. Theres no doubt in my mind hes wants to hit something important on his opponent and obliterate it. But his control deficient style and the kind accuracy that would make that would make pinpoint punches on the temple, his "art" tend to mix like oil and water. Not that its impossible, but even the off angle shots he's put people down with, arent exactly demonstrations of technical precision.