Why do so many people think Combinations are so important?

[tedsares]

Watch Eddie Chambers fight and then you will know why.

[El Kabong]

Combinations set up other punches.....not everyone has the natural skill of Roy Jones Jr.

[El Kabong]

Watch Eddie Chambers?

here's a better example

Watch Mike Tyson from 1985-1990....then watch Mike Tyson 1990-2005!!!!

[RozzySean]

If you have less than average power, combinations are the only way you can hurt an opponent with any kind of chin. The receiver of the punch is much more likely to get hurt during the course of a flurry and from 6 separate individual counter punchers. The more 1 punch power you possess, the less you need to rely on counters.

As this relates to Floyd, I think most boxing fans, not just casual fans, but serious fans, too, think that KO's are somewhat important. Floyd can't KO top fighters with his pot-shot, 1 or 2 punch conservative attack. He can beat them, but he won't KO them. To me, if you don't hurt an opponent, you don't dominate him. You might beat him, but you don't dominate him. Floyd can dominate mid-level guys with that attack, but he can't dominate the upper echelon, because he won't take the risk of letting his hands go in combos, for better or worse. Maybe it's just smart.

[Taeth]

Watch Eddie Chambers?

here's a better example

Watch Mike Tyson from 1985-1990....then watch Mike Tyson 1990-2005!!!!

Mike Tyson had a lot more problems than just combinations... He wasn't using head movement was a bigger problem for him IMO.

[Taeth]

If you have less than average power, combinations are the only way you can hurt an opponent with any kind of chin. The receiver of the punch is much more likely to get hurt during the course of a flurry and from 6 separate individual counter punchers. The more 1 punch power you possess, the less you need to rely on counters.

As this relates to Floyd, I think most boxing fans, not just casual fans, but serious fans, too, think that KO's are somewhat important. Floyd can't KO top fighters with his pot-shot, 1 or 2 punch conservative attack. He can beat them, but he won't KO them. To me, if you don't hurt an opponent, you don't dominate him. You might beat him, but you don't dominate him. Floyd can dominate mid-level guys with that attack, but he can't dominate the upper echelon, because he won't take the risk of letting his hands go in combos, for better or worse. Maybe it's just smart.

Mayweather does use combinations when its open, and I think a boxer should if they can land every punch, but I see guys just flailing away it looks sloppy, and doesn't impress me at all. In Leonard-Duran I sometimes Leoanrd would throw the most useless combinations and I would be like WTF just box on the outside or set into each punch a little more. I have no problem with sharp crisp combinations like Mayweather throws or Roy Jones Jr. or prime Mike Tyson, but I am talking about shoe shining which Meldrick and Leonard tended to do a lot, and I hate it.

[El Kabong]

a lot more problems than just combinations... He wasn't using head movement was a bigger problem for him IMO.

Yes but when he was older he wasted all his energy winding up on 1 big punch at a time but he still had the handspeed to SCORE he just didn't use it....and therefore fights that would once be easy for him became very difficult and he ended up losing to Williams and McBride because of it.

[RozzySean]

If you have less than average power, combinations are the only way you can hurt an opponent with any kind of chin. The receiver of the punch is much more likely to get hurt during the course of a flurry and from 6 separate individual counter punchers. The more 1 punch power you possess, the less you need to rely on counters.

As this relates to Floyd, I think most boxing fans, not just casual fans, but serious fans, too, think that KO's are somewhat important. Floyd can't KO top fighters with his pot-shot, 1 or 2 punch conservative attack. He can beat them, but he won't KO them. To me, if you don't hurt an opponent, you don't dominate him. You might beat him, but you don't dominate him. Floyd can dominate mid-level guys with that attack, but he can't dominate the upper echelon, because he won't take the risk of letting his hands go in combos, for better or worse. Maybe it's just smart.

Mayweather does use combinations when its open, and I think a boxer should if they can land every punch, but I see guys just flailing away it looks sloppy, and doesn't impress me at all. In Leonard-Duran I sometimes Leoanrd would throw the most useless combinations and I would be like WTF just box on the outside or set into each punch a little more. I have no problem with sharp crisp combinations like Mayweather throws or Roy Jones Jr. or prime Mike Tyson, but I am talking about shoe shining which Meldrick and Leonard tended to do a lot, and I hate it.

I hate shoeshine combinations, too, but not every punch needs to land for a combo to be effective. Let's take the basic 1,2,3. Say the jab gets parried and the right gets slipped, but the hook hits right on the button. It's a pretty successful combo, no?

[yoitsdan]

The fact is that a combination of punches can only be dealt with y a huge counter, or more combination punches that are better, by by waiting for the guy throwing a combo to get tired and hit them back with something more impressive. Punches in bunches win fights, thats simple. Calzaghe crushed Lacy with repeated combo's of 6, 7 even 15-16 punches, if your throwing so many punches that all land, you CANNOT lose, combo's look so much more impressive than the odd pot shot every now and then, its so much easier, even when I used to spar its just so easy to sit tight and throw the odd one. Combo punchers seem more determined to win, its almost subconscious. It's the difference between PBF and SRL. Thats why people love Ray Leonard so much.

[Punisher136]

It's better to have the ability to throw good combos than not. If you're really good at it you're opponent wont be able to adjust to your timing and if he does, throw in some feints.

[RozzySean]

The fact is that a combination of punches can only be dealt with y a huge counter, or more combination punches that are better, by by waiting for the guy throwing a combo to get tired and hit them back with something more impressive. Punches in bunches win fights, thats simple. Calzaghe crushed Lacy with repeated combo's of 6, 7 even 15-16 punches, if your throwing so many punches that all land, you CANNOT lose, combo's look so much more impressive than the odd pot shot every now and then, its so much easier, even when I used to spar its just so easy to sit tight and throw the odd one. Combo punchers seem more determined to win, its almost subconscious. It's the difference between PBF and SRL. Thats why people love Ray Leonard so much.

I love combination punching, but I have to agree with Taeth about Leonard. I always hated his meaningless, flashing pity-pat shoeshine. Calzaghe does some of it, too. You mention 15 punch combos against Lacy, well, sure, but lots of those were visually impressive, but not very damaging Same with Leonard v Hagler. On the other hand, he threw some pretty damaging 6 punch combos. Also, Leonard and Calzaghe are both very accurate puncher when they need to be.

Certain types of fighters, swarmers, don't need to punch accurately, if they can keep up pace and land enough shots with power to hurt there oponent. Although Oscar isn't normally a swarmer, he adopted some swarming tactics agains Floyd. For all of Oscar's misses last week, if he could have landed 1-2 CLEAN headshots per round, he probably would have won the fight, and he would have hurt Floyd. Against any other fighter with limited power, Oscars combo's would have created opening and he would have landed. At the same time, if Floyd had better 1 shot power, Oscar would have faced a KO by opening himself up with flurries.

Take a CC, Dan. Dan is 100% correct. Combo punchers seem harder working and fans like that. Judges, really, shouldn't be swayed, but they are. Just look at judge who went for Oscar. I've watched and rescored Leonard-Hagler a few time, and although I thought Hagler won, he left the door open by not throwing enough and by giving away early rounds. It's important to consider how your style and approach will play with the judges. For right or wrong, good or bad, they are a huge part of the sport.

[Jimanuel Boogustus]

Its hard to say this but as an example, Floyd Maywaether chose to pot-shot (as usual) as a way to keep a high regard to his defence.
Oscar didn't choose to pot shot but was (in the earlier stages of the fight at least) defensively tighter and much more the agressor.


Im saying this because at first i was thinking "well pot shotting means surely that the guy is punching more effectively and probably is taking less hits for it".

But thats not always the case.

I dunno But just to answer the question...
Combinations are VERY important if you cant rely on much else. But thats about it.

[tedsares]

Because you get hit with many punches over a short period of time and it can triple or quad the punishment if the combos are thrown crisply. Also, it can make afighter lose focus and set him up for a shot down the middle.