Nerdcore Boxing

I drove out to this other boxing gym for some more sparring tonight. Got 2 rounds with one of the same dudes as last time. This time I did 10x better, the ring rust is literally melting off:

• I was reaching less, coming forward and landing solid single-double-triple jabs with my lead shoulder high and tight and without being countered
• Landed a number of 2 punch combos, but nowhere near as many as I should be. I need to get back to landing 3, 4 or 5 punch combos.
• Caught him anticipating my jab, so in the 2nd round I stepped forward threw and landed a clean lead right. I love this trick.
• Worked the body, couple straight rights, jab-right hook and a sweet jab-left-hook combo.
• When coming forward he kept catching me with a check hook. I had to admire his counter, I need to learn this too.
• Controlled the fight with my footwork and general foot speed, if I want to engage we punch, if I don’t want to he can’t catch me. My coach is now referring to my new footwork as a, “major weapon”

So the first guy goes home and I’m itching for some more work. I’m 5′10″ and an out of shape 183-ish pounds but I’m desperate for more rounds. One of the heavyweights is hanging around cause his sparring partners left. He’s at least 6′3″, advertised 215 lbs, super fast and mobile. I’ve worked with a few 6′1″ boxers, but never guys this tall so I ask for some of the big guy despite the 30 lbs difference.

I had a lot of trouble with him. My trainers said I looked really good and did most everything right, but he just wasn’t a fair boxer to compare my performance against so not to worry about it. Here are the highlights:

• I landed a few jabs and some body hooks,
• Using my footwork and head movement I actually was able to get inside. Sometimes I got countered on the way in, sometimes not.
• What sucked was when I got inside he outboxed me. Dude shined the shoes and exited the side before I got off much. Isn’t the short guy supposed to have the advantage inside!?!? Not fair I say!
• One trainer explained that when I get past his jab and change levels to fight inside and work the body I have to hit him with something solid on the way in to stun him. Without stunning him he was ready to shine the shoes and exit sideways.
• He laded a few stiff jabs right on my left cheek bone and two right hands. One right hand was really hard, I felt every one of the 30 pounds of weight difference. Now I have a most excellent black eye for work tomorrow.
• Oddly enough I had success sitting right outside his punch range, slipping jabs and avoiding his offense with my footwork. His feet where fast, but my lateral movement keeps me safe. I would have done this for all of the 2 rounds, but I was afraid I’d never get a punch off this way, so I went Frazier to his Ali and experimented with closing the distance.

I’m not sure I’m going to volunteer to spar tall fast heavyweights again, but my trainer said I should have stayed on the outside next time and dropped his punch output way down and tried to counter him when he came forward. He also told me to study Paul Williams vs. Sergio Martinez to see how to implement the strategy of the short guy hanging outside and countering the tall fast guy when he comes forward.