BOXING shot itself in the hand repeatedly in 2022 with some of the biggest fights collapsing long before the first bell.
By far the biggest swerve came when Anthony Joshua refused to accept Tyson Fury’s heavyweight challenge.
Leigh Wood and Michael Conlan played out one of the great fights of 2022
Elsewhere, Terence Crawford and Errol Spence continued to dodge each other at welterweight.
On top of dodgy decisions and doping scandals, major fights collapsing over money and ego turn fans away from the sport on a monthly basis.
But, thankfully, plenty of heroes did step up to the plate last year to provide us some beautiful, brutal boxing.
SunSport takes a look at the five best fights from 2022…
Leigh Wood vs Michael Conlan – March 12
Irish Olympic icon Conlan cannot say he was not warned by his featherweight rival.
The Belfast man taunted and teased Wood about his boxing ability in the build-up with a tongue as quick as his feet and hands.
But Wood quietly informed his foe that his freakish one-punch meant he would be a genuine threat even if 11 rounds down on the scorecards and heading for certain defeat.
When Wood was dropped in the first round, it looked like it would be an even more textbook win for Conlan.
But the underdog rallied, dropped Conlan in the 11th and knocked him clean out of the ring with just a few seconds of the fight remaining for a fairytale win.
Katie Taylor vs Amanda Serrano – April 30
Ireland’s Olympic legend vs Puerto Rico’s seven-weight world champion at Madison Square Garden delivered an epic fight.
The two boxing nations already punch well above their weights and these two women did their nations proud.
Taylor emerged victorious and retained her title as the undisputed lightweight queen with a split decision.
But Serrano came closest to the stoppage and – having been a world champ as low as super-flyweight – she gained huge respect from the narrow loss.
Ireland’s Katie Taylor and Amanda Serrano’s fight was a gruelling epic
Chris Billam-Smith vs Isaac Chamberlain – July 30
Bournemouth gentleman CBS took big-time boxing back to the South Coast and packed his local arena with 3,000 screaming fans.
Brixton’s Chamberlain should have been intimated by the scorching atmosphere and gone on the back foot but he stood and traded with his cruiserweight rival over 12 gruelling and bloody rounds.
Both men looked disfigured by the end but only the three scorecards – all of 117-111 – were ugly as it was a much closer contest.
CBS retained his cruiserweight and European titles and the bout exceeded all expectations.
Isaac Chamberlain was left almost unrecognisable as he showed off his ‘battle scars’ following his epic fight with Chris Billam-Smith
Jordan Gill vs Karim Guerfi – February 27
Peterborough featherweight Gill was behind on all three scorecards – going into the ninth round – after being dropped in the seventh and outboxed for most of the fight.
With a draw and a loss in his previous five fights, he was fighting for his career – and losing.
Round eight and the start of nine were hard to watch as the brave Englishman took a pasting and started to bruise and bleed.
Backed up into his corner and with his swollen right eye giving him problems and the referee inspecting the worsening wound, he looked finished.
Then he dug into his soul and pulled out a right hand that wiped the Frenchman clean out and secured one of the finest British comebacks of modern time.
Jordan Gill fought his way to an incredible, unlikely win over Karim Guerfi
Joe Joyce vs Joseph Parker – September 24
These two giants starred in a Manchester bloodbath that secured Joyce’s position at the front of the heavyweight world title chasing pack.
Kiwi former WBO champ Parker punched the Putney Juggernaut with every shot in the book but could not put a single dent in the undefeated amateur artist.
After a trademark slow start, Joyce started slashing lumps and lacerations into Parker’s face, one particularly evil dig even sent blood spewing over the ringside photographers.
Parker’s spirit and chin were broken in the 11th round when Joyce unleashed a hellish left hook that sent him tumbling to the floor for the correct stoppage.
Joe Joyce scrapped his way to a remarkable win over Joseph Parker in September
Frequently Asked Questions
How long does learning to box take?
Boxing is one of the oldest martial arts known to man. China was home to the first ever boxing match, which took place around 2200 BC. Boxing has been practiced over thousands of year. Athletes and celebrities still love boxing. It takes around 10 months for a boxer to be proficient.
Because boxing involves so many movements, it is slow to learn. To perform each movement properly, you need specific muscles. It takes time to train these muscles.
After you learn how to move your own body, you can practice any type of boxing. Each technique will become easier over time.
Can you learn to box?
Yes, it is possible to learn how to box. All you have to do is find a nearby boxing club and join a class. You will find most gyms offering free classes. However, if there isn’t one near you, you can always search Google for local boxes clubs.
Equipment such as gloves, mouthpieces, headgear and sparring partners are also required. Once you have all the equipment, you can start practicing your kicks and punches.
How long do boxers train a day?
Boxing trainers usually work out at least 4 hours a day. They learn new moves and practice their punches. Boxers can spar up to 10 times per week.
Statistics
- This article received 39 testimonials and 89% of readers who voted found it helpful, earning it our reader-approved status. (wikihow.com)
- You want to be running at roughly 75-80% of your top speed..5 mile slow, easy recovery jog at the end.[6]X Research source 2Mix in long runs, shadow boxing, and short sprints on non-interval days. (wikihow.com)
External Links
boxandflow.com
expertboxing.com
How To
Here are the Basic Skills of Boxing
How to box effectively
Boxing is a popular sport. Two opponents fight each other to the death. Different countries have different rules. There are three types generally of boxing: Amateur (Professional) and Olympic (Olympic).
Amateur boxing usually takes place at school, college and university. This type of boxing includes sparring sessions with padded gloves and without any protection. Usually amateur boxing competitions consist of three rounds of five minutes each. There are many styles of amateur boxing such as Kickboxing or Muay Thai, Taekwondo and Karate, Judo and Wrestling, among others.
Professional boxing is usually practiced in gyms, clubs or stadiums. They are equipped with protective equipment including a mouthpiece and nose guard, shinguards as well as elbow pads, knee pads. Waist belts and groin protectors. Professional boxing competitions consist of six rounds lasting four minutes each. There are several different styles of professional boxing including Boxing, MMA (Mixed Martial Arts), Kickboxing, Muay Thai, Taekwondo and others.
Olympic boxing is done at the Olympics. Boxers wear special protective gear, which must conform to international standards. The competition lasts eight rounds of three minutes each. There are only two styles of Olympic boxing; Light Flyweight and Heavyweight.
The basic skills of boxing are:
- Punching techniques
- Guarding techniques
- Footwork
- Stance
- Body movement
- Defense
- Combination
- Rotation
- Spare parts
Punching Techniques
There are seven kinds of punches: Left Hook, Right Hook, Uppercut, Cross, Straight, Overhand and Underhand. Each punch has its own technique. Some punches are more powerful than others. An uppercut, for instance, requires tremendous strength. A straight punch, on the other hand requires less power and is quicker than other punches.
There are also many combinations. These are combinations of punches which work together to achieve a goal. An entire combination could have several parts. For example, a left hook followed by a right cross will cause damage to the opponent’s jaw.
Guard Techniques
A boxer uses his body to protect himself against attacks. He does this by using his legs.
Legs
Boxers should use their legs to defend against kicks. When he’s hit, he raises his right leg and runs away from the attacker. To avoid being kicked on the sides, he bends at his knees when the attacker strikes from the front. He will block the kick with his foot if the attack is coming from behind.
Elbows
Because elbow strikes inflict a lot of pain, they are very effective. An elbow strike may be delivered directly or in an indirect manner. Directly, you strike your opponent with your forearm. Indirectly, you hit him with another portion of your arm.
Hands
Boxers use their arms to stop incoming blows. To do this, they raise their fists higher than their heads and move their arms in the direction that the attack is coming. They then touch the attackers fist.
Knees
When receiving a blow to the stomach, abdomen or chest, a boxer should bend his knees to absorb the impact. Knee strikes are often used for defense purposes.
Feet
A boxer should not be afraid to respond to an attack. This will allow him to gain distance from his opponent. Boxers should also keep their balance when counter-attacking.
Stances
In order to box effectively, a boxer needs to establish a stance. His stance will determine how he defends. It is how he positions himself and where he faces the opponent. Boxers have many options for stances. These are some of our most favorite:
- Low stance
- High stance
- Southpaw stance
- Western stance
Body Movement
Boxers must maneuver around their opponent to win fights. This means changing your speed, position and rhythm.
Rotation
To increase his punching power, a boxer rotates when he throws a punch. The rotation is done at different speeds depending on the type of punch.
Combinations
The timing of each individual punch affects the effectiveness or failure of a combination. A combination that works well starts with strong punches and ends with weak ones is a winning combination.
Spare parts
Sparring is an exercise session to improve boxing skills. A sparring session is where a boxer trains both his mind and his body. The purpose of sparring is, in short, to learn how fight and not get hurt.
To sum it all, boxing requires patience and dedication. To become a better fighter, you have to train hard and continue to work.
