FORMER boxer Matt Legg has opened up on his remarkable life in the sport.
From his boxing beginnings behind bars, to facing Anthony Joshua at Wembley Stadium, the 46-year-old experienced the highs and lows of the sweet science.
Matt Legg opened up about his remarkable career
The 46-year-old fought Anthony Joshua at Wembley Stadium
The Northampton-born slugger survived an early brush with the law to come out stronger – with the help of taking up boxing.
On his arrest as a teenager, he told Dodge Woodall: “I didn’t do a long time. But it’s when I first started boxing. That was at 18-years-old as well.
“I got into some fights, another three fights this was. One was a fight with a doorman on a Friday night, that threw… were trying to throw my mate down some stairs.
“So I’ve seen them trying to throw him down the stairs, so I’ve jumped in to help them and I’ve had a fight with the doormen.
“The police came in and I’ve had a fight with the police as well.”
He then added: “I had a fight with the doorman on that night and the police, got arrested, got out the police station on the Saturday afternoon and it was alleged I got attacked by a gang the following night.
“And me and my mate, this is what it said in the paperwork, because I was never charged with it in the end – it was alleged I was in a fight with a gang.
“I think it was about eight or nine people – and there were broken bones, and cut heads and things like that.”
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On how he ended up going to prison for a few months in 1994, Legg went on to allege: “About a month after that I was walking out of a nightclub and I saw a friend of mine being arrested, I didn’t even know what it was for.
“And I thought the police were being a bit rough with him, I had a thing about the police when I was younger. I had a bad relationship with the police because they’d strangled me when I was about 15-16 on my motorbike.
“They knocked me off my little 50cc bike and strangled me with a torch and hit me – so I never got on with them.
“So I saw the police manhandling my mate, so I’ve said ‘calm down, you ain’t got to chuck him around like that’.
“They’ve had a go at me and I’ve attacked them again. So that was three violent things within about a month so the police remanded me straight away, because you can’t have three violent ones.”
After leaving prison Legg kept boxing, often in the Watford amateur scene observed by none other than a young Anthony Joshua himself.
Pro bouts would follow, primarily taking place at venues like Watford Town Hall and York Hall.
AJ defeated Legg in one round
The underdog was floored by AJ early on
Legg did get to mix it with the best, however, sparring Tyson Fury and even sharing the ring with AJ at Wembley.
Talking about his experience sparring the Gypsy King in 2010, Legg said, with a grin: “I landed one punch.
“I saw he’d put on Facebook, ‘all you British heavyweights, you’re all p***ies, none of you will spar me let alone fight me’.
“So my mate rung me up and said ‘have you seen this?’ So I went on the Facebook and said ‘Tyson I’ll spar you, how much are you paying?’
“And he put ‘ten grand if you can knock me out’ and I went ‘alright, what if I don’t knock you out, how much you paying?’
“It was good money, I think it was £350, £450 for four rounds, that was it.
“So I said ‘I’ll come tomorrow’, I got on the train on my own, the next day went to Manchester, Tyson picked me up with his brother Shane from the train station, drove me to the caravan site, Peter Fury had a caravan site.
Matt Legg beat James Toney at York Hall
Legg got to spar Tyson Fury in 2010
“Then me, Tyson and Shane got warmed up, Shane did the first round with Tyson. I did the second… we did it like that.
“And it was hard! Even then.”
Fearless Legg kept plugging away, registering pro wins over Radek Linka, James Toney and Deyan Mihailov – before a fairytale opportunity arose.
Asked where he was when he got the call to fight AJ, Legg said: “I was on a building site in Milton Keynes. It was Milton Keynes Dons’ stadium.
“I was lifting plasterboard upstairs, which I really loved. Two blokes were doing it before and then I started and I was doing it by myself, 44 kilo boards, and I was doing a hundred a day.”
He then added: “My manager called up and said ‘Anthony Joshua’s team have offered the AJ fight, at Wembley Stadium on the Carl Froch-George Groves rematch. I went ‘100 per cent I’ll take it.’
“I would have done it for free. If they’d have said ‘the thing is you’ve got to do it for nothing’, I’d have went ‘alright’.
“Because it was an opportunity to fight on a massive show. At the time it was the biggest show in Britain, so I said ‘yeah I’ll do it’.
“I think I had about six or seven weeks to train for it.”
Asked how much he was paid for the fight, he replied: “Eight grand, but the bloke before me got four. Eight grand but I got some sponsorship money so altogether about 11.”
On his expectations going into his dream bout, Legg said with a wry smile: “Before the fight I was confident I could catch him, I had that belief in myself, which is crazy really!”
The Brit was knocked out in round one by Joshua, in what would turn out to be his final pro bout.
Frequently Asked Questions
Are you able to learn how to box?
You can learn how to box. Find a local boxing gym and sign up for a class. Most gyms offer free classes, but if you don’t see one nearby, you can always look up local boxing clubs on Google.
Equipment such as gloves, mouthpieces, headgear and sparring partners are also required. Once you’ve got all of that, you can begin practicing your punches and kicks.
How many punches does a human take to get through a round?
A punch is “a blow delivered by a fist”. A punch can only be taken once per person. If someone punches your face in the face, it’s a punch. You can’t hit them/her back. It would be impossible to hit him/her back with two punches.
How can I defend my boxing skills by myself?
Boxing is one the oldest martial arts known. Boxing is one of the most difficult sports you can play. You can’t just punch someone across the face and make him go away. You must be able defend yourself from kicks and punches.
First, find a gym that offers boxing. Once you have located a good gym, you can get gloves and headgear. Gloves protect your hands while the headgear protects your head. Shorts and a Tshirt are also required.
After you have all the equipment you need, it’s time to get warm. You can start slowly and then increase speed gradually. When you feel ready, hit the bag and spar with another boxer. Don’t be disappointed if you do not succeed. Don’t worry if you miss. Just keep trying until it works.
How long does it take to learn boxing?
It takes about 3 months to learn boxing. This includes learning the basics, such as footwork, stance, and balance. Remember that boxing is more than just throwing punches. You also need to learn how to block and dodge attacks.
How to throw the jab
Follow this step-by-step guide to throw a jab.
- Move forward with both your feet.
- Move your arm to the top of your shoulder.
- Your target is at your feet.
- After hitting your target, swing your arm backwards.
- Steps 1 through 4 can be repeated.
How can I improve my punching form?
Boxing is all in the form of punching. For you to become a better boxer, your punch technique must be perfected. These tips will help improve your punching skills.
- Keep your head straight. When you are throwing punches, your head should be raised.
- Punch from your shoulder. Use your shoulder to strike the target when you punch.
- Pay attention to your feet. Keep your feet still when you are punching.
- Use short punches that are quick. You will feel tired quicker if you throw longer punches.
- Don’t forget about defense! Always remember to block incoming punches.
- Use your elbows. Your elbows can be used to protect yourself.
- Use your legs. Properly using your legs will help you avoid being knocked down.
- Do it every day. Even though you may feel tired after training, keep going. To be a good coach, you need to practice.
- Have fun Have fun doing what you do.
- Remember to breathe. Breathing correctly will make you stronger and give you energy.
- Relax. Do not worry about making mistakes. Learn new things instead of worrying about making mistakes.
- Be patient. Boxing isn’t easy. It takes time and practice to improve your skills.
- Never stop learning. As long there is still room for improvement, there will continue to be improvement.
- You can listen to music. Listening to music during training can help you to relax and stay focused.
- You can watch videos of professional boxers. It can inspire you to do better.
- Read books. Reading books can help you better understand boxing techniques.
- You need to take breaks. Sometimes it helps to take a break from boxing. Play basketball or soccer outside.
- Find a coach. A coach who is an expert in boxing can help you get better faster.
- Do push-ups. Push-ups are great for building strength and endurance.
How can I increase my defense against fighting?
Learning how to fight intelligently can help you improve your defense. You should be able defend against all attacks and also know how you can counterattack, if necessary.
If you don’t know the art of fighting, you won’t have the ability to win any fights. You’ll just get beaten up. But if you do know how to fight, you’ll be ready for whatever comes at you.
Here are some tips to improve your defense.
- Be aware of where your opponent is attacking. This means you must pay close attention to the body language of your opponent. You should pay attention to his body language. If he seems nervous, that could be an indication of his next attack.
- Remain calm. Don’t panic. Instead, try to remain focused and relaxed.
- Block with your arms. Blocking with your arms is a simple but effective way to defend yourself against attacks.
- Counterattack. Counterattack.
- Fight dirty. Fighting dirty is another method to defend yourself. You can also respond to an opponent’s kicks by kicking them back.
Statistics
- It is just like normal sparring with a partner, but you want to throw punches at 75% of your normal speed. (wikihow.com)
- This article received 39 testimonials and 89% of readers who voted found it helpful, earning it our reader-approved status. (wikihow.com)
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How To
Here are some basic skills in boxing
How to box effectively
Boxing has become a very popular sport. It consists of two opponents who try to knock out each other’s head. Each country has its own rules. There are three types: Amateur, Professional, or Olympic boxing.
Amateur boxing is usually practiced at school, college or university. This type of boxing allows sparring without protection. Amateur boxing matches usually consist of three rounds lasting five minutes each. There are many styles to amateur boxing like Kickboxing. Muay Thai. Taekwondo. Karate. Judo. Wrestling.
Most professional boxing takes place in gyms, clubs, and 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 takes place at the Olympics. International standards dictate that boxers must wear protective gear. The competition lasts for eight rounds, each lasting three minutes. Olympic boxing can be divided into two types: Light Flyweight (Heavyweight) and Heavyweight (Light Flyweight).
Boxing’s fundamental skills are:
- Techniques for punching
- Guarding techniques
- Footwork
- Stance
- Move your body
- Defense
- Combination
- Rotation
- Spare parts
Punching Techniques
There are seven types: Left Hook (right hook), Right Hook (uppercut), Cross (cross), Straight, Overhand, Underhand. Each punch has its own technique. Some punches are more powerful than others. For example, an uppercut requires great force. A straight punch, on the other hand requires less power and is quicker than other punches.
There are also different combinations. These are combinations that combine punches to accomplish a particular goal. One combination can have many parts. For example, a left hook followed by a right cross will cause damage to the opponent’s jaw.
Guard Techniques
Boxers use their bodies to defend themselves against attack. He does this using his legs and arms, elbows as well as hands, knees and feet.
Legs
A boxer must use his legs to defend against kicks. If he gets kicked, he raises one leg and turns away from his attacker. If the attacker is coming from the front, he will bend at the knees to avoid getting kicked on either side. But if the attack comes in the back, he will stand straight and block the kick using his foot.
Elbows
Because they inflict pain, elbow strikes can be very effective. An elbow strike may be delivered directly or in an indirect manner. Directly refers to hitting your opponent with the forearm, while indirect means you hit him using another part of your arms.
Hands
Boxers use their hands as a shield against incoming punches. To do so, they raise their fists above their head and move them towards the direction of the attack. Then they make contact with the attacker’s fist.
Knees
A boxer should bend his knees in order to absorb any blows to his stomach, abdomen, chest or stomach. Defense purposes are often served by knee strikes.
Feet
A boxer should not be afraid to respond to an attack. This allows him to put distance between himself, his opponent, and the ring. Also, boxers must maintain their balance while delivering counter-attacks.
Stances
A boxer must have a stance in order to be effective at boxing. The way he defends himself will be determined by his stance. It is how he positions himself and where he faces the opponent. There are many positions that boxers can adopt. Here are some of the more popular ones:
- A low stance
- High stance
- Southpaw stance
- Western stance
Moving your body
A boxer must change his position, speed and rhythm in order to win the fight. This means changing your speed, position and rhythm.
Rotation
When a boxer throws a punch, he rotates in order to increase the reach of his arm. You can rotate at different speeds depending upon the punch.
Combinations
The effectiveness of a combination depends on the timing of each individual punch. A good combination starts with a strong punch and ends with a weak one.
Spare parts
Sparring, a boxing practice session, is designed to improve your boxing skills. Sparring is a training session that helps a boxer train his mind and body. The purpose of sparring is, in short, to learn how fight and not get hurt.
In conclusion, learning to box requires dedication and patience. To become a better boxer, you must train hard and for a long time.
