Sports 2000

Strong legs are underrated in boxing. Fans often rave about a promising fighter’s punching power. Purists, however, will notice a boxer’s legs. If his legs are slow, a fighter will have trouble staying out of range of his opponent’s punches.

Think of the “rope-a-dope” fight in 1974 between Muhammed Ali and George Foreman. Foreman was considered the strongest puncher of his time. Even 20 years later, his right hook was powerful enough to stop a heavyweight champion. In Manila though, Ali was able to tire Foreman, who admittedly didn’t train well beforehand. Foreman controlled the early rounds but he tired by the fight’s midway point.

In the eighth round, his legs were stiff and his energy was sapped. Without strong legs, Foreman lacked the power to frighten Ali. Ali was then able to dominate the fight and stop Foreman.

Baseball pitchers will tell you they may pitch with their arms but they throw with their legs. They generate power with their entire bodies. A sure sign pitchers are tired is when their pitches are high. Without their core muscles and legs, pitchers are not able to generate the power needed to harness their pitches.

Quarterbacks will say the same thing. You can tell when their mechanics are off when they overthrow their receivers. It makes sense. Look at your arm. Then look at your leg. Which one is twice as big as the other? Boxing is no different. They may throw punches with their arms but they actually punch with their entire bodies. The base of that power comes from the legs.

If he is tired, a boxer also won’t be able to cut off angles within the ring. Keeping the opponent in the corner is good to pummel him with a fury of hooks, jabs and uppercuts. Without quick legs, a fighter won’t be able to keep his opponent corraled. Letting the opponent dictate the pace and position of the action is the surest way to be defeated. Lacking strong legs is the quickest method to let the opponent force the action.

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