Author: Fighterside

To be able to throw and land effective punches as a tall boxer, we’ve put together 5 key tips to remember while training.

5 tips for taller boxers are

1. Protect The Body
2. Use Range To Your Advantage
3. Drown Your Opponent
4. Use The Jab
5. Improve Your Hand Speed

With these tips, you’ll be able to outmatch your opponent who seems to have a slight advantage. Read on for a more detailed guide on how to fight as a taller boxer. 

How to Fight as a Tall Boxer

Contrary to popular belief, fighting with a shorter opponent is no easy feat. Here are a few tips to help you impose yourself.

1. Protect the Body

The taller a fighter is, the bigger a target they present to their opponent. Tall boxers must always be mindful of protecting their bodies. It is easy for a shorter fighter to duck under their punches, targeting their ribs and midsection. Not only does this make you lose points, but it also wears you down in the course of a fight.

Body shots are very effective offensive tools because they take the wind out of you and cause you to breathe heavily. This hampers your offense and slows down your movement.  You can be sure a shorter opponent will take advantage of this and use this strategy when facing you so you can use these strategies.

• Block and Parry

Blocking and parrying is the best way to improve your defense. This requires constant practice and good hand-eye coordination as you must quickly anticipate your opponent’s next move and counter it accordingly. The most common form of defense against body shots is extending the elbows to cover your ribcage and part of the midsection. Use your elbows and twist your body to block shots coming in at your sides. Parrying is the more effective technique, whereby you deflect your opponent’s blow and set up a counter.

• Train Your Core

A strong midsection is better conditioned to taking body shots. Exercises such as leg raise, flutter kicks, and crunches are a good start. However, the best way to train your core is by sparring. This will give you a real-world simulation of what it is like to take body shots.

Your sparring partner should focus on attacking your body so you can get used to defending against such blows. Rotate your body in the opposite direction of your sparring partner’s punch. This is called ‘rolling with the punch.’ This is also the perfect time to practice blocking and parrying body shots.

2. Use Range to Your Advantage

Taller boxers have the advantage both at long range and at short range, as they can hit their opponents without getting hit and can lean back to dodge a blow to the head. Shorter fighters only have the advantage in mid-range. Mike Tyson’s first loss by knockout was to James “Buster” Douglas, a fighter who was much taller at 6’4 and had greater reach.

The further away your opponent is, the greater the advantage. Keeping your opponent away with jabs is a good strategy. That way, you conserve your energy while getting your opponent to waste his. Lead with power shots and wait for him to get into mid-range to deliver the knockout. 

3. Learn the Drowning Style

This passive-aggressive fighting style is perfect for tall boxers who don’t like to block punches. “Drowning” refers to taking an opponent into the late rounds, defeating them using experience and endurance. This fighting style was popular with legends like Vitaly and Vladimir Klitschko, as well as Oscar De La Hoya and Thomas Hearns.

Drowning keeps pressure on your opponent by following them around the ring, allowing you to wear them out while utilizing less energy. You don’t have to hit your opponent hard, you just have to keep them on the retreat, and when they bounce back, you should be prepared to dodge their counter. Drowning Style is a fairly intermediate fighting style, which means it is relatively easy to learn. 

Here is how you can drown your opponent.

• Find the “Sweet Spot”

Size up your opponent’s range. Find the distance at which they cannot strike you, but you can strike them. Fortunately, it is easier to do this when you are taller or have longer arms than your opponent. Taking a small step back (it doesn’t have to be both feet; even the back foot will do) pulls you out of range but still gives you an opening for a counter-attack.

When your opponent strikes back, they should be swinging in the air. This is a great way to trap your opponent in the corner. Backtrack when they swing at you, and then step forward again to keep the pressure on them.

• Footwork

The Drowning Style relies more on footwork than punching. Tall boxers should practice stepping in and out of their opponent’s range inches at a time, even as they chase them around the ring. Footwork, along with counterpunching and range control, is arguably the most important part of drowning. 

• Keep Pressure on Your Opponent

Invade your opponent’s space. Give them no breathing room. Follow them around the ring. Jab at them constantly. Again, your blows don’t have to be hard, just constant and unyielding.

Even pushing them away when they attempt to move in is enough. The goal is to keep your opponent uncomfortable and on the retreat. Drowning, as the name implies, should be slow and methodical.

• Counterpunch

Counterpunches are the cornerstone of defensive techniques in boxing. When your opponent misses a blow, you counter immediately after backing up. As the taller fighter, your punches will typically come from over the top. It’s easier to counter if you bend your knees before your opponent strikes. This will give him a lower target. Immediately your opponent strikes, unbend your knees slightly, lift yourself out of the way and counter with an overhand right or left hook.  

4. Use Jabs

The height and range that taller fighters have, make jabs their go-to move. Use jabs to keep your opponent at bay, to wear down their resolve, and to irritate them into making mistakes. Don’t worry about power; focus on speed and accuracy. Remember,  it is relatively easy for your opponent to dodge jabs if they can see them coming.  Mix it up with long right hands to catch them off guard and set up counterpunches.

5. Work on Your Hand Speed

Taller boxers tend to have larger, heavier frames and longer arms. This means that their punches are slower on average than shorter boxers. If you are a tall boxer, it’s important to work on your hand speed. There’s no use having an advantage in range if you can’t land your punches in time. These methods will help increase your hand speed:

• Weighted Shadowboxing
• Plyometric Pushups
• Speed Bag Drills

Advantages of Being a Tall Boxer

All things being equal, taller boxers almost always are superior to shorter boxers. Even at the elite level, it is rare to see a successful shorter boxer who doesn’t have another outstanding skill or ability, for example, great hand speed, physical power, or agility.

• Range

Taller boxers have a greater range. At a certain distance, they can hit shorter fighters but cannot be hit by them.

• Easier to Land Headshots

Because their shorter opponents have to punch upwards, they overextend themselves and leave their heads unprotected. This makes them an easy target. Their heads are also closer to the taller fighter’s hands. 

• Clinching/Crushing Opponents

This is a common technique used by boxers to stall or frustrate their opponents. This refers to grabbing an opponent’s arms to stop them from punching. Taller fighters can easily clinch their opponents. In crushing, you put all your body weight onto your opponent. This depletes their stamina very quickly from your body, weighing them down, preventing them from moving or fighting back.

Taller boxers have a higher center of gravity, meaning they can always lean on their opponents, but their opponents cannot do the same. In a fight, simply grab your opponent and lean on him. There’s nothing he can do about it.

Get That Shot In

Tall boxers often have a reputation for being slow, clumsy, uncoordinated, and unfit, but some of the best boxers in the world also happen to be giants in the ring, like the Klitschko brothers, who are nearly seven feet tall. 

With the proper training and approach, taller boxers can dominate their competition by utilizing their superior range, higher center of gravity, and height difference to their advantage. Working on your hand speed, training your core, and blocking or parrying punches will help defend against the natural advantage shorter fighters have in the ring. Endurance and skill can always be worked on in the gym, but body composition and height is down to genetics and nothing else. 

One of the reasons Sugar Ray Robinson is remembered is because of his ability to box moving backward.  Knowing how to shift your weight is an integral part of boxing and will help you out of sticky situations in the ring. Proper footwork and stance are fundamental and cannot be stressed enough.

To box off the back foot successfully, you will need to learn how to keep your legs straight, stand tall, rotate on the balls of your feet, lower your center of gravity and create space. 

In boxing, fundamentals are the basis of every move you make. With these basics, you will be able to  fight comfortably in situations that require you to shift your weight to your back foot, such as when moving backward, pivoting, and countering.Read on to learn how to box off the back foot to improve your chances inside the ring.

How to Box off the Back Foot

Suppose you are leaning back while boxing; you keep your distance from your opponent. It is excellent for beginners and experienced fighters alike. If you like to fight defensively or use counterpunches, then this is the ideal fighting style for you. You can keep your opponents away using jabs and hooks, and placing weight on your back foot pulls your head off-center, making it harder for your opponent to hit. You can also block their right hand with your left shoulder.

Moving ‘in and out’ is an essential skill that all fighters must master. Boxing depends on understanding and manipulating your position in relation to your opponent. Back foot boxing helps control range, which in turn controls the pace of the bout. 

1. Keep Your Legs Straight

Typically in boxing, you bend your knees. It allows you to spring up and deliver explosive punches and moves forward to close the distance with your enemy quickly. However, when boxing on your back foot you are adopting a more defensive and elusive stance. 

You want to avoid getting hit by stepping back from your opponent’s punches and continuously moving around him. Muhammad Ali was a master of this technique, and a cursory glance at his fights will show that he mostly kept his legs straight while dancing around his opponents in the ring. Keeping your legs straight will allow your body to move more efficiently. 

2. Stand Tall

The spine is the axis of movement in the body. If you stand upright and tall, it is easier to shift your weight onto your back foot. Note that the spine is not the ORIGIN of movement, but it is a POINT of action. So, don’t hunch your back or tighten your shoulders too much. It’s crucial to remain loose and relaxed, so you can push off of your back foot and attack your opponent or shift the weight back onto it whenever necessary. A rigid upper body hampers the movement and flexibility of your lower body.

3. Rotate on the Balls of Your Feet

To move gracefully, you should distribute your body weight on the balls of your feet. This type of ‘rolling’ movement is the most efficient for back foot boxing as it allows you to shift your weight to move around or away from your opponent in a fraction of a second. When pushing backward, push off the ball of your foot. It forces your body away from its original position with more power than if you had stepped back with your heels first. Stepping on and off of the metatarsal bones in your feet generates power, increases your agility and the control of your movement.

4. Lower Your Center of Gravity

If you watch recorded footage of boxers who like to fight on the back foot, you will notice that they tend to drop their front hand. You will also see that their head will lean towards the direction of the foot with more weight (back foot). Both the hand and the head positions are a result of the distribution of their body weight. It is because lowering your hand(s) helps you maintain balance. It also allows you to move your head and body more. You don’t have to lower your hands down to your sides. That would leave you defenseless. Dropping them down to chin or chest level is enough to do the trick.

5. Create Space

Whenever your opponent starts to attack you, create space for yourself by stepping back or moving out of the way. The objective is not to run but rather to position your body just outside his striking range. Not only does this frustrate your opponent, but it also allows you to study his movements, have some breathing room, and set him up for a counterpunch.

How NOT to Box on your Back Foot

Apart from covering up, everything else in boxing comes with its risks, mostly when not done correctly. Here is a list of mistakes to avoid when boxing off your back foot.

• Don’t Run

As explained above, running is not the goal of back foot fighting. It might seem like the easy option, but it’s not very useful unless, of course, you are far ahead of your opponent on the judge’s scorecard. If you are too far from your opponent, you’ll waste valuable energy trying to close in and hit him with counterpunches. 

• Don’t Fight on the Inside

Fighting on the inside puts you up close with the enemy. The objective is to keep some distance between you and your adversary, not too close, not too far. You should be just outside your opponent’s striking range. After you’ve worn him out by continually moving around and stepping back from his attacks, it can be tempting to close the distance and assault your enemy with a flurry of head and body shots to achieve a quick knockout or knockdown.

DO NOT do this. Back foot fighting relies on defensive and evasive maneuvers. 

• Don’t Drop Your Guard

Fighting on the back foot and relying on counterpunches doesn’t mean you get to neglect your defensive boxing skills. Never leave your head or body unprotected. It only takes one good head or liver shot to end the fight. Use a high guard to protect your head, and drop your arms or roll your body to defend against combos to your body and head. Keep your enemy at a distance but watch his fists. Don’t let him catch you when you’re vulnerable.

Remember to keep a clear line of sight between you and your opponent so you can see what he’s doing. Distance only diminishes the threat; it does not eliminate it. Just keep your head down close and keep punching.

• Don’t Be Predictable

You can retreat and dance around your opponent all you want. In the end, you won’t defeat him if all you do is telegraph your punches by throwing jabs at him when he gets too close. Mix up your attacks and counterpunches with a variety of jabs, crosses, and uppercuts.

Advantages of Boxing off the Back Foot

Shifting your weight to your rear foot comes with its advantages. Here is an in-depth look at some of them.

Conserve Energy

Back foot fighting allows you to save your strength and stamina for counterpunches. If you do it right, your opponent will be swinging at air, tiring them out. This technique also works to frustrate them and their strategy.

Protect Yourself

Staying out of range or just outside the range of your opponent means you can avoid getting hit.  Keep them at bay with jabs and hooks and dance around them when they move in for the attack. Muhammad Ali’s “Rope a Dope” tactics utilized this tactic to maximize efficiency. By allowing his opponent to exert himself by pursuing him and swinging at a target he just couldn’t hit, Joe Frazier got defeated. In simple terms, your opponent can’t hurt you if he can’t hit you.

Study Your Opponent

Keeping your distance from your opponent lets you study his movement and anticipate his next attack. It also allows you to set him up for a counterpunch.

Improves Timing

Back foot boxing teaches you to perfect your timing when delivering counterpunches and retreating from attacks. The ability to read your opponent’s body language and anticipate his next attack lets you plan for counters and gives you the edge when it comes to knockouts or knockdowns.

Leave Your Opponents Stunned

Back foot boxing is perfect for defensive fighters and counter punchers. It conserves energy, helps you control the pace of the bout, and the distance between you and your opponent, sets them up for counterpunches, and it gives you some breathing room in the ring. This fighting style is ideal for beginners and intermediates alike. 

This elusive and flamboyant fighting style was popularized by boxers such as Sugar Ray Robinson and Muhammad Ali. They were experts at dancing around their opponents and wearing them down by evading their attacks and frustrating their game-plan. 

The best fighters are experts at the basics, and if you want to be a good boxer, you will have to master fighting on the back foot. Practice with your sparring partner, have him attack you relentlessly in the ring so you can practice stepping back from and stepping around his attacks as well as delivering counterpunches.

When it comes to boxing, the argument of headshots vs. body shots is as old as the combat sport itself. Some swear by headshots because of their ability to deliver a quick knockout; others prefer body shots because they are easier to use to score points. Good boxers know that it is important to mix both headshots and body shots in a fight.

Effectively throwing a body shot requires you to move your body and generate some momentum, fighting on the inside, and lastly, being unpredictable.  There is a lot more to boxing than just throwing punches. Body shots are usually harder to throw, requiring excellent timing and caution on the fighter’s part not to leave themselves open to a knockout punch.

Here is a guide to help you perfect this art.

How to Throw Body Shots

Throwing an effective body shot requires practice and technique. Here are a few pointers to help you land downstairs in your next fight.

1. Move Your Body

To give body shots weight, the force of the blow should come from your whole body rotating and leaning into the punch. Rotate your trunk as you punch. It will put maximum pressure on the impact. Understand powerful punches are heavy punches, not fast punches. After all, power is defined as acceleration multiplied by the mass. It means there must be some weight behind your body punches for them to be effective—swing with your whole body, not just your arms.

2. Generate Momentum

Along with leaning into the punch, you should also generate momentum from your legs. Remember that your legs have some of the biggest and strongest muscles in your body. Plant your feet firmly, drive the tension up through your hips and into your upper body as you swing. The more reliable your footing is, the more powerful your body punch will be.

3. Fight on the Inside

As a taller boxer, you are probably accustomed to fighting on the outside. This is where you have a natural advantage in range and height. However, body shots require an up-close and personal approach to be used effectively. Fighting on the inside allows you to control the distance between you and your opponent. The closer you are to them, the better positioned you are to land a devastating liver shot.

4. Be Unpredictable

The most important aspect of body shots is to be unpredictable. Don’t telegraph your punches. It shouldn’t be obvious where and when you’re going to strike. Don’t just swing at your opponent’s stomach and ribs. Utilize combos and mix it up. Use jabs and straights for the head, then hooks and uppercuts to the body. Always keep your opponents guessing about your next target.

5. Why Body Shots Are Better

Despite their effectiveness, body shots are underutilized by most boxers, especially taller boxers, who prefer to go for their opponent’s head. Yet body shots can be even more devastating than headshots. Fighters like Mike Tyson and Bas Rutten were known for their brutal punches to the gut and ribs. Here’s why you should use body shots more often in the ring.

6. Cripple Your Opponents

A headshot might stun your opponent momentarily or knock them down if it connects, but a clean body shot will have his knees wobbling and lungs gasping for air. If you’ve ever taken a punch to the liver, then you know the pain of a well-placed punch to the body and how it can leave you crumpled on the floor gasping. Even a fairly weak punch to the solar plexus will knock the breath right out of your opponent’s body and leave them totally disoriented.

7. Slow Down the Opposition

The best way to impair an elusive opponent’s mobility is with a flurry of body punches. A good body shot will knock the air out of your opponent. This will cause them to breathe heavily and raggedly, which in turn affects their movement. They become slow and cautious, each blow making them shrink further away from you.  This neutralizes their offense and makes their movements sluggish.

8. They are Much Harder to Block

The head is a very small target, a target that your opponent will bob and weave almost non-stop to prevent you from striking it. The body is a much larger target, one that is not so easily moved out of the way. All you have to do is get on the inside and hammer away at the chest, gut, and ribs. Your opponent can try to roll with the punches or back up to get some breathing room, but they won’t be able to do much about you constantly hitting them all over. Body shots are a great offensive tool for aggressive boxers. Your constant assault will wear down their energy and prevent them from coming at you.

9. Body Shots Hurt

Effective headshots produce knockdowns and knockouts, but they rarely hurt because your opponent is too busy being unconscious to feel anything. This is why seemingly miraculous recoveries are so common in the ring. You knocked your opponent out, but they didn’t feel any pain. They don’t fear you as much. They get right back up as if nothing happened. Body shots, on the other hand, leave their mark. It’s not common for a body shot to drop your opponent, but when they do, you can be sure they’ll remember it.   A liver shot causes sharp, debilitating pain that will stay with your opponent for the duration of the fight and long afterward. Bernard Hopkins knocked out Oscar De La Hoya with a clean liver shot.

10. Body Shots set up Headshots

The sweet irony of body shots is that they set your opponent up for headshots. How is this possible? It’s quite a simple strategy. The more you attack his body, the more his arms drop to protect themselves, leaving his head exposed and vulnerable. 

Common Mistakes when throwing Body Shots

In every shot in the boxing manual, throwing body shots also comes with their fair share of risk. Here are common mistakes fighters make when trying to land the perfect body shot.

1. Looking Down

It’s human nature to look directly at our objective. In boxing, looking right at your intended target is a dead giveaway even to an inexperienced opponent. Always maintain eye contact with your opponent and mix up your strikes so they can’t guess your next move.

2. Ducking

Especially for taller fighters, the temptation to lean into their opponent while delivering body shots is strong. However, this strategy can be counterproductive. The moment you approach with a ducking stance, your opponent instinctively covers their body. Stand tall and approach your opponent as you normally would. Remember, your motives should not be obvious to them.

3. Being Too Rigid

You need to be loose and relaxed to throw body shots effectively. If you are too stiff or tight, your punches will be slow and disjointed. They will hit their target but not with maximum force. You may as well just push your opponent around the ring.

4. Reaching

Also known as over-extending, reaching leaves you open to counterpunches and also makes you lose balance. Better to maintain your balance and throw several punches than over-commit to a single punch and leave yourself open to counters.

5. Dropping Hands

Focusing too much on hitting your opponent’s body can make you drop your hands, which in turn leaves your head and body vulnerable to attacks. Don’t lose sight of the forest for the trees. Keep your hands up at all times, no matter what part of your opponent’s body you want to hit.

Land the Perfect Body Shot

Body punches, without a doubt, are some of the deadliest weapons in your arsenal when it comes to boxing. Many great fighters such as Miguel Cotto, Mike Tyson, Bas Rutten, Saul Alvarez, and Bernard Hopkins were known for being masters of “body snatching.” They knew that wearing down an opponent and causing them pain would be far more effective than only knocking them down time after time. 

As a taller boxer, you might have superior height and range, but you won’t always have the advantage in a fight. The opponent might have a firm chin that can take your most potent punches or perfect head movements that keep slipping past your blows. In such a scenario, you don’t want to be stuck with just one tool in the toolbox. You’ll have to go for the body.

All fighters should be proficient in using body shots to defeat their opponents. In limiting their skillset, fighters often leave themselves vulnerable to the very thing they neglected working on. They allow you to throw a variety of punches, from jabs and hooks to straights and uppercuts, which means you can vary the angles of attack as well as areas of attack. The right body shot can end a fight decisively or leave your opponent in such great pain that they are unable to fight you in the way that they wanted. Many bouts have been won with just one liver shot.

When it comes to boxing, the range is everything. Not only does it set the tempo of the fight, but it also determines how much damage you and your opponent can inflict on each other. For a taller boxer facing a shorter fighter, the battle will always be over distance. In simple terms, your opponent cannot hit you if he can’t get into range. 

As a tall boxer, fighting on the inside requires you to be more aggressive, protect your head from striking range, swarm your opponents personal space, being light on your feet, and working on your stamina. It also requires that you fight your opponent at a very close range. This makes it less popular among tall fighters, who would be more comfortable keeping the opponent out of their coverage.

Read on for more tips on why tall boxers should fight on the inside and its advantages. 

Tips for Fighting on the Inside

Inside fighting is not as easy as it seems. Many tall boxers, particularly, struggle when the opponent gets into range. Here are a few tips to help you go toe to toe effectively in your next fight.

1. Be Aggressive

Nothing is more frustrating than trying to get close to a fighter who doesn’t want you to. Either they keep you away with stinging jabs, or they slip past your punches and run around the ring, trying to tire you out. You need to keep your guard up and remain aggressive at all times when fighting on the inside, as your opponent will be well within striking range.

Don’t let them get the drop on you. Also, don’t let them get comfortable. One good counterpunch is often all that’s needed to change the flow of a bout. 

• Punch While Advancing

As you move towards your opponent, you should throw a series of steady punches. As he blocks, you move in closer and better position yourself for the finisher. Aim for the chest, gut, and ribs as body shots are far more difficult for a fighter to slip past. Your opponent can’t hit you if his hands are busy blocking your punches. He won’t have time to get away either. 

• Box Him In

While punching your way in, try to get your opponent into the corner and keep him there. This is called “cutting off the ring.” You square your stance and plant yourself such that your opponent cannot escape from either side.

With their back against the ropes, you can keep them busy with a combination of light and heavy punches and force them into a close fight that they can’t get away from. It is a strategy that works with boxers of all fighting styles.

2. Protect Your Head

Since you will be within striking range of your opponent, so will your head. As a taller fighter, you have the natural advantage because your head is usually closer to your hands than your opponent’s fists. A shorter fighter always has to swing up so you see their blows coming and can raise your hands to protect yourself.

However, infighting brings you much closer and so places you at risk of headshots. Fighting on the inside also makes it virtually impossible to keep your hands up by your head for any length of time as your opponent will simply target your body to knock the wind out of your sails.

That means the best way to protect your head when fighting on the inside is to keep moving it constantly. Bob and weave, anticipate your opponent’s punches, and try to slip past them. Don’t let them get a fix on you just because they’re close. 

3. Swarm Your Opponent

Your opponent should have no room to punch. Fighting on the inside is all about invading his personal space, unbalancing your opponent, and disrupting their stance and plans.

Give them no time to think of a counter. They must always be on the defensive. You can achieve this by always remaining in contact with your enemy. Use your height to stay on top of him; use a combination of pushing and punching to be all around them.

Not only will he be unable to retaliate, but the constant harassment will also make them feel tired and frustrated. They will be too busy to catch a breath to throw a punch at you. Use clinches to weigh them down and prevent them from hitting you. They can’t throw body shots because your elbows are in the way. They can’t throw headshots because your forearms are blocking them off.

Keep them busy trying to disentangle, and when they break free, keep going after them. Tie up his hands or lean on him to kill his momentum when they try coming back. It’s a simple but quite effective strategy to sap your opponent’s energy and motivation.

4. Be Light on Your Feet

Fighting on the inside requires speed and agility. You will be close to your opponent, meaning you must be capable of moving fast and also changing direction quickly. Practice pivoting your body with a sparring partner so you can improve your agility and footwork.

Inside fighters tend to have quick feet because they need to step in, out, and around their opponents constantly, often changing their stances in a fraction of a second.

5. Work on Your Stamina

Although the philosophy of fighting on the inside is psychological, the execution is very much physical. You are always moving towards and around your opponent, following them around the ring while throwing endless punches and moving your head from side-to-side. All of this non-stop activity will take its toll on your stamina, especially if the bout progresses into the later rounds.

The objective of inside fighting is to wear your opponent down with a flurry of punches and constant harassment that makes them feel helpless. To do this efficiently, you must have more gas in the tank than they do to ensure you see the journey through.

Fortunately, someone can always improve stamina. Your opponents, on the other hand, can do nothing about their height. Here are some ways you can improve your stamina:

• Skipping rope
• High-Intensity Interval Training
• High Repetition Calisthenics
• Swimming
• Heavy Bag Drills

Advantages of Fighting on the Inside

As a taller fighter, fighting on the inside gives you several advantages. Here are some.

1. Unpredictability and Versatility

Because fighting on the inside is the go-to style for shorter fighters, as a tall boxer using this style, you will be both unpredictable and versatile. Taller fighters are expected to fight on the outside, where they use their superior range and height to keep their opponents at bay and avoid getting hit. If your opponent finds that you are a taller boxer who isn’t afraid to get up close and personal, they simply won’t have an answer for you.

Besides that, there is no bout where you will always be fighting on the outside. For example, you might be taller than your opponent, but they could be stronger or faster. In such a scenario, it would be useless trying to keep your distance.

Eventually, you would be forced to fight them on the inside. But inside fighting shouldn’t be an emergency option for taller boxers. Fighting on the inside can be effective when done right. The sheer proximity of you to your opponent will neutralize whatever advantages he may have in speed, strength, and even his ability to defend himself. 

2. Control the Flow of the Fight

One of the best things about inside fighting is that it gives you the ability to influence the flow of the fight. Not only do you control the distance between you and your opponent, but you also set the pace of the fight. If you are an aggressive and assertive boxer, you can press your opponent into a corner and simply hammer them into submission.

If you are the more patient and methodical type, you can use clinches as well as a combination of pushing and punching to slow them down, stall the fight, or just frustrate their efforts to get at you. Either way, the fight moves at your pace, and your opponent is always under pressure.

3. Become a More Intelligent Fighter

When fighting up close, you won’t always see your opponent’s punches coming. This forces you to rely on reading their body movements and anticipating their next move, which makes for an intelligent fighter in the long run.

The objective of boxing, after all, is to hit your opponent without getting hit. The better you are at inside fighting, the better you are as a fighter overall. You learn to read your opponents, predict their strategy, and respond accordingly, all in a matter of seconds.

Indeed, the greatest fighters of all time like Muhammad Ali, Evander Holyfield, and Floyd Mayweather were masters of inside fighting. It seemed they had an almost godlike ability to read their opponents and demolish them in the ring; with subtle sophistication, their adversaries just couldn’t match.

Get the Job Done

Fighting on the inside can be extremely beneficial even for taller boxers who are more accustomed to fighting from the outside. Inside fighting allows you to dominate the ring using your presence, frustrate your opponents, and neutralize their advantages in terms of speed, power, and height, as well as pressuring them both mentally and physically.

No matter how deadly your opponent is, you will always be comfortable with fighting them up close. Having inside fighting skills can do wonders for your fighting prowess.