The Body Punch in Modern Boxing

When it comes to big fights and professional boxing at the moment one punch doesn’t seem to be used as much as maybe it should be at the moment in the sport.

That’s the body punch or sometimes referred to as the body shot of course.

An outstanding punch when used correctly that can both be a finishing punch and of course one that wears an opponent down, or helps break an opponent down.

Terence Crawford of the current crop of elite champions and even heavyweight champion Oleksandr Usyk have used body shots to good effect, but maybe not that frequently.

The current boxing sphere now in professional boxing often sees fighters a lot of times head hunting, looking for the knockouts to give ratings and fans what they are looking for.

But big head hunting knockouts cannot always be delivered and often times the body punch knockouts are just as impressive, all be it maybe a big more rare these days in professional boxing as of towards the end of 2025.

Some of the great punchers in boxing history of course include the likes of Roberto Duran and Ricky Hatton but there was many.

The likes of Ray Robinson and Floyd Mayweather sometimes used them surgically when they thought the opportunity was right to present itself in that regard.

Muhammad Ali wasn’t the biggest fan of body shots if you go back over his career, mostly a head hunter and he was in some real wars particularly in the second half of his career where maybe he neglected his boxing ability a little more than he should have.

The variation of the body punch can differ, but the most effective and lethal body shots are usually delivered right underneath the elbow of the opponent to the side of one of the ribs of the target.

The Body Punch in Modern Boxing

In the case of Ricky Hatton of the UK, who passed away earlier this year, if you go back over his fight with Luis Castillo he broke four of Castillo’s ribs with one of those type left hooks to the body.

Sometimes these can be set up by a light shot to distract or a feint then quickly stepping off to the side while an opponent is distracted to level the killer punch.

Another killer body punch that sometimes the likes of Manny Pacquiao uses is the body attack straight down the middle to the solar plexus of the target of the opponent, right in the proverbial bread basket as they say, which can take the wind out of anyone in a heart beat.

Sometimes this can be set up as a counter in an exchange of fire or from parrying a shot coming at the boxer then returned straight down the middle at the target.

While boxing is set to come into an even more very special time as a sport soon, returning to mass prominence again worldwide, fighters could use the body shot a little more at the highest level of professional boxing.

Conor Benn of the UK at the moment going back down to welterweight often can use the body punch well actually.

Body punches are here to stay and will always be a key part of boxing.