The hook is still one of the big punches in professional boxing these days and when it connects, it can be good night.
It doesn’t always close a show but it is a powerful punch, often only taught in professional boxing a little more than in amateur boxing, although it is used in amateur boxing.
Amateur boxing tends to focus on the fundamentals and shorter punches but the hook, can be both a wide or a more of an inside short hook type punch when used in professional boxing.
When you go back over the years in professional boxing the big left hook of Joe Frazier is maybe remembered as the best left hook of all time, he knocked many people out with it.
Mike Tyson had potent left and right hooks himself, often as part of combinations.
Perhaps the best use of the hook is in fact part of the combinations used in professional boxing rather than a standalone punch.
When it is used as a standalone punch it can often be telegraphed and seen coming by the adversary, whereas in part of a rapid sequence of combinations it is more disguised.
The Hook: Devastating When Landed Clean
In today’s boxing most of the high level professional boxers utilize the hook to good effect in most of their fights but it nearly always part of a combination when used, as part of other punches.
This can be drilled on the pads, also known as the mitt work, between coach and fighter, sometimes using numeric sequences for a boxer to memorize where the hook is used in a series of combinations or attacks.
Floyd Mayweather, who is linked with a big exhibition in 2026 against Mike Tyson at the moment, and may in fact have a big time professional boxing rematch with Manny Pacquiao next year, often used what is called the ‘check hook’ that he used better than anyone.
This was a hook thrown very short by stepping in as it is thrown from a lead hook position rather than setting it up with a jab or using it is part of another combination.
This works where it is thrown actually on its own but has to be thrown with immense speed and precision timing when a fighter thinks an opponent can be caught with it as just a standalone punch.
Much is said about the uppercut these days in boxing, don’t underestimate the hook as well.
