Counter punching can be viewed in many ways as one of the most essential cogs in the toolbelt of a professional prize fighter at all levels of professional boxing.
It has been around forever and actually, if you look at some of the best fighters that ever lived, at different points in their careers they were all great counter punchers.
In these times the likes of Oleksandr Usyk at heavyweight, Terence Crawford between welterweight and super-middleweight now, even Saul ‘Canelo’ Alvarez at super-middleweight, all great counter punchers.
You could say counter punching comes from defensive boxing in that the fighter waits for his opponent often to overcommit, over step in, over reach with a jab or cross, and then times him with an immediate retort and makes him pay instantly with a counter.
Some of the big instances of vintage counter punches in the sport’s history maybe would be last year’s Daniel Dubois right hand counter baseball bat of a knockout on Anthony Joshua, who walked Joshua onto a straight right hand onto the chin.
The Art of Counterpunching: Turning Defense into Attack
Resulting in one of the most textbook knockouts in heavyweight boxing of the 21st century.
Mexican multi-weight world champion Juan Manuel Marquez’ over hand right bomb detonating on Manny Pacquiao walking onto it some years ago another well known counter.
The likes of Bernard Hopkins, Floyd Mayweather and others in recent decades in boxing all great counter punchers, often waiting for their opponent to make a mistake and then hit them instantly when they do.
Just letting them drop their guard down ever so slightly to immediately counter them.
Head movement is also important while looking for the counter punch openings.
