Learn How To Cut The Ring Like An Old-School Champ According To Boxing Authority Teddy Atlas
Back in 1941, when heavyweight world champion Joe Louis was asked about his game plan against the younger, faster Billy Conn, his response coined a phrase that would be echoed for years to come: “He can run, but he can’t hide”.
In the fight, Conn had outboxed a version of Louis whose reflexes were fading and speed slowing down. The press of yesteryear had already counted the Brown Bomber out, citing Louis was getting past his prime. However, the press and Conn made a grave mistake—Louis still had power in his punches and he knew how to cut the ring for his opponent.
During the fight, it looked as if the press had predicted the outcome as Conn outboxed the aging
fighter. But the tides turned by Round 13 when Louis was able to cut off the ring and trap Conn in the corner, unable to dance his way to safety. Conn was knocked out both times he faced Louis, despite being the favorite in the newsroom.
A fighter who doesn’t know how to cut the ring is the fighter who faces a higher probability of losing the match. Why? Because they will waste a considerable amount of energy chasing their opponent around the ring before being able to throw a proper punch. However, if a fighter possesses powerful punches and can cut the ring, there’s a good chance they will be victorious.
Cut The Ring Like A Linebacker
Atlas suggests leading the fight and not following the other fighter. To illustrate his point, he said to think of how a linebacker in football moves to get to the intended target. Typically, they don’t run straight toward where they think the quarterback or running back will be. They side step parallel to cover the distance and then make their move toward the target now that it is much closer. This same concept applies to cutting the ring, according to the trainer.
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“Never follow them. Because if you follow the guy, you’re going to walk into something. He’s going to lead you right into something and you’re not going to get nowhere. You’re going to get dizzy,” Atlas said. “ What you got to be like is a linebacker in football. A lot of you guys watch football, right?”
Watch Your Distance
Be alert of your distance while you’re cutting the ring because your opponent could always stop and throw at you, said Atlas. He said to keep out of the opponent’s striking distance as you’re cutting off their ability to get behind you and cause you to follow them. That type of movement will drain your stamina.
“You can’t just walk in and say ‘Hey, I’m just cutting the ring down.’ There’s no badge they give you that says ‘I’m cutting the ring down, don’t hit me’. They don’t give those out,” Atlas said. “So when the guy is moving, you got to be alert, but what you do is you move like the linebacker. Then you shrink the ring, then move in and then you got ‘em.”
Remember, you are leading the fight. But once you get to a point where your opponent can’t just box you, you have to be ready to explode with devastating combos while they are trapped. Be like the Brown Bomber Joe Louis and make sure the fight doesn’t go to the cards.
Who Is Teddy Atlas?
World-famous boxing trainer Teddy Atlas is well known throughout the boxing and MMA community for working under the legendary Cus D’Amato and helping to develop a young Mike Tyson in the early 1980s. Atlas was also the head trainer for Michael Moorer who beat Evander Holyfield to win the IBF and WBA title belts in 1994.
The trainer was inducted into the Staten Island Sports Hall of Fame and the New Jersey Boxing Hall of Fame in the early 2000s. He also had a long boxing commentator career with ESPN and NBC’s Olympic coverage for nearly two decades.
In this video, Atlas teams up with veteran boxer Kenny Robles, who signed to Mayweather Promotions in 2017. While the 30-year-old fighter from Staten Island has been practicing the sweet science for more than half his life, Atlas is still able to find adjustments to help Robles become a better boxer.
Teddy's Instructional
If you are looking for more next-level boxing details check out “WORLD OF BODY SHOTS BY TEDDY ATLAS” and other great Atlas instructionals available at DynamicStriking.com!