How to Box Like Mike Tyson

Mike Tyson blasted a path through the older heavyweights of the 1980s to become the youngest heavyweight champion in history. While Tyson's devastating power is legendary, there was much more to his fighting style than just hitting hard. His was a style that combined speed, elusiveness, power, and combination punching to turn him into a 210-lb. human buzz saw. This guide will introduce you to the ways in which you can imitate the boxing style of Mike Tyson, either in whole or in part.

Difficulty: Moderate

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• Bag gloves and handwraps
• Maize ball
• Heavy bag

1. Follow the example Mike Tyson set by employing a "Peek-A-Boo" guard. Use a high guard with the forearms placed together and directly in the front of the body, with the gloves covering the mouth and nose. The "Peek-A-Boo" guard was a classic of Tyson's trainer, Cus D'Amato; prior D'Amato protege and two-time heavyweight champ Floyd Patterson used it, too. This guard is useful for protecting weak chins (Patterson's weakness), or for blocking punches coming straight down the middle from taller opponents with greater reach (Tyson's problem).

2. Devise and maintain a superlative head movement to box like Mike Tyson. In addition to his guard, Tyson relied on an ability to slip punches that was hard-earned indeed. He would work with a maize ball for hours, slipping the ball back and forth until it became automatic. Between the high guard and excellent head movement, Tyson was well-protected as he came forward against taller men with greater reach.

3. Be a hard hitter, just like "Iron" Mike. Some fighters, like Tyson, are born punchers. Others must develop hitting power through training. Practice the proper form for throwing punches. If you are working in a boxing gym, inquire about exercises that can do to improve your hitting power. Otherwise, you can find suggestions for power-increasing exercises in books or on the internet.

4. Stress combinations. More than a powerful puncher, Mike Tyson was above all a combination puncher. When he was at his most fearsome, he was not a one-punch knockout artist, but a combination-punching wrecking machine. He would fire a volley of seven hard shots to the head and body, and while five might miss or be blocked, the two that landed would do terrible damage. To box like Mike Tyson, a fighter must develop his own arsenal of set combinations for all situations, then drill them until they become automatic.

5. Be fast. The final element in Tyson's style was his deceptively fast hands. When Tyson pulled the trigger against most opponents, he got off and landed his punch first. Combined with his vicious combination punching and crushing power, his hand speed was the final element in Tyson's wrecking-ball offense. To truly box like Mike Tyson at his peak, quick hands are a must. If you are working in a boxing gym, inquire about exercises you can do to increase your hand speed. You can also find suggestions for power-increasing exercises in books or on the internet.

Tips & Warnings

• The greatest factor in the decline of Mike Tyson, even before his prison sentence, was that he stopped training as hard as he had on his rise to the top. Always remember that sweating in the gym is better than bleeding in the ring!

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[AnthonyJ33]

on 1/20/2009 Cool article. For all of Tyson's faults as a person, he was a phenomenal fighter at his peak. No other fighter in heavyweight history had Tyson's explosiveness.