Most boxers know about jabs, crosses, hooks and uppercuts but ask them about ‘control’ and they may give you a blank stare. This is because ‘control’ is a new term in the boxing world. Few, if any, boxing sources mention it. It is likely a concept that crossed over from other combat sports, such as wrestling or Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu.

Either way, control is a very important concept in boxing. It is also difficult to explain. Control is not exactly a single ‘move’ with a clear beginning, middle and end. Rather, it is a way of moving.

The best way to understand control is to see it for yourself. Watch a slow-motion clip of any round by Floyd Mayweather Jr and pay attention to what he does before and after he attacks.

You may notice a couple of things:

• He blinds the opponent with a ‘jab’.

• He ‘leans in’ close enough to get a reaction, and then leans back and counters.

• He extends his ‘jab’ to occupy the opponent’s guard, while preparing a different punch.

• He places his hands in a ‘high guard’ position to invite an attack.

• He sweeps his hand out in a ‘hook’, making the opponent reach out and expose the body.

• When the opponent throws a hook, he locks their arm inside his ‘guard’.

• He throws a series of ‘jabs’, one of which knocks the opponent’s glove out of the way.

• He throws a combination, but some of the ‘punches’ manoeuvre the opponent into an weak position.

• He steps into range as if to ‘attack’, only to step out again, making the opponent throw a series of predictable punches, which he avoids because he triggers them in the first place.

• While sitting on his stool between rounds, he ‘watches’ his opponent as if to check on their breathing, while the opponent sits up straight and forgets to relax because they’re too busy pretending they’re not tired.

The moves in quotation marks above are not what they seem. Rather, they’re a kind of trick. Sometimes control is achieved by physically manoeuvring the opponent. Other times no physical contact is made whatsoever. Either way, the opponent is reacting, rather than acting. There are no names for these moves. You will not find them mentioned in many textbooks. Yet, they exist, and have one thing in common: they place the opponent at a disadvantage.

Application

Watch slow-motion clips of professionals, keep a look out for these moves, and see if you can add them to your repertoire of techniques. Note that control is not a clearly defined ‘move’ but a way of moving.

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