Head roll defense

[Cent0089]

Noticed this thing in some fights of Mayweather, Canelo and others. What do you think about its effectiveness?

[DrDuke]

Your mean shoulder roll?

It looks stylish.

It terms of effectiveness, you just gotta do everything you really can do. If someone is effective with this style, that's good, if someone isn't, he should abandon it, simple as that.

The things James Toney, Ezzard Charles, George Benton did with their shoulder rolls were very effective and spectacular. In recent times Mayweather inherited this style well and taught Canelo to use it. Caleb Plant seems to be good with it recently too.

However, when someone does like Kudryashov and uses it while he can't do it properly and gets hit only more, it's an epic fail.

[Ruthless-RKO]

Didn’t Canelo start doing it after he fought FMJ?

[Cent0089]

Your mean shoulder roll?

No, shoulder roll is pretty common technique, i mean head roll, when fighter roll head with incoming punch. Canelo Alvarez doing this in some fights

[Cent0089]

Didn’t Canelo start doing it after he fought FMJ?

I think so, but ive noticed this in Trout fight too

[margaret thatcher]

just dont roll it the wrong way , cause then it's an extra whammy

[Jimmy2020]

'Riding the shot' is what we've always called it. Significantly reduces the damage caused by a punch you see coming at the last moment, when it's too late to block, parry roll or slip.

[Perseus]

If they have to use it frequently in every fight their defense is lacking and eventually that head will get rolled.

[Thomastearns]

Roberto Duran was a past master at riding the punches.

Like Ali as well, it gives those talents who, like Duran, have good reflexes and a good chin a certain luxury of not having to permanently stay tight behind a hands high defence.


Apart from that notorious blip against Thomas 'the hitman' Hearns of course, it served Roberto well through his career. Another blip of a different kind was against Leonard, who had even better reflexes back then.

Being able to see the punches often separates the good from the great, and that's why they often say it's the punches you don't see coming that are the most deadly.

Ditto for car accidents, or any other kind you didn't see coming etc.

[bobcatbox]

Rolling with the punch is really effective defense when you’re not great at traditional defense. Most fighters learn how to do it in the pro ranks. It’s not coached in the amateurs, at least it shouldn’t be.

Jake Lamotta was good at it.
Chino Maidana became really good at it late in his career. (see the fight with Broner).

Anderson Silva was also good at it in MMA.

For those who may still be confused, here’s a helpful blog: https://www.gloveworx.com/blog/boxing-slip-roll/