The Most Important Points In Boxing Statistics

The main thing to know about boxing statistics is that they don"t mean anything out of context. Given the nature of the awards and prize competitions, their contextualization becomes challenging.

A parallel can be drawn here, with baseball as the most statistically significant sport. A baseball player carries out several attacks every day for months. They fight in a league where everyone competes against each other.

Therefore, baseball statistics are generated from a fairly large sample collected in a relatively predictable environment. Because of this, they have predictive value.

A world-class professional fighter competes several times a year, and professional boxers usually form their records and statistics against various opponents.

Actually, in boxing, only the actions in the ring show the real picture. But statistics can increase the level of analytical sophistication that is valuable when done right.

Counting total strokes

For a novice connoisseur, the meaning of the outcome of the fight seems obvious. Boxing is a sport that is built on the exchange of blows between two sparring partners. What could be more important, it would seem?

In principle, we can say that the number of strokes is the most overrated statistic in sports, at least in controversial situations. Every time there is a controversial decision, the side with the most breakout points tries to prove that it deserves an advantage.

Connoisseurs, of course, know more. In a professional bout, the punches" quality and strength matter more than the total number of punches.

An example of the most interesting uses of final strikes is how the number of strikes for a particular fighter fluctuates in different battles. For example, fighters like Pacquiao or Carl Froch who hit fewer punches against opponents like Timothy Bradley and André Ward show how Bradley and Ward can keep distance and space inside the boxing ring.

Counting knockout strikes

Power shots delivered are considered a far more valuable indicator than general hits. This value divides the hits and focuses exclusively on those hits that make up most hits.

The context is also important here. Some fighters, especially in the heavyweight division, like Wladimir Klitschko, use the jab as an offensive weapon, and for this reason, the jab should be included in the statistical equation.

He uses the jab more for my own defense and for assessing and controlling the distance.

For example, consider how fighter A is the classic boxer, and fighter B is the forward attacker. In the main part of the round, fighter A gets the most out of his jab by staying behind his jab and using his side to avoid hitting while gaining a small number of points with the lead jab.

Then, about 45 seconds before the end of the round, fighter B manages to lead fighter A into the corner and throw a hook in the torso/uppercut in the jaw. Fighter A survives the round but is pumped out. Fighter B delivers a couple more hard mid-range punches to Fighter A by the time the round ends.

Fighter A could have struck more punches per round, but analysis of what is happening in the ring makes it clear that Fighter B was in the lead in the round.

Accounting for hitting locations

This statistic is considered useful for retrospective combat analysis. He describes which punches were used and how the fight went in general.

Unusual combinations in the breakdown of the fighter"s punches for a particular fight are worth considering. If a fighter suddenly realizes that his percentage of hits to the body decreases against a specific opponent, then this means that the opponent is coping with movements and direct punches to deflect the attack away from him.

The total number of blows delivered indicates which hits the jaw, mouth, and nose"s vulnerable areas and hit the hard part of the head.

All of these statistics are generally useful if the statistics collectors correctly record these hits. This is a pretty hard job.

Hit percentage

This indicator is one of the most valuable; it determines the accuracy of strikes. The fighter sees and reacts to opportunities for scoring or creates them by driving opponents into vulnerable situations.

For example, a fighter like Floyd Mayweather is a common cause. The percentage of hits he has is greater than that of the enemy.

Sometimes a fighter can take a lot of punches and lose the fight. An excellent example is a recent fight between Karl Foch and Mikkel Kessler. According to statistics from the HBO team, Kessler was able to land an impressive 55% of the punches but still lost the fight.

Knockout percentage

The probability of being knocked out can be considered a small statistical advantage. Likewise, a counter-hook in boxing can suddenly change the outcome of a fight.

A fighter with high knockout ability is always close to winning. A fighter with such data can decrease in the totals table ranking while remaining in a winning position.

A good example of this is James Toney"s TKO vs. Michael Nunn in round 11 in 1991.