Lucky Punch?

You often hear the phrase when a boxer (invariably one on the receiving end of a beating) lands a haymaker to KO his opponent described as throwing a lucky punch. IMO it doesn't exist. The boxer intended to throw the punch in order to hit the opponent. It hit. How is that lucky?

What examples are there of a 'lucky' punch turning a fight around? My first thought is the Eubank vs Watson uppercut.

Harrison vs Sprott

audley vs sprott was a lucky/desperate shot in recent times

azania wrote:IMO it doesn't exist. The boxer intended to throw the punch in order to hit the opponent. It hit. How is that lucky?

I agree.

However, if we think of punches thrown in desperation which rescued a lost cause I can't think of a better modern example than Julian Jackson's kayo of Herol Graham. Tyson v Botha might be a modern candidate, also, and I guess - at a pinch - we include Rahman v Lewis.

Good points. One has to differentiate between a desperation punch (Eubank, Sprott) and a lucky punch which doesn't exist.

Windy - Tyson threw a 'lucky' or desperation punch against Botha?

Spot on with the Jackson punch btw.

As Human windmill says Julian jackson v Herol Graham is a good example and also Julio cesar chavez v Meldrick Taylor, and Mickey Ward v Alfonso Sanchez which is documented in the film 'The Fighter'.

I cant see how JCC against Taylor can be considered a lucky punch. It was a culmination of several punches in the last round.

azania wrote:Windy - Tyson threw a 'lucky' or desperation punch against Botha?

I'd say so, azania.

He was well down on the cards and Botha was pretty much toying with him. Botha then got a wee bit careless and left an opening and Tyson didn't need a second invitation. Cracking finish, no doubt, but a desperate one, in my opinion.

If you swing without looking you're intending to hit your opponent, but it would be lucky to knock him out with it.

I think Harrison's was lucky because he didn't react to Sprott dropping his gloves, the punch was in motion. He's lucky that Sprott let his chin hang out at that moment. There's such thing as a lucky punch if enough improbably things come together at once, especially if you need it to save a fight.

Another one from the modern era would be Foreman v Moorer, and going back just a bit the second Robinson v Turpin fight was mighty close until Robinson was badly cut. In serious danger of being stopped, Sugar Ray found a left hook from nowhere which stunned Turpin and precipitated a volley of heavy punches which saved the day.

why cant i see any comments after my post!?

Come on Windy you know Tyson was the greatest ever he never threw a lucky punch, now the 300+ Douglas bounced off his noggin were lucky.

rowley wrote:Come on Windy you know Tyson was the greatest ever he never threw a lucky punch, now the 300+ Douglas bounced off his noggin were lucky.

Silly me, jeff.

Good job the celebrated and esteemed tysonking isn't here to rebuke me.

Is slightly worrying Windy that you can spend little more than a week apart from him and forget everything he has taught you, must be an age thing

Another one from the modern era would be Foreman v Moorer,

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Lucky in what respect Windy? That Moorer got so careless he walked onto one?

Lucky punch, Audley's swinging left hook in the Olympic semi's

rowley wrote:Is slightly worrying Windy that you can spend little more than a week apart from him and forget everything he has taught you, must be an age thing

I'm going to pop over to the old forum and copy and paste his entire posting history so as not to repeat the oversight, jeff.

He has been, 'tis true, the finest of mentors and I owe it to him to continue to fly the flag.

DAVE667 wrote:Another one from the modern era would be Foreman v Moorer,

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Lucky in what respect Windy? That Moorer got so careless he walked onto one?

Just so, Dave.

As I said in my earlier post, I prefer to distinguish between a ' lucky ' punch, ( if there is such a a thing, ) and one which comes from nowhere to turn a fight around. Moorer, like Botha and Lewis, had only himself to blame for taking his eye off the ball.

You're never too old to learn. I've read a lot about and watched a lot of Sugar Ray Robinson and the fact that Burley would have whooped him aside had always thought he was pretty good. Is only recently I've realised that were he fighting now he'd have all on to get work as a sparring partner for Berto. Every day is a school day as they say

rowley wrote:You're never too old to learn. I've read a lot about and watched a lot of Sugar Ray Robinson and the fact that Burley would have whooped him aside had always thought he was pretty good. Is only recently I've realised that were he fighting now he'd have all on to get work as a sparring partner for Berto. Every day is a school day as they say

Apparently it's all to do with nutrition, mate.

It is essential that a fighter eat a quarter of a Mars bar per day, seven peas, a lightly grilled lamb chop, one and a half pork scratchings, a raw carrot, a quart of Irn Bru, a jacket potato with marmite and lettuce leaf in olive oil. All to be consumed with liberal helpings of creatine.

He must also employ a psychologist who will have him assume the lotus position, ( very useful for ' between rounds ' training, ) while meditating on the greatest kos of Mike Tyson for at least an hour.

To round it off, it is absolutely essential that the fighter should only shave twice a week, since essential nutrients will be lost if he breaks the stubble on his chin.

If only Burley had known, eh ?

HumanWindmill wrote:If only Burley had known, eh ?

He might have won a title.

Scottrf wrote:

HumanWindmill wrote:If only Burley had known, eh ?

He might have won a title.

Only if the fight had been filmed in colour. Otherwise, as Truss and others will tell you, the fight actually wouldn't exist.

HumanWindmill wrote:Only if the fight had been filmed in colour. Otherwise, as Truss and others will tell you, the fight actually wouldn't exist.

HD to be sure. It's a controversial debating point whether standard definition fights should count on an offical record. Anyway gramps, stop taking it off topic with your rose-tinted glasses reminiscing!

[quote="Scottrf"]

HumanWindmill wrote:Anyway gramps, stop taking it off topic with your rose-tinted glasses reminiscing!

Have to do something till the nurse arrives to feed me, you young scamp !

Scott get with the times unless a fight has been seen in 3d it doesn't count. This means Haye is the greatest heavyweight ever, unfortunately it also means Audley is the second greatest but rules are rules.

HumanWindmill wrote:

azania wrote:Windy - Tyson threw a 'lucky' or desperation punch against Botha?

I'd say so, azania.

He was well down on the cards and Botha was pretty much toying with him. Botha then got a wee bit careless and left an opening and Tyson didn't need a second invitation. Cracking finish, no doubt, but a desperate one, in my opinion.

Ooops, I was confusing Botha with Lou Savarese.

Ooops, I was confusing Botha with Lou Savarese.
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All these white guys look the same

HumanWindmill wrote:quote="Scottrf"

HumanWindmill wrote:Anyway gramps, stop taking it off topic with your rose-tinted glasses reminiscing!

Have to do something till the nurse arrives to feed me, you young scamp !

Don't worry you will get used to technology one day!

You had just got used to posting online and they went and introduced a 'quote' option!

DAVE667 wrote:Ooops, I was confusing Botha with Lou Savarese.
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All these white guys look the same

Sprott-Audley 1 was a lucky punch - Sprott wasn't even looking when/where he threw. Audley intended to connect with his left second time around

Sprott-Audley 1 was a lucky punch - Sprott wasn't even looking when/where he threw.

There was a great picture of McCall/Lewis in the window of my local William Hill's many years ago. It shows the famous KO punch landing on Lewis and, more importanly, McCall with his head down and eyes squeezed tightly shut.
Despite repeated reports that Steward and McCall trained with that gameplan in mind, that photo does little to disabuse you of the notion that it's a lucky punch.

rowley wrote:Come on Windy you know Tyson was the greatest ever he never threw a lucky punch

Tyson's only 'lucky punch' was a mixture of vodka, wine, fruit and rohypnol.

amir khan v prescott

was a good punch but it just landed flush and khan wasnt ready for it.....

tyson fury probably holds the crown for "unluckiest" punch, hitting himself

eddyfightfan wrote:amir khan v prescott

was a good punch but it just landed flush and khan wasnt ready for it.....

Err isn't that the point of boxing? If Khan was ready for that punch he would have ducked.

Barkley v Hearns 1 is a lucky punch if ever there was one. Although I am of the belief they don't exist.

azania wrote:I cant see how JCC against Taylor can be considered a lucky punch. It was a culmination of several punches in the last round.

True

Just logged on and could be bothered to read everyone.

Has anyone mentioned Rahman on Lewis?

And Froch on Taylor with 13 seconds to go, although that was more than one punch, it was certainly lucky.

How so? Taylor didn't have the stamina, Froch did. It's not luck it's commendble if anything.

I think some people's definition of a 'lucky punch' is different to most.

How you could call the punch that Froch landed to stop Jermaine Taylor 'lucky' I'll never know.

I was thinking more along the lines of the timing being lucky rather than the punch. He was 4-5 rounds down with 13 seconds to go when Taylor dropped his gloves and let him in.

Never agreed with "luck" in any sport

Without sounding like Neo from the Matrix, everything happens for a reason... In boxing the guy might just drop say his left hand for a split second and the other guy throws a right that squeeks round the hole in the defence by 0.01mm - that's not luck, luck would be a little green Irish man popping out from behind a bush and giving you 3 wishes which all come true.

Fortunate maybe, but lucky insinuates that there was a invisible force making certain events happen that would be beyond the realms of possibility.

azania wrote:

eddyfightfan wrote:amir khan v prescott

was a good punch but it just landed flush and khan wasnt ready for it.....

Err isn't that the point of boxing? If Khan was ready for that punch he would have ducked.

yeah but by that logic theres no such thing as a lucky punch....... what i mean is if he fought prescott another 20 times i dont think he would get another KO

coxy0001 wrote:Fortunate maybe, but lucky insinuates that there was a invisible force making certain events happen that would be beyond the realms of possibility.

Don't really get your distinction as fortune is analogous to luck. It just means that the event is highly improbable, not that you had no say. Knocking them out may be your object, but when you make a bet at the bookies, your object is always to win the bet, you still have to be lucky for a outside bet to come in.

Unless the boxer has complete knowledge of what their opponent is doing, and complete control of themself, then I think you can have such thing as a lucky punch. Even if you you have both of those you still have to control the situation for no luck to be involved. I don't believe Harrison controlled Sprott the the extent that he knew he could make him drop his guard at that point. So he's lucky the situation arose before the end of the fight, as well as lucky that Sprott dropped his hands, which happened after he planned to throw the punch. Plus throwing that shot so accurately isn't likely to be something he repeats too often. For everything to happen at once is lucky.

HumanWindmill wrote:

rowley wrote:Come on Windy you know Tyson was the greatest ever he never threw a lucky punch, now the 300+ Douglas bounced off his noggin were lucky.

Silly me, jeff.

Good job the celebrated and esteemed tysonking isn't here to rebuke me.

Just seen something great on ESPN Classic, 00:50 tomorrow morning 'Ali or Tyson: Which was the Greatest?'!

Have we got WUM TV channels now?