Boxing is undoubtedly one of the most thrilling sports out there. There's a certain excitement in watching two bodies tackle each other through a specific move-set to see who comes out on top.
As captivating as it is to watch, boxing is also difficult to learn. It is a physically demanding sport. In addition, it is challenging, particularly for young students, to develop boxing skills, experiment with different techniques, and choose the definitive one for themselves.
That's why we're here to give you an overview of the key boxing styles you should know about while showing you the best way to start your boxing classes today.
What is a Boxing Style, and Why Does It Matter?

A boxing style refers to a particular strategy against your opponent in a boxing ring. Contrary to what most people think, modern boxing is not just about throwing hard punches left and right. Even the greatest boxers had a unique boxing style.
There are various mechanics and movements that go into making a strategy, and sometimes, boxers combine certain elements of two different strategies to create a new one. But ultimately, the one they choose mostly depends on which strategy is most effective against their opponent's strategy.
Yes, your opponent will also have their own boxing style, and the collision between these two unique styles makes the showdown so interesting. Remember, you can't win a match by simply throwing punches around, so understanding all the styles and knowing when to use which one is a compulsory part of learning boxing. Once you figure out the strengths of your strategy and how to counter your opponent's strategy, you'll have a much better grip on this sport.
What Are the Main Boxing Techniques?
With the definitions out of the way, let's look at some key examples of boxing styles and strategies so you can understand the strengths and weaknesses of each and the differences among them. Remember that this list doesn't cover every boxing style there is, but rather, some of the fundamental and commonly used ones. You can expand your move-set by exploring other styles once you've built your grip around the following:
Boxing Style Description Pressure Fighting As the name suggests, pressure fighting involves applying an aggressive volume of offensive attacks by striking your opponent with an excess of punches, each leaving a strong emphasis. You can see the pressure fighting technique being utilized quite often by Mike Tyson, Roberto Duran, Jack Dempsey, and Manny Pacquiao. Out-Boxer In outboxing, you take advantage of the distance and reach between the punches by letting them spread their punches around until you can oppose them. You can see out-boxers carrying the match by ducking, dodging, floating around, and using clever footwork to strike jabs whenever they find a quick opening. This type of defensive boxing technique is ideal for those with a height advantage over their opponent and notable agility to help them move around the ring swiftly. Since the outboxing style requires a bit more critical thinking and concentration, it's become quite iconic in the sport, especially among the great boxers like Sugar Ray Leonard, Deontay Wilder, and the one and only Muhammad Ali, whose floating technique has set quite a standard for out-boxers worldwide. Slugger The key focus in this move is on the force. Their punches are known to be the most powerful among all the boxing styles because that's exactly what sluggers do - they make every punch count. You can observe famous boxing matches with Evander Holyfield, Ricky Hatton, Micky Ward, and Sonny Liston, as they heavily incorporate slugging in their fighting style. Counter Boxer Counterpunching requires the boxer to deceive their opponent by presenting themselves as vulnerable through an opening. When the opponent goes for the strike, the boxer immediately blocks and returns a counter punch. Essentially, you must give your opponent false opportunities to land a punch, and then, at the last second, you have to evade and counter them. Boxer Puncher This style's diversity, adaptability, and unpredictability make it one of the deadliest and most useful in professional boxing. It can outpower, heavy-hit, and tire out your opponent if used strategically.
This is only the tip of the iceberg with boxing techniques. If you want a full overview of professionally practiced modern boxing styles, consult a private boxing tutor. Superprof offers a wide range of boxing coaches who can explain all these techniques in much more detail while starting your practice on mastering every style in the book. Join Superprof today and begin learning boxing footwork for beginners.
Which Boxing Style Is the Most Effective?

We discussed how each technique demands different body shapes, physiques, and physical attributes. The ones that suit your body structure, fight intuition, and athletic skills are best for you.
If your offense is your strongest point, start from the slugger style. If you want to support your strength with rapid movements, go for pressure fighting first. Outboxing is the right option if you can keep yourself more flexible using quick evasion and footwork tactics. See what works best for you, and simply focus on that. It might take a while for you to figure out what you're most comfortable with, but the more you practice, the faster you'll be able to pick up on your best boxing strategy.
Even though you don't have to learn every boxing style out there, it is best to know as many as possible since relying on a single technique can make you too predictable for your opponent.
If all else fails, the boxer-puncher style is your #1 option as it combines multiple simple techniques to give you the edge in diversity so you can counter anything your opponent throws at you.
No matter which boxing strategy you're aiming for, nothing is possible without consistent training and practice, and with over 18000 boxers out there, you'll need some special trainers to help you stay in the ring. That's where Superprof comes in. With hundreds of dedicated boxing trainers from around the world, Superprof promises to teach you every trick and technique and the secret tips on the game.
How Long Does It Take to Learn Boxing?

With the boxing styles down, you're ready to start planning how to learn boxing. But, to do that, you must know how long it takes to learn boxing basics and the techniques that play a heavy part in this sport. The specific duration depends on your learning method and how seriously you're taking your boxer's training, but we'll give you a general estimate of what to expect.
The core fundamentals of this sport will take around six months to understand and build a grip on, but this duration isn't set in stone. If you're not inclined to challenging physical activities, it could take up to two years to get around the basics, including how to jab, cross, hook, slip, weave, and more.
From there, if you want to play on a professional scale, you can take things to the next level by studying various boxing styles and practicing more advanced moves. This will require more time, effort, and discipline, as you'll have to push yourself to grow with the boxing industry. Your training will end at a certain point, but you'll never stop learning, as there will always be new ways to improve yourself and surprise your opponents.
The influencers participating in boxing matches usually train for a few months. They don't match up to professional boxers but have enough skill and experience to keep entertaining. The first six months will be an excellent introduction to show you what boxing is about, depending on your learning pace. Then, if you want, you can get your hands dirty by participating in advanced lessons. You can also watch famous boxing matches to learn about the techniques.
To get started, you must stay consistent and committed while utilizing the resources available. Ensure that you have quality equipment for practice and get trained by the best boxing coaches. We'll give you a head start with Superprof, where you'll find professional boxing trainers to help you improve with every punch from day one. Sign up on Superprof and deliver your next knockout today.
Learn Boxing With Superprof's Boxing Coaches
The perfect boxing style can only be determined once you start practicing and figure out your strong and weak points. The more you do, the more you'll be able to adapt to the newest and hardest techniques and grow your move-set with modern boxing techniques.
Of course, practice makes perfect, but if you don't know what you're doing, you're only knocking yourself out. So, hire a professional boxing trainer from Superprof who can take you step-by-step with new strategies and tactics that'll allow you to grow rapidly as a boxing student and keep you energized and motivated to keep learning. Enter the ring with the help of Superprof's boxing trainers. Simply make your account on Superprof and search for boxing lessons near me.