Boxing vs Muay Thai

[wilddeuces]

To be brief: it depends who gets to do what they want.

To be less brief: If the boxer can keep the fight at punching range and not let the thai fighter to plan and throw a kick then the thai fighter will get hit easily. With no head movement they really are rigid as a post. Boxers also tend to have superior mobility and lateral movement, so using motion and angles, the boxer has huge advantages there.

It's not about who has more tools in the toolbox, but really more about who can get the most with what they've got.

Sparring kickboxers, typically, I noticed right away that they didn't have a chance at punching range (unless they were the exceptions to the rule) - they were just too static and lacked the overall ability - but up close or at kicking range you could open yourself up to real trouble.

 

[Hi-Tech]

Personally I love boxing more because of footwork and upper body movement. For me kicks take more away from the fight than they bring. It's just not as exciting to watch for me and not as aesthetically pleasing. I love the tactical 10-12 rounds battles in boxing and the wide range of weapons fighters can bring to the table.

The beauty of boxing for me is that in theory you have only 3 basic punches straights, hooks and uppercuts but you can add so much variation and different combinations to it. It's like in chess where you only have those 64 squares but there's so much you can do. But when you start adding more things like kicks or grappling it becomes more and more of a lottery IMO just like in MMA where there are so many upsets and fluke wins because it's hard to watch out for everything and be strong in every element of the game. In boxing, you're not beating someone like Floyd via "a puncher's chance".

Also boxing history > history of any other combat sport.

 

[senri]

I can't believe senri is still marinating the flesh.

the longer the wait the more succulent the taste becomes to the senses.

 

[Breakfast Bar]

If boxing > muay thai under muay thai rules, then everybody in muay thai would be boxing. There would be no muay thai

I hate /thread posts, but this is pretty much /thread. There is nothing stopping guys from boxing their way to MT championships, but no one who hasn't trained MT ever gets that far.

 

[Reyesnuthugr]

If boxing > muay thai under muay thai rules, then everybody in muay thai would be boxing. There would be no muay thai

Sounds right ...

... assuming that judging in MT scores hands as much as other strikes. But does it? Hands landing score for near nothing (sometimes literally nothing) in MT. Ive seen bouts where one person gets bullied and wailed on, and it's a lopsided beatdown, staggering against the ropes fighting for consciousness through half the fight yet they still win because their opponent was using primarily hands to do it. That makes them too great of a risk to rely on unless you know you're going to KO each and every opponent with your fists every single bout (that doesn't happen in boxing even).

MT judges have a heavy traditional bias against fists and it's not even controversial, that's just the way it's always been.

 

[tru3f4n]

Do you guys ever get tired of talking about what retired boxers accomplished in other sports? I really don't see the relevance.

well atleast nobody brought up Bowe yet.

 

[ahheadlock]

christ, who cares

totally different rules. I trained both and prefer boxing but that's a personal choice. I always did prefer to throw a punch than a kick. Boxers tend to have better movement, and a much more nuanced set of skills IMO. Someone who practices a single aspect of fighting (or 1 weapon if you will) is obviously going to be a lot better at that thing than someone who spreads their time across other areas.

do what you enjoy, watch what you like. No need for something to be 'better' than something else.

I will say this, cross training boxing will improve your muay thai better than cross training muay thai will improve your boxing.

 

[stuff jones]

Mercer was also destroyed oundly by a UFC bum in Kimbo Slice.

A lot of roids in Kimbo.

 

[Jonny Ninja]

Don't forget clinching, thats actually the biggest thing MT has over boxing imo. Its also likely the nakmuay will be taller as well.

Yeah fair point, though I would say that the boxer needs to keep the fight at mid range. Even with a few fundamentals a boxer will likely take a lot of damage in the clinch. Footwork is more important in boxing so in general boxers have far better footwork. Both fighting styles need to keep to their strengths. As a Kickboxer I'd look to damage the legs and keep it at range or close. As a boxer (with some kickboxing) I'd utilise footwork and movement, keep it mid range and only look to use my hands.