that's what the jab is for my friend, just don't play that game. Great fighters fall into a lot of these traps with tall guys for two reasons, inexperience with really tall guys and a mental intimidation factor. Both Ray Leonard and Duran fought Hearns the wrong way in there fights, Ray spent most of the fight trying to get past the jab and reach, once he just started going for broke and slugging he stole the show. Duran on the other hand looked amateurish,(and you could never say that about Duran) against hearns, even jumping in the air at one point. The tendency is to stand up straighter against the tall fighter, this is WRONG, it limits your defensive options and actually makes you a better target. When Hagler said the proper way to fight the Hitman was to get down low, he went and did it the year after Duran got clocked. A few times he stood up too and had problems with the jab but for the most part, he just didn't play into that. Result, Tommy got devestated. When I've sparred taller guys its never really bothered me, in fact i'd rather spar someone taller because they give you more options to counter, once you start countering that jab they aren't too eager to throw a lot of them. I've seen guys spar and use the standards of blocking and they don't figure out these things. I remember my tall sparring partner telling me how to parry, well it was useless for me, as I showed him. Still, most fighters are not sharp enough to figure these things out in the heat of battle. You can see them make the mistake, tell them they are doing it and they still go back to the same improper techniques.