No article about defensive boxing would be complete without “The Greatest” himself. Between the ‘Ali Shuffle’ and the Rope-a-Dope, Ali was able to confuse and bewilder opponents to the point where it truly felt like he was a ghost in the ring. Here’s how these two techniques work.
The Ali Shuffle
-The Ali Shuffle is a visual trick used to throw off timing. To do the Ali Shuffle, you rapidly switch your front and rear foot back and forth, eventually interrupting this sequence with a punch.
-The best way to use this technique is to intersperse it in-between stick and move style footwork to throw off the opponent’s rhythm, making them second guess the timing of their punches.
The Rope a Dope
-The Rope a Dope is a risky strategy used to frustrate and exhaust a fighter who is low on stamina, preferably a brawler with less than stellar technique. It relies on quick reflexes and the added help of the elastic ring ropes to allow you to wildly dodge punches for an extended period without falling off balance.
-This strategy works best against heavy-handed boxers that have already thrown a lot of punches, as the Rope a Dope relies on the opponent getting tired to be effective. Save it for the late rounds!
Muhammad Ali is one of the best heavyweights of all time, mostly because he had a defensive edge over the vast majority of his competition, using footwork and hand speed that is usually only found in lower weight classes. Watch his historic fights with Foreman or Sonny Liston to see his strategy play out in real time!