ropeadope

The ropeadope strategy : Used by Muhammad Ali in his 1974 the Rumble in the Jungle bout against George Foreman, the ropeadope method involves lying back against the ropes, covering up defensively as much as possible and allowing the opponent to attempt numerous punches. The backleaning posture, which does not cause the defending boxer to become as unbalanced as they would during normal backward movement, also maximizes the distance of the defenders head from his opponent, increasing the probability that punches will miss their intended target. Weathering the blows that do land, the defender lures the opponent into expending energy while conserving his/her own. If successful, the attacking opponent will eventually tire, creating defensive flaws which the boxer can exploit. In modern boxing, the ropeadope is generally discouraged since most opponents are not fooled by it and few boxers possess the physical toughness to withstand a prolonged, unanswered assault. Recently, however, eightdivision world champion Manny Pacquiao skillfully used the strategy to gauge the power of welterweight titlist Miguel Cotto in November 2009. Pacquiao followed up the ropeadope gambit with a withering knockdown.