How to Emulate Characteristics of Great Boxers

Work with a trainer to develop maximum punching skills. Learn how to throw upper cuts, straight rights and feints. Study bobbing, weaving and ducking to evade your opponent's punches.

Spar with your coach or a practice partner. Start out slowly with fewer punches, then condition yourself to an advanced combination of punches and defensive movements designed to get you in a position to hit back.

Engage in a grueling physical conditioning regimen. Boxers run miles of roadwork, participate in weight training, lower and upper body exercises and hit punching bags as part of their training.

Develop a brawler style. The brawler uses his fists and eschews the subtle nuances of the sport. They tend to be slower than other boxers, but counter that with sheer aggression. Employ lots of straight jabs to your opponent, like Sonny Liston and Rocky Marciano.

Imitate the "in-fighting" characteristics of Mike Tyson and Joe Frazier. Usually shorter and quicker than their opponents, in-fighters can withstand many blows to the chin. This enables them to get closer to the other fighter and attack with a succession of punches.

Mimic the "out-fighting" boxing style of fighters like Muhammad Ali, Willie Pep and Sugar Ray Leonard. These fighters maintained a wide distance between themselves and the other boxer. Known more for footwork and long, straight punches than upper-cuts, they often knocked out opponents by wearing them down over many rounds, rather than delivering a quick, early knockout blow. It is said that Willie Pep once won a round without throwing a single punch, his footwork was that dazzling.

Mix it up. Learn to brawl and box like the great lightweight champion Roberto Duran. The "Hands of Stone" could outslug anyone in his weight class, but he was also deceptively quick, able to elude punches by pulling out of range at the last minute.

Develop your jab. Smart boxers throw all of their punches off the jab, which they use to keep opponents away and off balance. Larry Holmes, Muhammed Ali and Marvin Hagler could snap back an opponent's head with a jab, even if they threw it while moving backwards.

Keep your cool. The great champions relax when they have opponents in trouble. They do not start swinging wildly to finish the fight. Champions like Larry Holmes, Benny Leonard and Alexis Arguello would be even more controlled when they closed in for kills, going back to working the body.