There’s a need to stick to rules to keep the aesthetic of boxing in place
Boxing, like any sporting codes is guided by a set of rules. The rules are put in place to enforce uniformity, order and fairness amongst many other things.
These rules make up the core around which boxing is formed therefore chopping and changing them could jeopardise the stabililty of the entire structure that is boxing.
While some rules remain unchangeable, a lot of unspoken rules within the beauty of boxing have indeed changed. For a start, it is important to note that boxing, in terms of styles, is geographical. Each and every country develops and masters a particular style of boxing.
That styles of boxing becomes a signature style of that country. Americans, mostly, prefer a smoother, scientific style of boxing whilst Mexicans are more inclined to lean towards a brute-force, comeforward, all-action style of boxing. Also within a country, it is possible for a specific region to carve out its own unique style of boxing.
Take South Africa, for example, the Eastern Cape. This province prides itself of having its own unique style of boxing.
The very first thing taught to any boxer from the Eastern Cape, especially in the most excelling parts of the Eastern Cape – Mdantsane and Duncan Village - is “Betha wedwa” (Hit and don’t get hit).
Secondly the boxer is advised to “move (ela) kujab wakhe” (move towards the jab). Those become a foundation on which boxing in this part of the country has been built. The typical and conventional way or rule of the Eastern Cape to beat a southpaw has always been to apply pressure and push the southpaw back with a straight right and a left hook.
That is pretty much the rule here, as southpaws were deemed unable to fight under immense pressure and on the backfoot. But with today's crop of boxers, that rule has proven to be a rule that most boxers can do without.
Today you have southpaws who can fight under any situation. Take Azinga Fuzile for example. He has broken every fundamental rule that the Eastern Cape ever believed in. He moves right towards the danger zones and avoids being hit with ease.
He is most deadly on the backfoot than on the attack. Malcom Klassen found out the hard way when he got shocked by lightning-fast short-left uppercut whilst he was on the attack. Boxing has evolved so much that what used to be a law cast in stone has become an option.
“Guards up” was considered part of the basics of boxing but today's boxers would rather rely on reflexes rather than fighting with their guards up. Gone are the days where boxers knew not to move towards the right hand when fighting an orthodox opponent.
Nowadays they set traps by moving right towards the right hand, some with their guards down. With the influence of international boxing, our boxing finds itself at a stage where what was once considered as basics does not seem to work for the modern boxer. Perhaps it is the vigilance and curiousity of the modern boxer over the submissive, “ask-no-questions” approach of boxers of yesteryear that had gotten boxing to this point.
The rules have been broken and it has been proven that one, if smart enough, can meander their way around them or totally ignore them and still make something out of their career. Now that boxing finds itself at this point, the question that remains to be asked is whether a new set of “basics” has to be drawn up or boxers must continue with unconventional methods that work best for them?