Does Height Matter in Boxing?

There are tall boxers and there are short ones. The question is which ones have more advantages? Is the height really a factor in a boxing match? 

The short answer is yes, the height can be a huge factor. Due to their height, the taller boxers usually have longer reaches than the shorter ones. Because of that, they can hit a shorter boxer from a distance where the shorter boxer can’t. And even at a closer distance, if both fighters throw a punch at the same time, the shot of the taller person will land first, because of the longer reach they have. But regardless of these factors, there are some benefits of being short in a boxing match. Let’s dive into the advantages of both types of fighters.

Shots coming from everywhere

Imagine fighting a taller rival. For them, it’s quite easy to predict the direction of where your punches will come. In most cases, you will try to reach their head, so your strikes will come upwards. But a taller opponent has more options. They can hit downwards or try to land uppercuts.

You have to expect blows coming from every direction. Also, for them, it’s easier to hit you in the head, than in the body (simply because your head is closer to their hands), so you need to develop a good head movement to avoid those shots.

I recommend, when you are boxing against a taller opponent, to wait for them to throw a punch at you. Then to slip their shot outside. That way you can easily counterpunch them when they don’t expect.

If you want to improve your boxing skills, I highly recommend checking out this: Boxing Workout routine – free pdf file (more than 50 drills)

It’s harder to land head punches

Like I already mentioned, usually, your punches will come upwards, especially if you are trying to land shots in the head. The problem is that, in most cases, the other boxer will try to keep you at a distance.

So, in a case to reach them, oftentimes, you might overextend yourself and your head might remain unprotected. In those cases, you might turn into an easy target and be counterpunched. That’s one of the easiest ways for a taller boxer to land a clean shot. They just need to make you overextend yourself while you are trying to hit them and then to counterpunch you.

The best way to prevent that from happening is to just outsmart your taller rival. Instead of aiming at the head right away, try to land some body shots. Don’t stop until they drop their hands, so they can protect their body. Then you can land some clean blows to the head.

It’s hard to catch a taller opponent just with one or two punches combinations. You need to use multiple punches combinations and to change the levels. Combine body shots with strikes to the head to make the taller boxer guess what is coming next. That is the way to catch them.

Taller boxers can easier avoid bad situations

Like we already know, the taller boxers have longer arms. But guess what, usually they have longer legs too. That means that with just one step back or sideways, they can create enough distance, to be in a safe range from the shorter person.

A tall boxer with good footwork can be a very tough opponent. Especially if they have a speed advantage. So what I recommend, in case you are going to spar or have a boxing match against such boxers, is to develop footwork with “in and out movements”. Thus, you can manipulate the distance and attack unexpectedly. But such footwork can hard to maintain for a long period of time.

So, you will also need to improve your cardio (except you have developed great cardio already). The best exercises to do that are running, cycling and swimming.

Disadvantages of being a tall boxer

So far, it sounds like the tall boxers are superheroes… They can hit you from a distance where you can’t; they can predict the direction from where your punches are coming, and they can escape easier if they find themselves in a bad position.

But there are some things that can make you feel lucky about being short in a boxing match. Let’s see what the short boxers can bring to the table:

1. It’s harder to make weigh

If you participate in a boxing match, then the chances are you need to fit in certain boxing weight classes. That obviously means that you need to make a certain weight (except, of course, if that’s a just friendly match in the gym).

But, in most cases, a taller person weighs more than a short one (*that can really depend on the body type). Thus, the taller boxers often need to cut more weight, so they can fit into a certain weight category.

That often causes low energy, because of the fewer calories they can take. And the last thing you need during a boxing match is a lack of energy. That can be a huge factor, defining the result of the fight, especially in the later rounds, where the exhaustion takes place.

2. Less explosiveness

Besides the lack of energy, the aggressive weight cut may also cause muscle mass loss. That can reduce the punching power and explosiveness of the boxer significantly. And that can be another huge disadvantage of the taller boxers.

Also, you can notice that the boxers with shorter reaches are usually bigger punchers. Look at fighters like Myke Tyson, Joe Frazier, Rocky Marciano, etc. They weren’t the tallest boxers in their divisions, but their punching power and explosiveness were legendary.

In my opinion (I haven’t tested this), that’s because of their shorter arms. The longer the arm is, most of the power is lost during the time the blow travels. A great example is Mike Tyson. With his short reach, he was able to generate huge power when he was throwing his hooks and uppercuts.

So we could say that the shorter boxers have more knock out power, which is a significant factor in a boxing match.

3. Bigger target

Being tall is not so great when someone is trying to land punches on you. They can aim at your body or your head and you are unable to protect yourself everywhere, because of that how long your body is.

For the short boxers, it is completely the opposite. They can easily protect their head and body using the Peek-a-boo guard (the guard that fighters like Myke Tyson used) or the Philly shell guard (boxers like Floyd Mayweather and Sugar Ray Robinson used that guard).

Most of the times, the taller boxers are using more open guards, so they can create distance, using their lead arm. A great example of this was the fight between Anthony Joshua and Joseph Parker where Joshua used a similar technique to avoid Parker’s attacks.

4. The shorter boxers are faster

Here’s another benefit of being short — usually the shorter people are faster and agile than taller ones. And that can be a deciding factor in a boxing match.

Even if the opponent uses his longer reach to keep you at a distance, you can easily close that distance, using your speed, before the taller boxer, have even a chance to react. Amir Khan, one of the fastest boxers of our time, is a great example of how the speed advantage can benefit you in a fight.

But again, to maintain such a high pace, throughout the match (or the sparring session), you need to develop great cardio.

Conclusion

So yes, the height really matters in a boxing match, but not in the way that most people think. Being short or tall doesn’t mean that you have a better chance to win every time.

It’s all about finding how to use the advantages that come with your height and implementing them into your boxing game.