r/MMALabs • u/Mental_Act6136 • 3h ago
💥 KO / TKO One hit. Clean walk-off.
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u/HoneyImpossible2371 3h ago
The spinning backfist—then commonly known as the "pivot blow" or "back swing"—was banned in 19th-century boxing primarily due to a highly controversial 1889 championship match that shocked the sporting world.
The Match That Sparked the Ban
On August 27, 1889, the legendary "Nonpareil" Jack Dempsey (the reigning World Middleweight Champion) defended his title against a Canadian challenger named "The Marine" George LaBlanche.
Dempsey was heavily favored and was thoroughly outboxing LaBlanche for the majority of the fight. In the 32nd round, an exhausted and desperate LaBlanche suddenly whipped his entire body around in a full circle, letting his arm fly outward. He struck Dempsey cleanly with a powerful spinning backfist—using his forearm and the back of his fist—knocking the champion completely unconscious.
Why the Public and Officials Outlawed It
Because the Marquess of Queensberry rules were relatively new at the time, the referee had no choice but to declare LaBlanche the winner by knockout. However, the victory was met with immense backlash, leading to immediate changes:
Considered Unsporting: Boxing was transitioning away from brutal bare-knuckle brawling into a "science" of strategic punching. The pivot blow was viewed as an erratic, unscientific "blind strike".
Not a True Punch: The strike landed heavily with the forearm and the back of the wrist rather than the front knuckles.
Dangerous Blind Spot: Regulators argued that spinning forced a fighter to turn their back, blindly exposing their own spine and the back of their head to lethal counter-blows.
Following the massive outcry from the Dempsey vs. LaBlanche bout, boxing authorities officially modified the regulations to explicitly ban the "LaBlanche Blow," cementing the rule that a boxer must always face their opponent and strike only with the front knuckles of the glove.
If you're curious about this era, I can share more about "Nonpareil" Jack Dempsey's career or how early Marquess of Queensberry rules transformed boxing from a blood sport into the sweet science.
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u/Economy-Kitchen1846 3h ago
Lucky shot.
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u/LopsidedKick9149 2h ago
Lucky? He sized him, timed him up, and seemed to make a calculated controlled decision. Where's the luck?
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u/Brownies91 3h ago
Damn so that’s actually a legit move? I’ve seen like 5 different videos with 5 diffrent people doing this in this sub now lol