If you have watched MMA you will have seen the sport is dominated by wrestlers. However very few high level boxers ever compete in MMA as the pay in boxing is usually higher. So it’s natural to wonder who would win a fight a wrestler or a boxer?
Can a wrestler beat a boxer? Yes, a wrestler can beat a boxer. A wrestler will be a favorite to beat a boxer in a fight as it will be easy for them to takedown and pin a boxer who has no wrestling defense. While having the boxer pinned the wrestler will be able to punch and elbow the boxer to finish the fight.
Can A Boxer Defeat A Wrestler?
Can a boxer defeat a wrestler? Yes, a boxer can defeat a wrestler. However they are an underdog in the fight. A boxer needs to knockout a wrestler as the wrestler is going for a takedown. There is a short window of opportunity where a wrestler is in striking range that a boxer needs to take advantage of.
Even though the window of opportunity for a boxer to defeat a wrestler is small boxer’s do have some advantages over wrestlers.
Wrestlers do not know how to defend against punchers. This will make them a sitting target and make it much easier for a boxer to strike them as boxer’s are use to striking other trained boxers have strong punch defense. A wrestler will not know how to tuck their, keep their hands up and move their head. This will make it more likely that a boxer will be able to land a clean blow on a wrestlers jaw and knock them out.
Wrestlers do not understand striking range. A wrestler will be unsure when they are in or out of striking range. A wrestler may think they are safe when in fact they are in perfect position to take a clean punch to the face. A boxer can take advantage of this may lulling the wrestler into a false sense of security by tricking them into thinking they are out of range before unleashing a combo.
Wrestlers are not use to taking punches. Wrestlers bodies are not conditioned to being punched. This will make the more susceptible to being knocked out as they are less likely to see the punch coming and roll with it. Their bodies may be shocked by being hit making it easier for a boxer to knock them out.
For a wrestler to take a boxer to the ground they have to enter into striking range. Even if this only for a brief period of time this gives a boxer the opportunity to knockout a wrestler and win the fight.
Is Wrestling Better Than Boxing?
Is wrestling better than boxing? Yes, wrestling is better than boxing as it has much less head trauma, cuts and broken facial features. Wrestling is more effective in a street fight and MMA. Wrestling is better than boxing for building muscle and developing cardio.
Lets look at the pros and cons of wrestling and boxing.
Wrestling
Pros:
- Great for increasing your cardio
- Will help you build muscle
- Best base for MMA
- Little risk of head trauma
- Build mental toughness
- Can spar regularly – fast tracks athlete’s progression
Cons:
- Can be hard to find adults wrestling
- Difficult to learn as a beginner
- Bad for body – particularly neck, back, knees
- Many techniques not applicable to fighting and MMA
Boxing
Pros:
- Good for cardio
- Effective in street fights and MMA – striking important element in street fights and MMA
- Teach you how to deal with being hit
- Easy to learn quickly
- Lots of boxing gyms for all ages
- Cheap – many boxing gyms receive grants and the trainers are volunteers
Cons:
- Risk of brain damage and concussion – long term effects of brain damage are permanent and debilitating
- Lack of emphasis on building strength
- Sparring is brutal – have to limit sparring which slows an athletes progression
- Stance has to be altered when fighting MMA
Who Would Win A Boxer Or A Wrestler?
Who would win a boxer or a wrestler? A wrestler is mostly win a fight over a boxer. A boxer will struggle to stop a wrestler from taking them to the ground. Once on the ground the boxer will not be able to get up, allowing the wrestler to elbow and punch the boxer until the fight concludes.
Is Wrestling Harder Than Boxing?
Is wrestling harder than boxing? Wrestling is a harder workout than boxing, in training wrestlers typically burn more calories than boxers. However, boxing is a harder sport to compete in. Fighting for 12 rounds and getting punched in the head and body for 36 mins is much harder than wrestling a 6 min match.
Are Wrestlers Stronger Than Boxers
Are wrestlers stronger than boxers? Yes, wrestlers are stronger than boxers. Wrestlers typically do more strength training than boxers and spend hours everyday lifting their training partners. A wrestling stance is much more taxing on the body than boxing stance which results in wrestlers having stronger legs and backs.
Why are wrestlers stronger than boxers?
- Strength training – wrestlers regularly lift weights and focus on big lifts such as squats and deadlifts, boxers typically do not lift weights instead they focus on body weight exercises
- Stance – wrestling stance places a huge strain on the legs, whereas a boxers stance is much less taxing, this results in wrestlers having much stronger legs than boxers
- Nature of sport – wrestlers are constantly picking up and putting down their opponents, grabbing and squeezing their opponents arms and legs, having their neck pulled, exploding to finish takedowns or escape from bottom – this results in wrestlers being very strong, boxing lacks this physicality
Is Boxing And Wrestling A Good Combination?
Is boxing and wrestling a good combination? Yes, boxing and wrestling is a good combination. By training both sports you will become a complete fighter who is comfortable grappling and striking. You will have many weapons to end a fight. Many high level MMA fighters such as Khabib have used this combination successfully.
All fights start standing and typically involve strikes. If you want to be a complete fighter you need to be comfortable avoiding and throwing punches. Boxing’s specialty is punching. Boxing will turn you into an expert striker within a few years who is capable of knocking out an attacker with punches while also being able to block, parry and slip incoming strikes.
Wrestling is a very effective form of fighting as it allows you take away the power and energy an attacker can utilize. An attacker who is on the ground with a wrestler on top of them is largely helpless. They can’t generate any offense or power.
Fights usually end up in a clinch and grappling situation. If you have ever watched a boxing match you will see how often fighters grab each other, forcing the referee to break them up. If you want to be a complete fighter you need to be well versed in grappling techniques.
Wrestling will teach you how to takedown an attacker while also teaching you how to avoid being taken down. Once on the ground wrestling will show you how to pin an opponent and keep them there. While you have your attacker pinned you will have no problem punching them until you win the fight.
Conclusion
A wrestler can beat a boxer in a fight. A wrestler’s skills are a bad match up for a boxer. It is difficult for a boxer to knockout a wrestler as the wrestler will only be in striking range for a split second before they establish a clinch or grab the boxer’s leg. The wrestler will have no problem taking the boxer to the ground and pinning as the boxer does not have any experience defending against takedowns.
Once the boxer is on the ground they will struggle to get back to their feet as the wrestler is an expert at holding people down while the boxer is a novice at escaping. Once trapped again the ground the boxer will not be able to mount any kind offense while the wrestler will be raining down a storm of strikes which will quickly finish the fight in the wrestler’s favor.
