If you are a southpaw this applies to your left.

Since I was a boy boxing terminology has been unclear as to the definition of the rear-hand power punch. You might be interested to know that in traditional karate their robotic version of this punch is translated as ‘reverse punch’. Most of the controversy concerns the term ‘cross’. In fact, I called the straight right a cross into my twenties, just assuming that this term applied to the straight rear-hand punch crossing your imaginary ‘centerline’ when fully pivoting behind the punch. There has also been some murk associated with the fact that the third lineal rear-hand punch, the overhand right, crosses over the opponent’s lead.

This punch is traditionally thrown behind the jab and ahead of the hook against orthodox fighters, and as a lead against a southpaw. It may be thrown high or low, from a crouching push pivot, or from a high toe pivot, depending on your body mechanics and your opponent’s style and habits. It may even be thrown as a rear-hand ‘jab’ with no pivot from an open guard, although this is unusual. The best photo illustration of a straight right power shot is of Ali hitting Foreman, with a pivot so extreme his shoulder seems to be dislocating. Properly thrown, a straight right can travel through the target that has merely been touched by the preceding jab.

This is, strictly speaking, just an application of the straight right. The straight right becomes a cross when the fist and the arm behind it travel over the opponent’s lead. This can be because the opponent keeps a low lead, brings his jab back in a lazy looping fashion, or because the puncher is either taller or throwing from a high tow pivot in order to get over the lead.

This is one of the oldest punches in modern boxing, with photo illustrations going back to the 1890s. This punch travels over the opponent’s guard and either hits the face or forehead square or chops down into the chin or jaw. Old-time lightweights were fond of throwing it instead of a hook at shoulder-to-shoulder range as a linear bent-arm punch.

The modern use of the overhand right is generally more of a looping affair, favored by broad-shouldered fighters to club over even a high guard. The 1970s fighter most renowned for this punch was Ken Norton, who famously broke Ali’s jaw with it. Ali—and other slick tall heavyweights who like to fight behind a low jab—are vulnerable to this punch. The 1980s fighter most well known for the overhand right was middleweight contender John ‘The Beast’ Mugabi. The most feared overhand right to stalk the boxing world belonged to 1980s and 1990s heavyweight contender ‘Terrible’ Tim Witherspoon. Look up his KOs of Frank Bruno and Anders Ekland [the sickest boxing KO ever].

Be warned, if you are susceptible to shoulder injuries or have a history of shoulder injuries, the looping version of this punch will damage your shoulders. The men I just mentioned, who made their careers on this punch, had cannonball shoulders. Be wary fighting such a man, as he can club over your guard and blast you on the top of the head hard enough to drain your legs.

Taking a step back into the Golden Age of boxing, let’s explore the most successful use of the short overhand right, a clubbing blow that drained the legs of the men that even took it as a glancing shot and destroyed those who ate it: Rocky Marciano’s ‘Suzy Q’ punch. Marciano’s version of the punch was a hybrid between the two described above, and was perfect for a man that was short-armed. Another short man who scored 101 KOs with short angular punches was Henry ‘Homicide Hank’ Armstrong, who fought from 1931-45.

Note that both the short chopping version of the overhand and the long looping one, were successfully employed by offensive minded fighters, some of whom seemed never to take a step back. The men mentioned above were all ‘pressure fighters’. If you are not just a pocket brawler or peek-a-boo artist, the overhand is something that you will only ‘use in spots’. Ideally, that is its most efficient use, as an ambush punch.