You've heard it many times: Styles make fights. There are certain similarities and strategic considerations that fighters must address with every match. One such scenario is the open-stance battle, where a right-handed boxer (orthodox) fights a left-handed opponent (southpaw).
We will see two of those matchups on Saturday, when Takuma Inoue (orthodox) defends his WBA bantamweight title against former junior bantamweight champ Jerwin Ancajas (southpaw), and WBC bantamweight champion Alexandro Santiago (orthodox) faces two-division champion Junto Nakatani (southpaw), who's moving up in weight, in Tokyo (ESPN+, 4 a.m. ET).
This kind of matchup requires a boxer to follow strategic guidelines in positioning, balance and timing. This is unlike a closed-stance battle between two orthodox boxers or two southpaws, where the fighters' lead foot and hand align on opposite sides, making the jab, counters and body shots easier to land for either boxer.
The angles of attack are different in an open-stance fight. The alignment of both fighters' lead hand and foot on the same side makes offense challenging. Feet can become tangled, and when punches are thrown, the fighters' heads align on the same side, creating the possibility of a head-on collision. This makes executing hooks and body punches difficult. Specific strategies and techniques are necessary to navigate the angles, like hand- and lead-foot dominance (keeping one's lead foot outside the opponent's lead foot).
At the same time, lead-hand dominance in an open-stance fight is a jousting battle similar to fencing. Both fighters look for a higher angle of attack, keeping their jab hand elevated above their opponent's. Some may adopt a lower angle of attack, like southpaw unified heavyweight champion Oleksandr Usyk, who jabs upward between the guards of his orthodox opponents.
Success in an open-stance battle depends on many factors, such as educated footwork, positioning, impeccable timing, punch selection and defensive responsibilities. All these elements shape the dynamic nature of this tactical and technical contest. Let's break down Saturday's two matchups.