“Rope-a-dope”的意思、由来-开放百科全书

The rope-a-dope is a boxing fighting style commonly associated with Muhammad Ali in his 1974 Rumble in the Jungle match against George Foreman.

In many competitive situations, rope-a-dope is used to describe strategies in which one contender lets their opponent fatigue themself by drawing non-injuring offensive actions. This then gives the contender an advantage towards the end of the competition or before, as the opponent becomes tired, allowing the contender to execute devastating offensive maneuvers and thereby win.

Technique

The rope-a-dope is performed by a boxer assuming a protected stance (in Ali's classic pose, lying against the ropes, which allows much of the punch's energy to be absorbed by the ropes' elasticity rather than the boxer's body). The boxer keeps his or her guard up and is prepared for the incoming blows while looking for opportunities to counter punch his or her opponent, who by mounting an offensive may have left himself or herself open to counters. By being in a defensive posture and being prepared for the incoming blows, the boxer decreases his or her chances of being caught with a clean flush blow, as ideally a significant portion of the punches will land on the boxer's hands and arms, or will miss completely as a result of the boxer slipping the punch. Additionally, if the opponent lacks stamina, his or her power will decrease throughout the fight as he or she loses energy, and essentially "wastes" many punches into the boxer's guard.

However, a boxer employing this tactic must have a great chin and great ability to withstand punishment to be able to withstand the punches that do get through the boxer's defenses and land. Offensively, the boxer employing this tactic will look to exploit mistakes made in his or her opponent's attack by countering if the opponent has left himself or herself open. He or she will also look to mount short bursts of offensive attacks in between his or her opponent's attack, being sure to immediately get back in their defensive posture as to not leave himself or herself open to a counter attack. Despite the name, the boxer does not have to be against the ropes in order to rope-a-dope the opponent.

Origin of the term

According to photographer George Kalinsky, Ali had an unusual way of conducting his sparring sessions, where he had his sparring partner hit him, which he felt "was his way of being able to take punishment in the belly". Kalinsky told him: "Do what you do in a training session: Act like a dope on the ropes." Ali then replied: "So, you want me to be a rope-a-dope?"^[1]

According to Angelo Dundee, Kalinsky told Ali: "Why don't you try something like that? Sort of a dope on the ropes, letting Foreman swing away but, like in the picture, hit nothing but air." The publicist John Condon popularized the phrase "rope-a-dope".^[2]

Notable fights

The maneuver is most commonly associated with the match between Muhammad Ali and George Foreman, known as The Rumble in the Jungle. Foreman was considered by many observers to be the favorite to win the fight due to his superior punching power. During the match, Ali purposely angered Foreman, provoking Foreman to attack and force him back on the ropes. At the time, some observers thought that Ali was being horribly beaten and worried that they might see him get killed in the ring.{{citation needed|date=April 2016}} Writer George Plimpton described Ali's stance as like "a man leaning out his window trying to see something on his roof." However, far from being brutalized, Ali was relatively protected from Foreman's blows. Norman Mailer described the advantage of Ali's rope-a-dope this way: "Standing on one's feet, it is painful to absorb a heavy body punch even when blocked with one's arm. The torso, the legs and the spine take the shock. Leaning on the ropes, however, Ali can pass it along; the rope will receive the strain."^[3] Ali's preparation for the fight, which involved toughening himself up by allowing his sparring partners to pummel him, contributed to observers' sense that Ali was outmatched. But when Foreman became tired from the beating he was delivering, Ali took advantage and won the match.

Manny Pacquiao used the strategy to gauge the power of welterweight titlist Miguel Cotto in their November 2009 fight. Pacquiao followed the rope-a-dope with a knockdown.

Nicolino Locche, Argentine boxer nicknamed "El Intocable" (The Untouchable), used this technique extensively throughout his career. He would get against the ropes and dodge nearly every single punch until his opponent would tire, then he would take him down with combinations.

"Irish" Micky Ward utilized this strategy during many of the fights in the later part of his career. Ward would wait for his opponent to become fatigued and would hit with either a left hook to the body or any number of other combinations. This strategy led him to the junior welterweight championship of the WBU where he took the belt from Shea Neary.{{citation needed|date=June 2016}}

References

1. ^{{cite news|last1=Gardner|first1=Ralph|title=Madison Square Garden's Eye|url=https://www.wsj.com/articles/madison-square-garden8217s-eye-1380596873|work=Wall Street Journal|date=October 1, 2013}}
2. ^{{citation|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=Far_wt1G3ysC&pg=PA172 |title=My view from the corner: a life in boxing |author=Angelo Dundee, Bert Randolph Sugar}}
3. ^{{cite book |author=Norman Mailer |title=The Fight |publisher=Vintage International, 1975 |page=191 |isbn=0-375-70038-2}}
4. ^ http://nytimes.com/2017/08/26/sports/mayweather-mcgregor.html

Technique

Origin of the term

Notable fights

References

See also