Tom Yankello’s World Class Boxing Gym

06/04/2026

How to Counter the Rear Hand With a Rear Uppercut | Win the Southpaw vs Orthodox Angle Battle! Southpaw vs Orthodox!
The battle for the outside angle is one of the most important aspects of a Southpaw vs Orthodox matchup. When your opponent gets that outside position, he’s usually looking to land his straight rear hand.
But that’s also when he can be most vulnerable.
As he commits to the rear hand, fire your own rear uppercut up the middle. His focus is on landing the straight shot, and that commitment can open the door for a clean counter he never sees coming.
Many fighters view losing the angle as a defensive problem. Great fighters see it as a countering opportunity.
Instead of simply trying to avoid the rear hand, make your opponent pay for throwing it. A well-timed rear uppercut can completely change the risk-reward equation and make him think twice about attacking from the outside angle.
Remember: when your opponent thinks he’s in position to land his best punch, that can be the perfect time to land yours. Follow

06/03/2026

The Hidden Key to a More Powerful and Balanced Left Hook

Most fighters think about the lead side when throwing a left hook. They focus on the left hand, left shoulder, and lead hip, but that’s only part of the equation.

The left hook is a full-body punch. After throwing a right hand, the rear side must be pulled back into position. Bringing the right hand home creates the perfect counter-rotation through the hips, core, and shoulders, allowing force to transfer naturally into the left hook.

This is where many fighters leave power on the table. They think about throwing the hook, but they don’t think about what the rear side is doing to help create it. When you focus only on the lead side, not only do you fail to distribute force efficiently throughout the body, but you also compromise your balance. Power and balance are products of synchronization. When the body isn’t working together, both suffer.

Real punching power comes from synchronized body mechanics. When the rear side retracts correctly, the core and hips work together to distribute force efficiently, producing a faster, sharper, and more powerful left hook while keeping you balanced and in position for whatever comes next.

Stop thinking of the left hook as a lead-hand punch. Start thinking of it as a full-body movement driven by proper rotation, timing, and the rear side pulling everything into place.

06/02/2026

Watch this video of Rocky Marciano. He is the epitome example of what I’m always trying to explain. You either see that his back leg is his control system, or you don’t know what you’re looking at.

The legendary Cus D’Amato often pointed out that Marciano’s defense was far better than people realized. Because Rocky constantly pressed forward, many mistook aggression for recklessness. But when you study the film, you see a fighter who was extremely difficult to hit cleanly. He was constantly weaving, rolling, slipping, and changing angles while remaining in position to punch. Much of that defensive efficiency came from the control he had through his rear leg.

Watch how he moves forward, backward, left, right, and circles without ever losing control. More importantly, watch how smoothly he always returns to his rear-leg home base.

His back leg is where the reins are connected. It allows him to load the shotgun on his right side while shifting weight whenever needed. He can take his head over his front leg to punch with leverage, then immediately pull it back out of danger without losing balance or position.

What stands out is that he never sacrifices leverage. Whether moving, weaving, rolling, or punching, he always has force available because of the structure underneath him.

This is why a 50/50 base is not an ideal control system. It may look balanced, but it often leaves a fighter in the line of fire. That’s why some fighters get hit with the same right hand over and over. They think they’re balanced, but they’re actually parked in the lane of attack. They can’t smoothly return their head to the safety of the rear leg without disrupting their position.

Study Rocky Marciano, Joe Louis, Ezzard Charles, Archie Moore, James Toney, Floyd Mayweather, Bernard Hopkins, Terence Crawford, and Shakur Stevenson. Different eras. Different styles. Same rear-leg control showing up as the engine behind elite defense, movement, leverage, timing, and positioning.

The names change. The decades change. The foundation doesn’t.

If you know, you know. Video Credit: haNZAgod on YouTube

06/01/2026

Partner Drills! Follow

05/31/2026

Most fighters parry the jab...

Then stop.

That’s where they miss the opportunity. 🥊

This is Part 1 of a 4-part series where I show you how to build an entire offense off one simple move:

✔ Parry the jab
✔ Smother inside
✔ Create position

Today’s lesson:
🥊 How to land the LEFT HOOK

The parry gets you in.

The positioning creates the opening.

The left hook finishes the job.

This is the beginning of a complete system that will give you multiple offensive options from the same setup.

🎥 Watch the full breakdown here:
👉 https://youtu.be/j2BlNMVV1Lc

🏆 Tom Yankello | 4-Time Hall of Fame Boxing Coach

👉 Follow for real boxing knowledge
👉 Save this and drill it Follow

05/31/2026

Most fighters parry the jab...

Then stop.

That's where they miss the opportunity. 🥊

This is Part 1 of a 4-part series where I show you how to build an entire offense off one simple move:

✔ Parry the jab
✔ Smother inside
✔ Create position

Today's lesson:
🥊 How to land the LEFT HOOK

The parry gets you in.

The positioning creates the opening.

The left hook finishes the job.

This is the beginning of a complete system that will give you multiple offensive options from the same setup.

🎥 Watch the full breakdown here:
👉 https://youtu.be/j2BlNMVV1Lc

🏆 Tom Yankello | 4-Time Hall of Fame Boxing Coach

👉 Follow for real boxing knowledge
👉 Save this and drill it

Parry & Smother Series: The Left Hook Counter (Part 1). Most fighte...

05/30/2026

Maize Ball drills! Follow

05/30/2026

Real punching power comes from the ground up:the leverage of the floor, the rotation of the core, the engagement of the hips, and the delivery system of the back. The arms are simply the final extension of that kinetic chain.

The rear leg provides the structural base that allows fighters to stay balanced, rotate efficiently, recover after punching, maintain defensive integrity, and transfer force correctly without losing posture or position.

Every major swing-and-throw sport follows the same principle:throwing a baseball, throwing a football, swinging a golf club, swinging a bat, or swinging a tennis racket.

Elite athletes do not generate force by falling onto the front leg — they generate force through leverage, rotation, sequencing, and a stable foundation.

BOXING is no different.

At the highest level, balance determines everything:footwork, defense, positioning, rhythm, leverage, mobility, recovery, and punching power.

Foundation is everything.

05/29/2026

How Elite Fighters Make Punches Miss Without Moving Their Feet | Improve Defense Fast

Elite fighters can make punches miss by inches using head movement, upper body control, blocks, and parries — all without moving their feet. Learn how high-level defense keeps fighters calm under pressure, avoids damage, and creates counter opportunities with minimal movement. 🥊

05/27/2026

The Old School Bobbing & Weaving Defense.

Learn how to:
🥊 Escape head control with proper bending at the waist
🥊 Use your natural ring IQ and feel the way legends like Frazier, Armstrong, Qawi, Marciano, Henry Hank, Briscoe, Nigel Benn and many others did
🥊 Shut down uppercuts and body shots by blending in the crossguard & reverse crossguard
🥊 Turn modern day myths (“never take your eyes off your opponent”) into smarter, old school fight strategy

Old school boxing isn’t outdated — it’s timeless. What worked for the greats still works now, if you master the technique. Let’s bring back some fight IQ. 💯 Go to my website www.worldclassboxinggym.com