Does anyone know when the modern “hands at eye-level, jabbing arm at 90*, cross hand by the chin” style of boxing started? Was there a particular boxer who fought like this and started the trend as it were?
From looking through boxing books, it appears that by the '60s this was common practice and hands started to migrate upward ever since the '40s or so, although there were still quite a few guys who fought with their hands below their shoulders.
How common is this style in the world today? I’ve noticed that in competitions where a KO is the goal (i.e. American pros) this is common, but in what I’ve heard called the “International Style” (i.e. more focused on points), it’s common to have the lead hand down to swing that hook around.