John Peterson/Associated Press
The four most basic punches are the jab, cross, hook and uppercut.
The jab is thrown with the lead hand, which is usually the fighter's non-dominant hand and the hand that is closest to the opponent.
While some fighters like Wladimir Klitschko or Sergey Kovalev have extremely powerful jabs, in most cases, the jab is a tactical punch more than a punishing one. A fighter uses the jab to set up his power punches.
The jab helps the fighter to gauge his punching range and distracts his opponent. Most punching combinations start with the jab.
Teddy Atlas often refers to jabbing as "putting bugs on the windshield." In other words, blocking the opponent's vision so he can't see the bigger punch coming behind it.
The cross is a straight punch delivered with the fighter's rear hand, which is usually the dominant one. Power is generated by planting the back foot into the canvas and driving through the puncher's entire torso.
A "one-two combination" is when a fighter throws a jab and cross in succession. A cross is an overhand punch, although an "overhand left" or "overhand right" more frequently refers to a punch with a more looping arc.
The hook is a punch thrown from the side. By planting and twisting on the lead foot, a fighter can recruit power from his entire body into a hook thrown with the lead hand. A "one-two-three" combination is a jab-cross-lead hook combination.
The uppercut is an underhand punch thrown from close range. To generate power, the fighter drives up from the ground. An uppercut that lands flush beneath the chin from close range can be a skull-rattling punch.
A skilled boxer will throw a variety of punches in crisp, fluid combinations. A trained boxer can be very hard to catch with a single shot, so often a fighter throwing a multi-punch combination is really hoping to land with the third or fourth punch in the series.