Gloves you like more then winnings?

[Badoldman]

I’m going to throw a wrench in this discussion. I have a pair of Winning 16 oz lace ups. At our boxing gym most of the fighters there could not own a pair of Winning gloves if their lives depended on it. I said FIGHTERS. Now our non-contact members and our contact non-competitors are a different story. My gym has what I consider 4 categories of members. First the pro fighters. Gloves prices are not a consideration. They buy the best gloves and equipment. Winning mostly. Some Reyes and Rival. A big heavyweight we have is sponsored by Everlast and uses their MX line.

Then we have our amateur fighters. They are called the “competition team”. Most come from the area neighborhoods. This is the group I have the most contact with as my son is preparing for a July 3rd fight date. Most have cheap polyurethane gloves for training and use the team gear for sparring. This group has no problem buying $300 Mizuno shoes but won’t pay $100 for a decent pair of gloves. The team gear is leather Amber gloves and guards provided by the gym. Useable but not my preference. My son and a couple of other fighters are college students and they have the best gear money can buy. Probably because like my son, their parents are paying for it. My son has Winning and Fighting Sports and Adidas but can select from 50 pair of gloves to train or spar.

This category is our contact members. They train and spar but do not compete. They have the widest variety of gloves and gear. From ONX to Everlast. Lots of Ringside and Title. This group trains in tennis shoes and became banished to the floor ring for sparring because their tennis shoes ruin good canvas ring covers.

Then we have our non-contact members. They only occasionally body spar and their gloves tend to be higher quality than any other group with the exception of the pros. Couples, housewives, local media personalities, hospital staff and nurses, large corporations who offer gym memberships in their health plans, doctors and lawyers who train for fitness. This group has good gear. Lots of Rival high end gloves, Everlast, I saw a pair of Venum Hammer Pro lace ups. Good boxing shoes as well. No headgear or foul guards here because no contact.

On this forum we tend to stress a pair for sparring and a pair for training. I can tell you that among fighters, transitioning from sparring to the bag, there is almost no consideration for changing gloves. Modern training methods utilize several indicators for measures of conditioning. Use of so called “sports bras”, a device that measures heart rate, blood pressure, and oxygen saturation is wide spread. They’re focusing on keeping the heart rate up during training and how fast it returns to normal once you stop training. Shorter time back to “normal” the better condition you are in. They literally climb out of the sparring ring, the trainer takes their headgear off and they walk to the nearest bag and go back to work. Most fighters are not like us, they are normal, we are glove nerds. We have gloves for sparring, gloves for bags, gloves for mitts and gloves for double end work. We have different glove weights, different padding, laces and velcro, he’ll, we have glove nerds who use different wraps for different gloves, Hambra Leroy for sparring, winning gel guards for bag work. This is something we consider. Real fighters, almost never.

Now please don’t tell me that this or that pro fighter changes gloves on his 2 minute YouTube video. If they are pro fighters, 2 minutes of his daily 6 hour training is not representative of his glove selection. If they spar in a glove, that glove is used on the bag, the mitts, the double-end. Now I’ll get to the point. My son spars in his Winning gloves. But he prefers his Everlast Powerlocks. Why? He is going from 10 rounds in the sparring ring to 14 rounds on the bag and double end. They do what they call the “easy 24”. Each training session includes 24 rounds with gloves on. Jumping rope, shadow boxing, floor work (calisthenics) do not count towards the “easy 24”. They call it that because the theory is you go 24 rounds in our gym with gloves on then the fight is “easy”. Hence “easy 24”. He prefers his Powerlocks because they are a better all around glove than Winning. To him. That mindset is wholly inadequate for me as a glove nerd. I train and spar for fun and fitness. There is nothing better outside sex, than being in top physical condition and really sparring or hitting the bag in a good pair of gloves. Preferably in a pair I am still evaluating and I’ve decided that these are wonderful gloves for whatever I am doing. I have sparring gloves, I have double end gloves, I have bag only gloves. I have wraps, I have gel-guards, I have quick wraps, I have a glove that needs no wraps. The same for headgear and foul protectors and shoes. Don’t even get me started on my mitts and coach’s body protectors. See my point. It takes everything I have not to rush over when my son stops sparring and take his Winning MS-600 lace up gloves off and put his Casanova 16 oz lace ups on before he begins hitting the bag because of course “he has the wrong gloves on for the bag because there is no feedback”. They do not think like this-we do. We are not normal. I drive a 9 year pickup truck that’s paid for. But I have the latest version of Cleto Reyes High Precision gloves because they have never strayed away from traditional training gloves. Except the Extra Padding. And the Safetec. See what I mean. We have no compunction paying for a $750 dollar Grant training glove or a $475 Mizuno shoe but drive a 10 year old truck because it’s paid for.

For the record, I like Fly gloves better than Winning because the padding is a very unique graduated resistance from impact. The leather is comparable. The fact that Fly makes a Super X with the exact same padding in a synthetic leather is the tie breaker. I think I’ve made my point.

 

[Endy]

So when I say I’m not a big fan of Fly’s X line of gloves, I really just mean in comparison to other gloves of similar price (based on current exchange rates, the Fly X gloves are currently about $255 before shipping and tax) and Fly’s premium line of gloves. So I probably didn’t word that as well as I should have in my previous post, because I do think the Fly X’s are very good gloves. I just personally would pick several other brands over the Fly X at that price point. But I am mostly a fan of Mexican gloves; I have a pretty large glove collection and the only two that are not made in Mexico are the Fly Superlace and 1v1 horsehair gloves. But everyone has different preferences when it comes to gloves, so just because I may prefer Cleto Reyes over the Fly X’s doesn’t mean that Reyes is necessarily better or that other people won’t prefer the X’s. From using both the Fly Superlace X and the premium Superlace gloves, I just feel like the premium line is a level above in terms of materials used, stitching, overall craftsmanship, durability, comfort, etc. So for me, if I’m going to spend a bunch of money on Fly gloves, I’d rather go ahead and spend a little more to get the top of the line gloves. In terms of specifics, I wasn’t crazy about the artificial/engineered leather that was used on the Fly X’s. I don’t have anything against engineered leather and synthetic materials in general being used on boxing gloves. For example, I really like the synthetic microfiber that Rival uses on a lot of their gloves, and Winning will also make custom gloves with a nice synthetic leather by request. However, the material used on the Fly X’s just wasn’t my favorite; it almost had a vinyl feel to it, and it seemed like it might eventually have some issues with cracking (although I don’t know that for sure, as I ended up selling the gloves, and no actual cracks had formed yet). I also thought they felt a little flimsy, and I just wasn’t crazy about the overall fit. I also really like how the premium Fly gloves are made in the UK, because that is pretty rare (as far as I know, they are the only glove company manufacturing in the UK), whereas the X line is made in China. And for your other question, the Fly X’s I had were purchased probably about 6-7 months ago, although I don’t remember for sure. The color was white.

Hii do you think gil have rough lining like necalli? And how about new sporting, i have old batch and i am curious about the lining in new batch. Also is new sporting 16oz bigger shape than 16oz necalli? Thank you

 

[Minowafanatic]

On this forum we tend to stress a pair for sparring and a pair for training. I can tell you that among fighters, transitioning from sparring to the bag, there is almost no consideration for changing gloves. .

That's a good point. I think the main suggestion that a person have two sets of gloves, one for sparring and one for everything else, that that suggestion is correct for most as you've got those days without sparring when you're only doing mitts and bagwork and so a level of demarcation is appropriate. But that said, for people at my gym when they ask what first pair of gloves they should buy, I normally just tell them to get a pair of 16oz gloves for everything. Most of the fighters at this amateur club do have multiple pairs of gloves, although a couple still only use the one pair for everything each and every time. If these gloves get too run down then it'll get noticed at sparring time and we have them put a club pair on. I don't either personally have any gloves that I only use for sparring and never hit the bag in, despite the FAQ I edited on this subforum saying to avoid mixing sparring/bagwork gloves.

 

[RDL81]

That's a good point. I think the main suggestion that a person have two sets of gloves, one for sparring and one for everything else, that that suggestion is correct for most as you've got those days without sparring when you're only doing mitts and bagwork and so a level of demarcation is appropriate. But that said, for people at my gym when they ask what first pair of gloves they should buy, I normally just tell them to get a pair of 16oz gloves for everything. Most of the fighters at this amateur club do have multiple pairs of gloves, although a couple still only use the one pair for everything each and every time. If these gloves get too run down then it'll get noticed at sparring time and we have them put a club pair on. I don't either personally have any gloves that I only use for sparring and never hit the bag in, despite the FAQ I edited on this subforum saying to avoid mixing sparring/bagwork gloves.

This is true when I say I use my fly for sparring I mean I will use them for the session that is mainly sparring but there will be bag rounds in between. If I know I won’t be sparring I will wear a different pair at the moment that would be Reyes or NS I am not using the winning at the moment

 

[Badoldman]

That's a good point. I think the main suggestion that a person have two sets of gloves, one for sparring and one for everything else, that that suggestion is correct for most as you've got those days without sparring when you're only doing mitts and bagwork and so a level of demarcation is appropriate. But that said, for people at my gym when they ask what first pair of gloves they should buy, I normally just tell them to get a pair of 16oz gloves for everything. Most of the fighters at this amateur club do have multiple pairs of gloves, although a couple still only use the one pair for everything each and every time. If these gloves get too run down then it'll get noticed at sparring time and we have them put a club pair on. I don't either personally have any gloves that I only use for sparring and never hit the bag in, despite the FAQ I edited on this subforum saying to avoid mixing sparring/bagwork gloves.

I train for enjoyment. My last fight was at 52 and I am 57 now. I can tell you that I have gloves for sparring only. I have gloves for the bag only. But I am a glove nerd. My son, and most of the pros and other amateur fighters have several pairs that can be used for all training. But you are correct in that gloves that are used primarily as bag gloves may not suitable for sparring too. Now sparring gloves can and are used on the bag. My son has one gear bag. It has a pair of gloves for the bag and a pair for sparring. Let me tell you where my glove nerdiness reveals itself. I have a gear bag for sparring and a gear bag for days I do not spar. LOL. My whole point was that fighters primarily are concerned with getting through the “easy 24” and know they have about 3 hours to get through the workout. All their breaks are timed as are their training rounds. They are expected to hydrate in 30 seconds and return to training. So there is a time constraint I am not under as an old man at the periphery of competitive boxing. I will change gloves unless I am sparring. Then I do the same as the fighters. But I do not do the easy 24. I do the old man 20 on good days. 4 jumping rope, 4 shadow boxing, 8 on the heavy bag, 2 on the double end or uppercut bag and 2 on the speed bag. Last Monday there were 2 amateurs 6 weeks out from a fight. My son and one other. They both sparred 10 rounds with me and a pro and one other amateur. Here’s how the trainer scheduled this. I went 4 rounds, the pro went 4 rounds then the amateur went 2 rounds with my son. Then in the 30 seconds my son went to the bag and the other amateur fighting in 6 weeks came in and the amateur went another 2 rounds with him. Then I went 4 rounds and the pro did 4 more rounds. Both amateurs fighting in 6 weeks went 10 total rounds with 3 essentially fresh fighters. I was the easiest of course, the pro was the hardest 4 and the amateur was about equal with both fighters. When the fighting amateurs (my son and the other amateur fighting on July 3) got through they went straight to the bag. When I was done, I wanted to change gloves so bad. The exception is if the fighter in his easy 24 needs to go to the bathroom or has a bloody nose. My boy has a face bar on his headgear to eliminate the need to clean blood off his gear and gloves. Given time, I will change gloves. But again, I am a confirmed glove nerd.

 

[Brandon Robinson]

I train for enjoyment. My last fight was at 52 and I am 57 now. I can tell you that I have gloves for sparring only. I have gloves for the bag only. But I am a glove nerd. My son, and most of the pros and other amateur fighters have several pairs that can be used for all training. But you are correct in that gloves that are used primarily as bag gloves may not suitable for sparring too. Now sparring gloves can and are used on the bag. My son has one gear bag. It has a pair of gloves for the bag and a pair for sparring. Let me tell you where my glove nerdiness reveals itself. I have a gear bag for sparring and a gear bag for days I do not spar. LOL. My whole point was that fighters primarily are concerned with getting through the “easy 24” and know they have about 3 hours to get through the workout. All their breaks are timed as are their training rounds. They are expected to hydrate in 30 seconds and return to training. So there is a time constraint I am not under as an old man at the periphery of competitive boxing. I will change gloves unless I am sparring. Then I do the same as the fighters. But I do not do the easy 24. I do the old man 20 on good days. 4 jumping rope, 4 shadow boxing, 8 on the heavy bag, 2 on the double end or uppercut bag and 2 on the speed bag. Last Monday there were 2 amateurs 6 weeks out from a fight. My son and one other. They both sparred 10 rounds with me and a pro and one other amateur. Here’s how the trainer scheduled this. I went 4 rounds, the pro went 4 rounds then the amateur went 2 rounds with my son. Then in the 30 seconds my son went to the bag and the other amateur fighting in 6 weeks came in and the amateur went another 2 rounds with him. Then I went 4 rounds and the pro did 4 more rounds. Both amateurs fighting in 6 weeks went 10 total rounds with 3 essentially fresh fighters. I was the easiest of course, the pro was the hardest 4 and the amateur was about equal with both fighters. When the fighting amateurs (my son and the other amateur fighting on July 3) got through they went straight to the bag. When I was done, I wanted to change gloves so bad. The exception is if the fighter in his easy 24 needs to go to the bathroom or has a bloody nose. My boy has a face bar on his headgear to eliminate the need to clean blood off his gear and gloves. Given time, I will change gloves. But again, I am a confirmed glove nerd.

I find it pretty easy for me to change gloves as I'm way too lazy to own any lace up gloves so it only takes a second for me to switch out

 

[Mark6pro]

So far in my experience only Onx has achieved padding on par with Winning. Something compact and absorbing. Its synthetic material is also different from Rival's good stuff. Feels lighter, but definitely not like vinyl. It has a bit of give to it which I find a bit odd, but doesn't impact performance. The wrist is also so solid, and comfort is great. My only issue and this is probably my own fault for wanting a smaller glove, is that I picked up the 12oz for mostly bag and pad work, and it's crazy tight getting my thumb in there. Once on, it feels great. But getting them on is tough. I've also found Winning a bit cramped at the fingertips and didn't have any trouble with the 'smaller' Onx.

Have some further thoughts and pics, including close up of the material, below.

Onx X-Factor (12oz Velcro) — Fightglove Reviews

 

[Badoldman]

I find it pretty easy for me to change gloves as I'm way too lazy to own any lace up gloves so it only takes a second for me to switch out

I have over 50 pair of gloves and only 4 are hook and loop or velcro. I use lace n loops but our trainers try to keep you on time. 3 minutes of training and 30 seconds rest. I try and train with the fighters. Not because I am some kind of snob but by the time I get to the gym at 4:00 pm, I have been up for 14 hours and need to get my training done. If I am training alone, I can take more time. Also, there is a guy at my gym who is there everyday. He always brings his gear but seldom trains. He is very sociable and probably knows more about boxing than any person I have ever met. He sits on a corner stool by the ring and watches the training. If you ever start talking to him you WILL get delayed and end up in the most incredible boxing conversation you’re ever going to have. So when I talk to him, I have plenty of time and end up taking my gloves off and talk boxing. He is some kind of tech guru also and wrote a program for the owner of the gym tracking dues. I think the owner likes to keep him around for that reason. We call him the dream killer because your conversations with him take up all your time. I try and avoid him if I’m in a hurry or am training hard. But often I find him so I can lay up that training day. LOL.

 

[Badoldman]

So far in my experience only Onx has achieved padding on par with Winning. Something compact and absorbing. Its synthetic material is also different from Rival's good stuff. Feels lighter, but definitely not like vinyl. It has a bit of give to it which I find a bit odd, but doesn't impact performance. The wrist is also so solid, and comfort is great. My only issue and this is probably my own fault for wanting a smaller glove, is that I picked up the 12oz for mostly bag and pad work, and it's crazy tight getting my thumb in there. Once on, it feels great. But getting them on is tough. I've also found Winning a bit cramped at the fingertips and didn't have any trouble with the 'smaller' Onx.

Have some further thoughts and pics, including close up of the material, below.

Onx X-Factor (12oz Velcro) — Fightglove Reviews

You are a well kept secret my friend. Love the site and love the reviews. Great review of ONX.

 

[Vols1891]

Hii do you think gil have rough lining like necalli? And how about new sporting, i have old batch and i am curious about the lining in new batch. Also is new sporting 16oz bigger shape than 16oz necalli? Thank you

The GIL lining is rough like Necalli. Boxeo, GIL, and Necalli are probably the three with the roughest lining. New Sporting seems to use different linings in different gloves. But in general, I would say it’s not as rough as the three brands I mentioned above, but it’s also not really smooth either. I’ve never ordered my gloves directly from New Sporting, so I’m not sure if you can customize the lining or not. You might want to ask Edgar Martinez about that. I would say the New Sportings are a little bigger than the Necalli gloves. I’ll try to get a side-by-side picture for you in a little bit.

 

[Edgar Martinez]

Hey guys

@Endy
I haven't ever tried or seen physically Necalli gloves, but assuming they are produced under same guideline as Casanova [supposedly same owners], I would say in overall shape New Sporting training glove may be a bit bigger or more rounded than Casanova. But note that's not necessary the same for the hand pocket.

One specific I tend to mention much about Casanova and Campeon gloves, it's their knuckle pocket, which is wide. And for me being medium hand size, I don't feel my hands sitting comfortable, but flying around. New Sporting knuckle pocket fits more snug.

Casanova gloves padding are made of 1 latex layer, while New Sporting padding uses 3 padding layers [2 latex layers and 1 polyurethane layer]. Padding should be the main reason I'd say, that New Sporting glove may have bigger shape than Casanova/ Necalli.

Edgar

 

[Endy]

The GIL lining is rough like Necalli. Boxeo, GIL, and Necalli are probably the three with the roughest lining. New Sporting seems to use different linings in different gloves. But in general, I would say it’s not as rough as the three brands I mentioned above, but it’s also not really smooth either. I’ve never ordered my gloves directly from New Sporting, so I’m not sure if you can customize the lining or not. You might want to ask Edgar Martinez about that. I would say the New Sportings are a little bigger than the Necalli gloves. I’ll try to get a side-by-side picture for you in a little bit.

Thank you, appreciate that. I have casanova and boxeo before, if you said that it’s mean gil lining will also rough for me lol

 

[RedGloves]

Hey guys

@Endy
I haven't ever tried or seen physically Necalli gloves, but assuming they are produced under same guideline as Casanova [supposedly same owners], I would say in overall shape New Sporting training glove may be a bit bigger or more rounded than Casanova. But note that's not necessary the same for the hand pocket.

One specific I tend to mention much about Casanova and Campeon gloves, it's their knuckle pocket, which is wide. And for me being medium hand size, I don't feel my hands sitting comfortable, but flying around. New Sporting knuckle pocket fits more snug.

Casanova gloves padding are made of 1 latex layer, while New Sporting padding uses 3 padding layers [2 latex layers and 1 polyurethane layer]. Padding should be the main reason I'd say, that New Sporting glove may have bigger shape than Casanova/ Necalli.

Edgar

Based on everything I've seen, Necalli gloves are Casanova gloves with a different tag sown on the front for the US market.

 

[Endy]

Hey guys

@Endy
I haven't ever tried or seen physically Necalli gloves, but assuming they are produced under same guideline as Casanova [supposedly same owners], I would say in overall shape New Sporting training glove may be a bit bigger or more rounded than Casanova. But note that's not necessary the same for the hand pocket.

One specific I tend to mention much about Casanova and Campeon gloves, it's their knuckle pocket, which is wide. And for me being medium hand size, I don't feel my hands sitting comfortable, but flying around. New Sporting knuckle pocket fits more snug.

Casanova gloves padding are made of 1 latex layer, while New Sporting padding uses 3 padding layers [2 latex layers and 1 polyurethane layer]. Padding should be the main reason I'd say, that New Sporting glove may have bigger shape than Casanova/ Necalli.

Edgar

Thank you, it’s really detail and good information. I agree, the hand pocket feel wide and the lining also rough. I am not fan of that but the padding feels good after the gloves break in.

For new NS, actually i have some mexican gloves include NS from few years ago in 16oz and fits well on my hand. Lately i got some mexican gloves like russian, tm and heard if new grant also have bigger shape. Do you think i need to lower the oz if i take new NS?

 

[Edgar Martinez]

Thank you, it’s really detail and good information. I agree, the hand pocket feel wide and the lining also rough. I am not fan of that but the padding feels good after the gloves break in.

For new NS, actually i have some mexican gloves include NS from few years ago in 16oz and fits well on my hand. Lately i got some mexican gloves like russian, tm and heard if new grant also have bigger shape. Do you think i need to lower the oz if i take new NS?

I guess that is up to you. I don't feel the knuckle pocket of NS 16 oz is big or wide, compared to Campeon or Casanova. I guess it ends up being up to what weight you feel more comfortable using for training, and what you like to most. Also bear in mind, for Sparring purposes, 16 oz may always be the standard accepted weight gloves. Where if you get a lower weight gloves, may not be accepted for Sparring everywhere, but again, this may depends on the gym rules where you use to train.

 

[makedansure]

@Badoldman
really enjoyed reading your posts. the part about the "dream killer" made me laugh, we had a few of those at the gym I would go to before the pandemic. rushing to get to the gym an hour (at most) after work to get a quick workout in, end up talking the entire time...

Winning gloves: I've seen defects, I've seen quality issues. Specifically with the logo falling off (without use) and velcro gloves.
One important thing to note is that the President is now the son of the guy who was running winning for quite some time. Undoubtedly, we'll see some changes. just what happens when something changes hands

Winning gloves should not be used on the bag for the every day individual. They are amazing on the bag, actually, in terms of protection. I am not a big fan of this feedback thing that everyone seems to be talking about it, but i think i understand it. I use old bag mitts exclusively when hitting the bag, because I can slip them on, and they are the closest you can get to fight gloves imo without actually destroying a pair of fight gloves.

Winning gloves, because the padding is layered and really absorbs the shock, will flatten and wear out quickly on the bag.

the worst experience I had with gloves, i did not even know what was happening, when it was happening. my second pair of gloves i carefully selected to use after joining this forum while I was fighting and competing was the Ringside IMF glove, the old ones, the good ones. really liked em while i was using them, but then i couldn't figure out why my wrists, elbows, and shoulders were wrecked to the point that i couldn't hit the heavy bag for one entire year while i was actually competing. I spent about 5 straight months exclusively hitting the double end bag, a piece of equipment that i hadn't really given much attention to prior to this period of injury. now that time hitting the double end bag did wonders for my boxing, specifically my balance.

if you're boxing to stay fit, one pair of gloves with some dense padding will do. I do not like IMF for gloves. love how IMF was marketed and sold to us as if it were utilized because it was some high tech and safe thing. it was utilized because it was cheap and really made the manufacturing process easier, thereby giving the ability to make more and cheaper.

Latex rubber, depending on the quality, is a good alternative, which has been utilized by mexican brands for a long time. However, my old LAS DOS MM latex feels very different than what you find in mexican gloves nowadays. Trust me when i say this, equipment has not, in the past 20-30 years (save winning, maybe...) ever gone up in quality. it's all been about making money, and gloves made for the purpose of making money is never going to be in your (the consumer)'s best interest. don't be fooled.

Trevor Whitman's ONX gloves: I have a pair. they feel like a snowboard boot (because he told me that's where they are actually made, in those kinds of factories). I have a 16 oz pair, and the thumb is way too tight. love the idea, cannot judge them yet because i've not used them, but they're not that revolutionary. the whole X thing and not having to use wraps, honestly the wrist is so tight that i can't even turn over my punches. but maybe that's commentary on sizing.

the golomb glove is fantastic except that it needs more padding, IMO. i had to send my pair back in in order to have the finger tip area cleared up more. I tried calling John a month ago, i think that their operations are on hold for the time being, but I'm hoping that he can make me a pair of gloves before he closes down for good.

I have a pair of slip on Flores Sparring gloves that i've been using on the double end bag, my favorite gloves so far that i've ever tried. but in terms of current offerings, the thing is that quality is always changing and shifting even if you're not aware. Aside from the thumb (too straight and thin), i've really like what i've seen (potentially) from the SABAS bella series, again only from pictures i've seen. I have enough now (I've had gloves from every brand that I know of except for Corti from Argentina and Frager from Chicago, and also Frank Flores (after Levinson and before Ray).

Last note. Professional boxing gloves in 1980 could cost nearly $200 dollars, or upwards of $500 today with inflation. That is what professional gloves used to cost, and that is what that last era of boxing greats were used to and would wear. This whole notion of a $100 boxing glove is not how it has always been, that is because we've been spoiled with exploiting labor from other countries. Remember that when you buy gloves from your big recognizable brand, you're paying their marketing costs. Don't forget that. Gloves, like boxing as a whole, are not as good as they've been, not by a long shot. Like that "bespoke" suit you buy and wear, you're merely looking at shadows of the great things made the way they used to be, when they were made in the best way, and not by businessmen leading the ship.

 

[Minowafanatic]

if you're boxing to stay fit, one pair of gloves with some dense padding will do. I do not like IMF for gloves. love how IMF was marketed and sold to us as if it were utilized because it was some high tech and safe thing. it was utilized because it was cheap and really made the manufacturing process easier, thereby giving the ability to make more and cheaper.

Latex rubber, depending on the quality, is a good alternative, which has been utilized by mexican brands for a long time. However, my old LAS DOS MM latex feels very different than what you find in mexican gloves nowadays. Trust me when i say this, equipment has not, in the past 20-30 years (save winning, maybe...) ever gone up in quality. it's all been about making money, and gloves made for the purpose of making money is never going to be in your (the consumer)'s best interest. don't be fooled.

Lots of great info and insight in your post! I am also hoping to get some gloves from John if/once he restarts. Are you interested in Barric Boxing at all?

I also injured my shoulder whilst a competitive boxer using IMF gloves on the bag, and now nine years on and it still is a pretty debilitating injury that I have to manage. I think because the IMF gloves have an awkward bouncy feel to them, it's quite jarring on your joints.

On the equipment not getting better, I do think equipment offered in the mainstream has improved from where it was when I first started which was only about 11 or 12 years ago. I remember Shevlin closing in 2012, and then only Golomb was making gloves in the US up until 1v1. So this is a period of time in which manufacturing had already effectively left places like the US, and I don't recall there being any notable European makers, so really I mean that the quality offered by manufacturers in Pakistan and China has improved.

 

[Tmac94]

I've owned just about every top brand and I keep finding myself going back to Winning. They just feel like they're part of your hand. I'm also a big Reyes and Gil fan when it comes to hitting the bag. I've owned a few pairs of 1V1 and Fly and have since sold them. To me Winning is king. I know a lot of people are big on Fly but I just don't find them as comfortable as Winning. Very good quality though. I did enjoy the feedback on the 1V1 gloves and will probably buy another pair in the future. A very well made glove. Another glove I really like is Isami, unfortunately they only have them in velcro though. Very similar feel to Winning.

 

[makedansure]

before I begin, I want to say one thing. gloves are very important, but at the same time, they really aren't. most true boxers I know couldn't care any less what they use. it's the mentality of a fighter, and I guess it is not their job to care about what they use, and oftentimes, they use whatever is available. when I started, all I cared about is that I had my own pair of gloves. bought a pair of Adidas gloves (msrp at the time ~$100, but I bought them during a Title sale for $30 because I didn't have a lot of disposable income), and I absolutely tore them to shreds.

and at the same time, gloves are extremely important. but not in the way that some treat it, as if they were collecting hyped sneakers with custom colors and embroidery. you can have both, a very good glove in beautiful colors, but gloves were meant to be used.

bag mitts have taught me many things, things that cannot be taught by a teacher (and definitely not your friendly neighborhood cardio boxing coach) but only learned by doing. and having a sparring gloves where I can actually open my hands...



@Minowafanatic

Richard is doing great things, I have a pair of Barric gloves I ordered right after the pandemic started last year. from my conversations with him and the photos he's shown me of his recent gloves, it looks like his craft has changed immensely over the past year. @hangulmalmotayo also got an early pair of Barric gloves. Richard actually even made me a pair of bag mitts very close to the Everlast 43056.

on your bit about equipment improving. from what I've seen in catalogs and the current offerings, I would have to agree, but I am talking about boxing gear from the 80s and maybe even into the 90s. once a company starts offering a ton of colors because their consumers (via their marketing depts) demand it, you know where their priorities are. Dan Mosby, for instance, never compromised on certain things.

Shevlin by the time they closed their doors had made too many changes to their gloves for them to actually be usable. I think the change happened when Al passed away or left? the old red simple logo Shevlins, now those gloves were favored by the likes of Larry Holmes and Freddie Roach.

most of all of the current offerings and the improvement you're talking about began, in my opinion, in the early 2010s. the TU heatseekers, access to Mohammad (topboxer) through Beaulieu... my problem with gloves nowadays is that there are too many Winning clones. Winning are not the best glove ever made. They are great, but there isn't a lot of diversity in the glove design, and everyone seems to have defaulted to the Winning silhouette, which isn't necessarily a bad thing but I'm not the biggest fan.

my issue with Grant training gloves is that they always felt too large and as if they were two completely separate parts that didn't really work with eachother. That cuff and the boning (cotton padding on the palm side), those training gloves never felt great in terms of design/fit. and I've probably had 20 pairs of grant training gloves pass through my hands from multiple generations. Grant fight gloves, the ones I've had, feel pretty great.

that is why Richard and Barric are a breath of fresh air. Fly... their X series, feels like that was all a bit of a bait and switch. I've seen a few pair, the shape looked not great.

saw some video online of a guy that I used to watch for boxing tips. he totally downplayed one of his client's/follower's experience hitting the bag with some big gloves, probably IMF. what solved this issue for me was to literally not hit the heavy bag, and when I did return, it was with the mitts. I can hit as hard as I've ever hit in these bag mitts. I'm always trying to channel a bit of Mr. Foreman when I do.

the injury is still current? yes, my thoughts are that the bounciness of the foam (is that what the kids are calling feedback?) is terrible for you, like a really unstable running shoe with tons of padding and no lateral stability.

another half woke joke post.

 

[Badoldman]

@Badoldman
really enjoyed reading your posts. the part about the "dream killer" made me laugh, we had a few of those at the gym I would go to before the pandemic. rushing to get to the gym an hour (at most) after work to get a quick workout in, end up talking the entire time...

Winning gloves: I've seen defects, I've seen quality issues. Specifically with the logo falling off (without use) and velcro gloves.
One important thing to note is that the President is now the son of the guy who was running winning for quite some time. Undoubtedly, we'll see some changes. just what happens when something changes hands

Winning gloves should not be used on the bag for the every day individual. They are amazing on the bag, actually, in terms of protection. I am not a big fan of this feedback thing that everyone seems to be talking about it, but i think i understand it. I use old bag mitts exclusively when hitting the bag, because I can slip them on, and they are the closest you can get to fight gloves imo without actually destroying a pair of fight gloves.

Winning gloves, because the padding is layered and really absorbs the shock, will flatten and wear out quickly on the bag.

the worst experience I had with gloves, i did not even know what was happening, when it was happening. my second pair of gloves i carefully selected to use after joining this forum while I was fighting and competing was the Ringside IMF glove, the old ones, the good ones. really liked em while i was using them, but then i couldn't figure out why my wrists, elbows, and shoulders were wrecked to the point that i couldn't hit the heavy bag for one entire year while i was actually competing. I spent about 5 straight months exclusively hitting the double end bag, a piece of equipment that i hadn't really given much attention to prior to this period of injury. now that time hitting the double end bag did wonders for my boxing, specifically my balance.

if you're boxing to stay fit, one pair of gloves with some dense padding will do. I do not like IMF for gloves. love how IMF was marketed and sold to us as if it were utilized because it was some high tech and safe thing. it was utilized because it was cheap and really made the manufacturing process easier, thereby giving the ability to make more and cheaper.

Latex rubber, depending on the quality, is a good alternative, which has been utilized by mexican brands for a long time. However, my old LAS DOS MM latex feels very different than what you find in mexican gloves nowadays. Trust me when i say this, equipment has not, in the past 20-30 years (save winning, maybe...) ever gone up in quality. it's all been about making money, and gloves made for the purpose of making money is never going to be in your (the consumer)'s best interest. don't be fooled.

Trevor Whitman's ONX gloves: I have a pair. they feel like a snowboard boot (because he told me that's where they are actually made, in those kinds of factories). I have a 16 oz pair, and the thumb is way too tight. love the idea, cannot judge them yet because i've not used them, but they're not that revolutionary. the whole X thing and not having to use wraps, honestly the wrist is so tight that i can't even turn over my punches. but maybe that's commentary on sizing.

the golomb glove is fantastic except that it needs more padding, IMO. i had to send my pair back in in order to have the finger tip area cleared up more. I tried calling John a month ago, i think that their operations are on hold for the time being, but I'm hoping that he can make me a pair of gloves before he closes down for good.

I have a pair of slip on Flores Sparring gloves that i've been using on the double end bag, my favorite gloves so far that i've ever tried. but in terms of current offerings, the thing is that quality is always changing and shifting even if you're not aware. Aside from the thumb (too straight and thin), i've really like what i've seen (potentially) from the SABAS bella series, again only from pictures i've seen. I have enough now (I've had gloves from every brand that I know of except for Corti from Argentina and Frager from Chicago, and also Frank Flores (after Levinson and before Ray).

Last note. Professional boxing gloves in 1980 could cost nearly $200 dollars, or upwards of $500 today with inflation. That is what professional gloves used to cost, and that is what that last era of boxing greats were used to and would wear. This whole notion of a $100 boxing glove is not how it has always been, that is because we've been spoiled with exploiting labor from other countries. Remember that when you buy gloves from your big recognizable brand, you're paying their marketing costs. Don't forget that. Gloves, like boxing as a whole, are not as good as they've been, not by a long shot. Like that "bespoke" suit you buy and wear, you're merely looking at shadows of the great things made the way they used to be, when they were made in the best way, and not by businessmen leading the ship.

@Badoldman
really enjoyed reading your posts. the part about the "dream killer" made me laugh, we had a few of those at the gym I would go to before the pandemic. rushing to get to the gym an hour (at most) after work to get a quick workout in, end up talking the entire time...

Winning gloves: I've seen defects, I've seen quality issues. Specifically with the logo falling off (without use) and velcro gloves.
One important thing to note is that the President is now the son of the guy who was running winning for quite some time. Undoubtedly, we'll see some changes. just what happens when something changes hands

Winning gloves should not be used on the bag for the every day individual. They are amazing on the bag, actually, in terms of protection. I am not a big fan of this feedback thing that everyone seems to be talking about it, but i think i understand it. I use old bag mitts exclusively when hitting the bag, because I can slip them on, and they are the closest you can get to fight gloves imo without actually destroying a pair of fight gloves.

Winning gloves, because the padding is layered and really absorbs the shock, will flatten and wear out quickly on the bag.

the worst experience I had with gloves, i did not even know what was happening, when it was happening. my second pair of gloves i carefully selected to use after joining this forum while I was fighting and competing was the Ringside IMF glove, the old ones, the good ones. really liked em while i was using them, but then i couldn't figure out why my wrists, elbows, and shoulders were wrecked to the point that i couldn't hit the heavy bag for one entire year while i was actually competing. I spent about 5 straight months exclusively hitting the double end bag, a piece of equipment that i hadn't really given much attention to prior to this period of injury. now that time hitting the double end bag did wonders for my boxing, specifically my balance.

if you're boxing to stay fit, one pair of gloves with some dense padding will do. I do not like IMF for gloves. love how IMF was marketed and sold to us as if it were utilized because it was some high tech and safe thing. it was utilized because it was cheap and really made the manufacturing process easier, thereby giving the ability to make more and cheaper.

Latex rubber, depending on the quality, is a good alternative, which has been utilized by mexican brands for a long time. However, my old LAS DOS MM latex feels very different than what you find in mexican gloves nowadays. Trust me when i say this, equipment has not, in the past 20-30 years (save winning, maybe...) ever gone up in quality. it's all been about making money, and gloves made for the purpose of making money is never going to be in your (the consumer)'s best interest. don't be fooled.

Trevor Whitman's ONX gloves: I have a pair. they feel like a snowboard boot (because he told me that's where they are actually made, in those kinds of factories). I have a 16 oz pair, and the thumb is way too tight. love the idea, cannot judge them yet because i've not used them, but they're not that revolutionary. the whole X thing and not having to use wraps, honestly the wrist is so tight that i can't even turn over my punches. but maybe that's commentary on sizing.

the golomb glove is fantastic except that it needs more padding, IMO. i had to send my pair back in in order to have the finger tip area cleared up more. I tried calling John a month ago, i think that their operations are on hold for the time being, but I'm hoping that he can make me a pair of gloves before he closes down for good.

I have a pair of slip on Flores Sparring gloves that i've been using on the double end bag, my favorite gloves so far that i've ever tried. but in terms of current offerings, the thing is that quality is always changing and shifting even if you're not aware. Aside from the thumb (too straight and thin), i've really like what i've seen (potentially) from the SABAS bella series, again only from pictures i've seen. I have enough now (I've had gloves from every brand that I know of except for Corti from Argentina and Frager from Chicago, and also Frank Flores (after Levinson and before Ray).

Last note. Professional boxing gloves in 1980 could cost nearly $200 dollars, or upwards of $500 today with inflation. That is what professional gloves used to cost, and that is what that last era of boxing greats were used to and would wear. This whole notion of a $100 boxing glove is not how it has always been, that is because we've been spoiled with exploiting labor from other countries. Remember that when you buy gloves from your big recognizable brand, you're paying their marketing costs. Don't forget that. Gloves, like boxing as a whole, are not as good as they've been, not by a long shot. Like that "bespoke" suit you buy and wear, you're merely looking at shadows of the great things made the way they used to be, when they were made in the best way, and not by businessmen leading the ship.

I have a very unique evaluation of sparring versus training gloves. I ask myself which gloves do I least mind getting hit with? If you are sparring me, I want you to hit me with the best gloves money can buy. I’ve been sparring twice a week in my son’s fight camp. He is a 21 year old undefeated amateur middleweight and is fighting on July 3rd. I’ve been hit a lot lately and I’m basically a moving punching bag at this point of my boxing life. I’m the oldest boxer in my gym who regularly spars. I prefer Winning gloves when getting punched. They envelop my aging nose without breaking it. Yes, sometimes it squirts a little blood. I’ve had both my eyes blackened and scrapes and abrasions where my headgear pinched my skin against the leather and padding. Also, when taking a body shot, they are wide at the striking surface and the impact disperses over my sternum instead of penetrating and knocking the breath out of me. Yes, I’m 36 years older than my son and 22 years older than the pro who spars with us so I appreciate that they are beating up an old man with the best gloves money can buy. If I’m going to get hit, I’d prefer to chose and buy the gloves I’m getting hit with. May you all get to train long enough that your sons knock you around the sparring ring.