When to Use
Use primarily as a counter combination after slipping outside a jab, when your rear hand is naturally loaded from the slipping motion and the opponent is still extended. Also effective when the opponent has been conditioned to expect your jab first and drops their guard timing to counter it.
Execution Steps
- Fire a straight cross down the center line with full hip rotation, driving the rear foot into the ground and extending through the target — this punch must carry genuine threat to occupy the guard.
- Let the cross's rotational momentum naturally swing your body to the lead side, loading the lead hip and shoulder for the hook without requiring a separate wind-up motion.
- Throw a tight, compact hook to the head or body, keeping the elbow at 90 degrees and using the pre-loaded hip rotation from the cross to generate power on a short, efficient arc.
- Return both hands to guard simultaneously and move your head off the center line, because after two power punches without a jab setup, you are in a vulnerable position if the opponent counters.
Coaching Cues
"Cross straight down the middle, hook tight behind it."
"One fluid motion — no pause between punches."
"Counter-punch with this — never lead with it cold from range."
"Let the cross rotation load the hook naturally."
Pro Tips
- The 2-3 is best used after slipping outside a jab — the slipping motion naturally loads your rear hand, and the opponent is still extended forward, making the counter cross almost automatic.
- Canelo Alvarez uses the 2-3 as his primary counter sequence — study how he times the slip to load the cross and uses the hook to catch opponents who try to recover from the straight punch.
- Alternate the hook's target systematically: hook to the head one time, hook to the body the next, preventing the opponent from settling into a predictable guard adjustment after the cross.
Conditioning Drills
- Double-End Bag: Practice slipping the rebound and immediately firing the 2-3 counter, 3 rounds of 3 minutes building timing and reactive counter-punching.
- Heavy Bag: 3 rounds of 3 minutes focusing on the seamless rotational flow from the cross into the hook, ensuring zero pause between punches.
- Shadowboxing: 3 rounds of 3 minutes practicing the slip-to-2-3 motion, visualizing an incoming jab, slipping outside, and countering with the loaded cross-hook.
Gym Workout: 1-2 Fluidity & Speed
4 exercises · 20 min · Hit the gym and sharpen this technique
🥊 PRACTICE MODE
Ready to drill the The 2-3 (Cross-Hook)?
Jump into a focused workout session built around this technique.
Q1 of 3
Which of these is a common mistake when performing The 2-3 (Cross-Hook)?