A sucker punch is a punch made without warning, allowing no time for preparation or defense on the part of the recipient. The term is generally reserved for situations where the way in which the punch has been delivered is considered unfair or unethical. In practice, this often includes punches delivered from close-range or behind.
In boxing, a sucker punch thrown outside of the rules is illegal. For example, when James Butler knocked Richard Grant unconscious after losing a fight to him on points, his license was suspended. Because sucker punches come unexpectedly, people at risk of such blows must be alert to the proximity of potential opponents.
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Famous quotes containing the words sucker and/or punch:
“That’s a sucker game, Doc. There’s probably fifty fellows around town just waitin’ to see you get liquored up, so they can fill ya full of holes. Build themselves up a great reputation—the man that killed Doc Holliday.”
—Samuel G. Engel (1904–1984)
“There are two kinds of fathers in traditional households: the fathers of sons and the fathers of daughters. These two kinds of fathers sometimes co-exist in one and the same man. For instance, Daughter’s Father kisses his little girl goodnight, strokes her hair, hugs her warmly, then goes into the next room where he becomes Son’s Father, who says in a hearty voice, perhaps with a light punch on the boy’s shoulder: “Goodnight, Son, see ya in the morning.””
—Letty Cottin Pogrebin (20th century)