Winning MS-500 (14oz Velcro)

“The Lexus of Boxing Gloves”

Japanese-Made Luxury

Intro

What can I say that hasn’t been said already about Winning gloves? Well, I think there are a few things. Most sources will say the Japanese crafted Winning glove is the be-all, end-all of boxing gloves. That may be true for their lace-ups, but their velcro versions are not an immediate slam-dunk. I’m trying to stick with stock gloves on this page and was expecting to be blown away by these. Indeed the craftsmanship and quality is legendary, though I’m starting to think their overall reputation was built at a time when the competition was a much less crowded field than it is today. Make no mistake, the leather and padding is the REAL DEAL. But the stock velcro has some major issues that could have you question dropping the cash needed to make this your daily commuter.

The Wrist 4/10

This is by far the weakest part of the stock Winning glove. Most reviews I have seen have commented that it isn’t the strongest, or if there is any weak spot then it’s the velcro closure.

I might be the first to tell you the stock velcro isn’t just weak. It’s downright poor. Look at that image. I doubt you will find any other decent gloves with as weak a closure. However the fact that the glove remains in so many top lists even despite this weakness should tell you something about the other features.

And it’s not all bad. The thin, flappy, short closure makes it phenomenally easy to put on, and there are other options out there like the “double-wide” wrist closure. Those do add to the already considerable price, but in hindsight I would have sprung for it if I was to do it over.

Hand Comfort & Ease of Use 9/10

Lining is buttery smooth but not in a way I was expecting. Picture yourself feeling the smooth liner inside a quality leather jacket. A liner that lets your hand actually feel the leather on the other side. That’s what a winning glove feels like. Contrast this with putting your hand into the pocket of a winter coat which is what most other gloves feel like, where you feel padding rather than the outer material. That makes sense on the outside and punching surface of your hand, but suddenly feels unnecessarily bulky compared to a Winning glove. Closest inner lining I’ve felt is the Fairtex BG1s.

I wouldn’t call them pillowy, even though that’s how they are often described. There are some gloves that get compared to Winning that really ARE pillowy (topboxer). As in it feels like you have pillows strapped your hands. That’s not what these are like at all. These are sleek and compact and absorb impact without any unnecessary bulk.

Winning leather is up there with the best of them in terms of feel and quality. They feel like a quality leather handbag that’s both luxurious and able to take a daily beating.

Punching & Protection 7/10

I have to say, these have the most satisfying POP on the heavy bag out of everything I have used so far. Good hand position, good thumb, nothing bad ever felt in the knuckles or fingers. They’re sleek and offer great feedback on what you are doing.

But that wrist remains the lingering issue for the heavyweight hitters. You throw hard and don’t catch flush, or make contact with half of the hand, you may feel it in your wrist enough to make you hold back a little bit on the next one. I know points were already taken off for the wrist above, but it makes a significant impact on an otherwise excellent punching experience.

Other Features and Intangibles 9/10

The stock velcro Winnings really have no gimmicks or over the top features, and that is the best feature of them all. They are pricey for sure but everything people say about the padding is true. If you can spring for them and don’t train in places where they’ll easily go “missing”, then I would still recommend them. The wrist is the weak point, so if you either have good wrists with no underlying issues, don’t punch incredibly hard, can spring for the double-wide version, or simply just love Japanese products so much you will overlook their weakness, then you will enjoy these immensely.