Why don’t modern day boxers fight on the inside?

By Boxing News - 03/14/2016 - Comments

brook55666(Kell Brook showing fine form here with his textbook headlock of Shawn Porter in their fight in 2014) By Gerardo Granados: As the readers already know, this weekend two potentially good fights were cancelled, one due to failing to make weight, the other one due to visa issues. So, I had plenty of time to search for any meaningful fight that I could find.

Finally, I saw a fight in which both fighters weren’t able to fight on the inside. It is not just my appreciation, indeed, all both boxers did on the inside was clinch – push and wait for the referee to break them apart. Two experienced prizefighters with more than 25 bouts each, truth is they weren’t elite boxers but his inside game was poor, to say the least.

It sickens me to see a titlist or belt holders who aren’t able to work on the inside. Now a day many boxers wrongly believe that to clinch is a smart defensive move. But, according to the rules, it is a foul and even excessive clinching leads to disqualification. Maybe the readers don’t believe such thing, but it is true, perhaps you remember that referee Mills Lane disqualified more than a single fighter.

Old time referee´s urged fighters to engage, some would just slap a boxer glove to free it from the clinch, referee Carlos Padilla used to do it. I wonder why now referees allow excessive clinching and pushing.

Some think inside fighting is an exclusive distance for shorter boxers but that is not true. When you have two boxers with similar height and reach then we the fight fans should be pleased to watch a technically effective attack and defense from both fighters at close range too.

YouTube video

A long time ago a read a comment from a heavyweight contender who said that to clinch was the smartest thing a real boxer could do to deny a shorter fighter from fighting on the inside. That is nonsense, when you get close to a taller guy who possess a longer reach, you will have to work yourself under his longer jab to get inside, but his right uppercut – hook will be waiting for you once you are in close range.

Many tall fighters tend to clinch or lean on (watch any Wladimir Klitschko fight) as a defensive tactic against shorter foes. Why? Is it that they simply don’t know how to slip, block or roll with a punch?

But, things get much worse when we see two boxers even in size, height and reach, who aren’t able to fight on the inside. There have been great inside fighters who are skilled boxers and not just brawlers. Just to mention a few: Julio Cesar Chavez Sr, Riddick Bowe, Henry Armstrong, James Toney, Salvador Sanchez and Roberto Duran. Search for Manos de Piedra fights against hall of fame members Pipino Cuevas or Carlos Palomino so you can see what I mean.
Are boxers being thought to systematically clinch – push, and wait for the referee to break them apart; or is it that now only a few know how to be effective both on offense and defense when in close range?

Can the reader name 10 heavyweights who currently are great inside fighters without hesitating in doing it fast? Can you name 3 great inside fighters per weight division? Are you stuck to the name of Roman Chocolatito Gonzalez, Gennady “GGG” Golovkin and Luis “King Kong” Ortiz?

To all the boxing purists out there let me remember you that inside fighting doesn’t mean to brawl. Don’t forget that you can box at the 3 ranges, not only at mid – long range.
Why not instead we try to name 3 boxers per weight division who tend to clinch in the close range? I bet it will be a lot easier. I have no idea why now a day boxers refuse or aren’t able to fight on the inside. But, what about the readers, do you know why modern day boxers don’t box on the inside?



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