If clinching was more harshly punished, how does HW history change?

I think that what we're talking down on is "obsessive, habitual or pathological" type clinching....maybe a fighter aspires to be of a "defensive" sort, and fancies excessive clinching to a degree where it becomes obsessive....whereas, he should try to incorporate more legit means of defensive techniques into his repertoire instead, more slipping, blocking and even defensive footwork, etc.,...that is if he's capable of it.

 

How are you, REd ? Vic here, I just had to talk about some classic boxing.. back to the old days.

 

Right on the money. Ali got away with a lot.

 

Tunney clinched Dempsey
Walcott clinched Marciano
Ali clinched Frazier in fight 2

It has been a common manner that great boxers have used to nullify a punchers inside game.

 

It's not just the clinching, Wlad and Lewis leant on fighters with great effect. Lewis should have been disqualified a few times with his signature hold the head down and uppercut move.

 

Just staying on your feet takes it out of you when being leant on by someone as big as you or bigger. Even if the person is punished by losing the round the leaning is still going to have an effect that will likely change the outcome of a fight so it's a risk worth taking .

 

According to you and many others Wlad made a career out of it.....

 

A clinch/hold is illegal. Full stop. But I dont know how it can be proven a winner loses if he is prevented from holding at all.

fighters coming together and tangling up is a necessary by product of fist fighting. It's going to happen.

Theoretically it should be broken up before it develops into actual holding...But it never is.

Most refs want to first wait to see if things will develop into real in fighting before breaking them, so a chance has to be given to encourage the fighters to work their hands free. A certain amount of leeway has to be allowed. And this is the problem. Boxer's are good at looking like they are trying to wriggle free whilst really holding on to rest.

A hold can be used to rest or to gain respite during an onslaught but it has to look deliberate to be broken up immediately. Only a few seconds at the right moment is required to gain the kind of advantage "coming together" or legal smothering will achieve, and you can't actually stop those first few seconds from happening since it will always take a few seconds to assess.

Obviously deliberate and excessive holding, leaning on and clinching is easy to police, but you can't eliminate the initial "coming together" or bumping that you will always get.

 

The other thing is if a fighter wants to work inside and the rule of holding is too scrupulously used, he won't get to ever fight inside.

 

Overcoming great inside fighters takes more than just clinching. Clinching to forstall inside aggression is one aspect in a well rounded fight plan.