Yeah but a true defensive holding artist is someone like Ruiz or even Ali, who would clinch when their opponent got in range in hopes of the ref breaking them up, and repeating it over and over without throwing damaging punches during the clinching. Except against Urango where apparently Hatton was sick and in any case was not peak form at all, he's never done this frequently, and often when the ref doesn't step in and break it up, one of two things happen, one Hatton keeps punching and leaning on the opponent and they work their way out of it, or the opponent clinches and totally stops the action and the ref breaks it. The only time I've seen Hatton blatantly clinch repeatedly in a defensive fashion was against Urango, and I've already voiced my discontent, it was a terrible fight, but Hatton still won it walking away
off night i guess, since his refusal to assert himself in this regard was neither fair nor firm. :yep