The Development of Boxing

Good point. Ali was the first guy that came to mind. Especially post Frazier I Ali.

 

Ali threw lots of punches. Maybe not all solid shots but he was busy, generally, even when using that clinch and run routine.
It's way more entertaining to watch.

 

I don't have a problem with a guy moving & jabbing & minimizing action but the problem is there are few all out pressure fighters to make their fights exciting. I posted on another thread that given Manny's size, he needed to fight a Duran type fight to have a chance against Floyd. That's not his style. A fighter needs power, a great chin, & a certain personality to make that work.

What's upsetting to me is when I catch a heavyweight fight on ESPN & see a guy built like a football player trying to jab & move from the outside. He clearly wasn't adept at that style but that's all he did. The Frazier willingness to take two to land one is nonexistent. Smarter I guess but not much fun. Even outside fighters used to open up more than they do now.

 

I watched The Vlad-Povetkin fight recently and counted the clinches round by round (I'm that sad!) and I counted 119 by Vlad. He managed 17 in round 10. These weren't brief clinches, either, they were mauling, leaning time wasting clinches.

Amir Khan had points taken for pushing Peterson and rightly so, because it is an infringement of the rules, but Vlad is allowed to clinch as a part of his skill set?

Mayweather basically avoids a fight very successfully, holds and runs. If he was a snooker player, he'd pot a few *****, then snooker you all night! As you say, he pot shots just enough to steal a round, yet he's heralded as TBE and not just by himself.

Jack Johnson has been mentioned and he would thrive with today's referees. I can even envisage Primo Carnera having a lengthy reign employing Vlad's tactics.