Clinching/holding in boxing should be banned

It starts to get annoying when some boxers do it a lot in the late rounds.

Absolutely not. Clinching is part of the game. HOWEVER, referees need to start being more forceful in taking points away from faggots who make a habit out of abusing it and end up clinching more than punching. I used to be a big Hopkins fan until he started making a habit out of constant clinching and being a spoiling cunt. A lot of NSB retards apparently love that sort of "fighting" (and I use that term very loosely) and routinely attack any fan that doesn't think it takes "mad skillz" to routinely reach your arm out and hug your opponent round after round, but I lose interest anytime a boxing match becomes a hug-a-thon. Guys like Mayweather use it perfectly : Just enough to frustrate your opponent and keep him from doing what he wants to do, but not enough to put the whole f*cking audience to sleep.

Imagine if a boxer couldnt hold or clinch it its an automatic point deduction . I totally agree 100000%, even if it's my favorite boxers doing it. Everyone should get penalized for that shit.

There are more similar quotes from various sources though of course it's a far from a black and white issue. My view is that Wlads holding in this fight was most definitely excessive and I would've started docking points as early as the first half of the fight. Watched it with my father who was a boxer in the 50's and he agreed also. If an opponent moves forward into you, coming in low, should you not be allowed to clinch to defend yourself? The rules essentially allow that, the question of excessive 'maintaining a clinch' or excessive holding essentially pertains to whether it is essentially preventing any action from occuring at all. I understand people thinking that with the amount of clinching that Klitschko was doing in this fight that he shold have at least been warned but I can understand the referee's position on this. The reality is that Povetkin did himself no favours and has to take a share of the blame because of the way he went towards Klitschko and didn't have the skill to land punches by either moving back or to the side when Klitschko went to clinch, or move his hands to avoid being clinched, or indeed simply try and do something to signal to the referee that he was wanting to fight close but that Klitschko was preventing it. As I said it is a fine line.

You quoted one referee, not any more than one, and Richard Steele, who I agree was a world class referee, is not the rule book. The WBC rules that you can find online do say "Excessive holding the opponent or maintaining a clinch". Your quoting of Steele doesn't actually contradict what I said. Klitschko was fighting and clinching, lots of fighters do the same thing. It is fairly rare actually for fighters to get points deducted for holding. If Klitschko was only clinching then he should have been warned. It is however a fine line. There are more similar quotes from various sources though of course it's a far from a black and white issue. My view is that Wlads holding in this fight was most definitely excessive and I would've started docking points as early as the first half of the fight. Watched it with my father who was a boxer in the 50's and he agreed also.

Interesting take on it. Heres some quotes on clinching from Richard Steele "You take points away when the fighter is affecting the fight and has stopped the other fighter from staying busy and not doing anything himself. He's committing a foul - which is too much holding." "It's too much when there's no action, when nothing is going on other than holding - then it's a foul. If the fighter's tactic is holding, it's a foul. He's there as a professional fighter and it's his job to fight. And holding is not fighting. If he's not hurt and he's holding just to hold, as a tactic, then the referee has to penalize him. He's not doing what he's being paid to do. He's not giving the fans their money's worth," Nothing here mentions the "maintaining" of a clinch. It seems Richard Steele and many other world class referred disagree with your interpretation of the rules You quoted one referee, not any more than one, and Richard Steele, who I agree was a world class referee, is not the rule book. The WBC rules that you can find online do say "Excessive holding the opponent or maintaining a clinch". Your quoting of Steele doesn't actually contradict what I said. Klitschko was fighting and clinching, lots of fighters do the same thing. It is fairly rare actually for fighters to get points deducted for holding. If Klitschko was only clinching then he should have been warned. It is however a fine line.

In his holding Klitschko did resemble Ali, that was what I said. It is excessive 'maintaining' of a clinch, or in other words holding that is illegal. Because of Klitschko's way of clinching, where he grabs around the back and leans over his opponent the referee is under no obligation to warn or take points because of the manner in which the clinch is maintained. This is the advantage a big guy can gain in these situations and Klitschko, like Ali, takes great advantage of it. In most clinches the arms are being held differently and the ref can warn against maintaining the clinches, i.e. because the fighter is holding his opponent. The Klitschko scenario is different because his opponents are bent down underneath him, hence the apparent leniency of the ref. What the referee could have warned and taken a point from was Klitschko actively pushing Povetkin's head/neck down. That is what he should have had at least one point taken for, not the holding. Interesting take on it. Heres some quotes on clinching from Richard Steele "You take points away when the fighter is affecting the fight and has stopped the other fighter from staying busy and not doing anything himself. He's committing a foul - which is too much holding." "It's too much when there's no action, when nothing is going on other than holding - then it's a foul. If the fighter's tactic is holding, it's a foul. He's there as a professional fighter and it's his job to fight. And holding is not fighting. If he's not hurt and he's holding just to hold, as a tactic, then the referee has to penalize him. He's not doing what he's being paid to do. He's not giving the fans their money's worth," It seems Richard Steele and many other world class referees disagree with your interpretation of the rules

fighters like jonathan stanks and clinchko practice it in camp and bring it into the arsonal, never have i seen someone hold so damn much besides carlos molina

Imagine if a boxer couldnt hold or clinch it its an automatic point deduction . funny suggestion given the fighter in your avatar.

Once again, huge overreaction on NSB.

Yeh Wlad really resembled Ali tonight? Tell me, do you think Wlads clinching tonight was excessive. If you had reffed tonight's fight, at what point if any would you have begun to deduct points for holding? In his holding Klitschko did resemble Ali, that was what I said. It is excessive 'maintaining' of a clinch, or in other words holding that is illegal. Because of Klitschko's way of clinching, where he grabs around the back and leans over his opponent the referee is under no obligation to warn or take points because of the manner in which the clinch is maintained. This is the advantage a big guy can gain in these situations and Klitschko, like Ali, takes great advantage of it. In most clinches the arms are being held differently and the ref can warn against maintaining the clinches, i.e. because the fighter is holding his opponent. The Klitschko scenario is different because his opponents are bent down underneath him, hence the apparent leniency of the ref. What the referee could have warned and taken a point from was Klitschko actively pushing Povetkin's head/neck down. That is what he should have had at least one point taken for, not the holding.

George Foreman knew how to deal with clinchers, just push them off when they get too close.

Also what Klitschko did tonight was what Muhammad Ali did during the 70s, what Monzon also did, as well as many others throughout history. Yeh Wlad really resembled Ali tonight! Do you think Wlads clinching tonight was excessive? If you had reffed tonight's fight, at what point if any would you have begun to deduct points for holding?

Excessive holding/maintaining a clinch is against the rules, initiating a clinch is not. The reason holding seems to be so tolerated by so many referees is because the fighter being held usually 'consents' to maintaining the clinch, the job of the fighters being clinched is to show the referee he is not 'consenting' to it but actively wants to throw punches. Some clinching and holding has to be allowed for fighters to protect themselves. Referees should probably be less lenient than they are but the above point gives the main reason for why they are so lenient. Also what Klitschko did tonight was what Muhammad Ali did during the 70s, what Monzon also did, as well as many others throughout history.

Answer the question for me someone please! Why should clinching /holding be allowed It's NOT allowed, that's why refs break you up when you clinch. If it was allowed the ref would let you clinch forever. Problem is it's not penalized in most cases unless it's very excessive

Wlad has never been punished for excessive clinching because he's hardly left his home ground ...ever. With FAIR REFEREEING Wlad would never have even been a champion at HW. He's made millions out of flounting the rules and gettin away with it due to in-the-pocket referees

I don't mind the clinching, it is the holding/head lock and LEANING ON TOP of your opponent to get him tired that is what Wlad was doing today he been putting his body weight on top of his opponents for years to be honest B-Hop, Ward, Abril, Molina, they may clinch but one thing they don't do is LEAN ON TOP of their opponent that is BULL***** on Wlad's part and he been getting away with it for years and I don't even think he needs to do that to beat most of the fighters he faces Yes it's evolved from defensive holding to part of his strategy for winning a fight, he jumps on his opponents back to wear them out and then knocks them out.

I don't mind the clinching, it is the holding/head lock and LEANING ON TOP of your opponent to get him tired that is what Wlad was doing today he been putting his body weight on top of his opponents for years to be honest B-Hop, Ward, Abril, Molina, they may clinch but one thing they don't do is LEAN ON TOP of their opponent that is BULL***** on Wlad's part and he been getting away with it for years and I don't even think he needs to do that to beat most of the fighters he faces

I counted at least three times where Povetkin probably would have went down from a punch but Wlad clinching held him up.

Great point