How to beat a clincher/holder?

You have to make it obvious that you are being held/clinch unnecessary, I don't get why people keep on talking about Wlad holding, I blame his opponents too, they know 80-85% of his game is based on clinching you till you get exhausted and ready to be put away. So if you know this why not train and practice for what we all know he is going to do.

Kovalev vs Hopkins is a great modern day example of how to avoid the clinch.

Well there are many techniques one can use to avoid being held. One is positioning your head under the chin of your opponent and pushing. Another is leveraging the arms by getting underneath them. In the end though, when you are facing a bigger or really skilled opponent like Klitchko and Mayweather, the ref needs to not allow it. Mayweather is a great fighter, but if you allow him to hold, you take basically the only other avenue away from the opposing fighter that can beat him. The ref turned Hatton into a one dimensional fighter, and did the same Guerrero. Allowing Mayweather to hold is making it even more difficult to beat an already difficult opponent.

You need a referee that knows the rules first.

Golovkin would stick his head out into Murray's face every time Murray got a hold of him, that's one way. This is really effective. If you rewatch Matthysse-Molina he did a lot of good inside work, lean your head into/under the guys head and then they can't clinch properly and you can work that body or even the head. Against Provodnikov Lucas was going in for the clinch and broke away immediately throwing an uppercut when Ruslan was prepared for a clinch.

It take discipline -- the best approach is to avoid getting clinched by not giving the other guy your arms to grab onto. Taking Jennings for an example, look how many times in close he extends his left arm under Wlad's right elbow/armpit and wraps the left arm around Wlad's waist. When Jennings does this, he's initiating the clinch -- there's no way not to clinch someone who is throwing their arm(s) underneath yours between the arm and ribcage. Mike Tyson did this a lot, too. If you keep your own elbows in tight to your body and the gloves high and tight, you make it very difficult for the other guy to clinch you. And if he does, it's much more obvious and hard for a ref to ignore.

The key here is raw physical strength. If the clinching fighter is stronger, avoiding the clinch is a tricky proposition. If it's the other way around, the fighter that does not want to be tied up just pushes and throws the clincher away. If they are about the same strength - the best strategy (albeit illegal as well) I saw - was Mayweather's elbow in the neck of Hatton, when the latter tried to tie up and wrestle. It is hard to avoid clinching from Wlad, because he is quite strong.

That is a quality video.

I'd turn it more into a cuddle, resting my head on their shoulder while slowly doing sexual thrusts at them. Two or three times of doing that their going to be that disgusted as a man they won't do it again. :D

yeah or you feint them out or into position for you to throw and do not fall over your front foot like Jennings did to mount an offense. every time you do that you give up your balance to throw shots. Jennings looked like an amateur and Wlad took advantage of poor footwork. If you maintain your balance you have options if you don't, you don't have control of the spacing, thus getting clinched. Good point http://cdn3.vox-cdn.com/imported_assets/2167547/blanket.gif

Golovkin would stick his head out into Murray's face every time Murray got a hold of him, that's one way. yeah or you feint them out or into position for you to throw and do not fall over your front foot like Jennings did to mount an offense. every time you do that you give up your balance to throw shots. Jennings looked like an amateur and Wlad took advantage of poor footwork. If you maintain your balance you have options if you don't, you don't have control of the spacing, thus getting clinched.

Fighting in the clinch isnt much different to ground work in mma Imo. Establishing dominant positions, getting your hands and arms in the right place and staying mentally focused (ie. Dont just stop fighting because a clinch has started) will take you a long way. Mayweather is one of the lighter, smaller fighters at WW and he manages to get the better of most/all of his opponents on the inside. Its because he practices it and understands it. Same with Ward (though he isnt small at 168 as far as i know).

Vladimir is a great champion.

Salido too though its usually him clinching lol

Take a half-step back and shoot the uppercut. Best fighter to watch demonstrate is probably marquez.

Punch them in the balls. Lol like floyd-maidana 1? Just take step backs and throw uppercuts and body punches

EASY!! Use the Philly shell/Shoulder roll... Even if he grabs you he's open for uppercuts to the body......Mayweather does this when he's grabbed

If you have the speed and timing for it, fire an uppercut when they step in to clinch. If one of your arms is free in the clinch, pound on the side of their ribs.

Watch Felix Trinidad prevent Fernando Vargas and Bernard Hopkins from clinching. Every time Vargas tried to clinch, Tito would dig his elbow in Vargas' chest, creating room and distance... and fire off a left hook. Tito was skilled.