To me personally inside fighting is when 2 guys are in a phone booth throwing uppercuts, hooks etc... without restricting their opponent by holding their arm or other illegal crap. Like Frampton and Cruz last night at times for example.
I always hear about how Ward is an amazing inside fighter but all I've ever seen him do is grab his opponents arms and throw rabbit punches.
It's the same as when people call fighters 'slick' when really only a handful of fighters are truly slick.
Thoughts?
Duran, Chavez, Armstrong are proper inside fighters. Duran is probably the most skilled inside fighter of all time. James Toney is another slick inside fighter. The greatest display of in-fighting on film is Duran-Palomino. Watch it if you haven't.
Roberto Duran
Yes Clinching and turning your fighter is part of inside fighting. Leo is EXCELLENT at fighting inside for a guy that is Tall and Long for his Division
Inside fighting has always included not only uppercuts and hooks but also the craft of clever clinching, arm trapping, and using your head on the opponent's chin to maneuver him around.
inside fighting is corrales-castillo not andre ward/carlos molina grab your opponent with one arm and hook with the other or grab them then push off and hook. that's garbage
Mike Tyson was a mid range offensive fighter, who did not like inside fighting! i think sometimes he gets stereo typed as a inside fighter! Manny Pacqauio again, is another fighter who gets stereotyped as a inside fighter! but the truth of the matter is? his inside fighting is very poor.
Fighters who where great inside fighters are...
Ricky Hatton, James Toney, Evander Holyfield, Riddick Bowe "Very few super-heavyweights have been as good as Bowe", Muhammad Ali showed up against Foreman GOOD inside fighting aswell! Floyd Mayweather is a underrated inside fighter aswell...
James Toney was a killer with that short hook on the inside. Really fit his Lights Out nickname.:boxing:
Mike Tyson was a mid range offensive fighter, who did not like inside fighting! i think sometimes he gets stereo typed as a inside fighter! Manny Pacqauio again, is another fighter who gets stereotyped as a inside fighter! but the truth of the matter is? his inside fighting is very poor.
Fighters who where great inside fighters are...
Ricky Hatton, James Toney, Evander Holyfield, Riddick Bowe "Very few super-heavyweights have been as good as Bowe", Muhammad Ali showed up against Foreman GOOD inside fighting! Floyd Mayweather is a underrated inside fighter aswell...