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The question is that whether or not Ward's frequent clinching can be called as inside fighting.
My view is that Ward uses it too much to a level that it's not inside fighting anymore but abusing the rules. Afterall boxing is entertainment, not just with offensive skills but also defensive skills, Ward's clinches don't fit anywhere. Lemme explain why I think so:
Clinching is a tactic we see outside fighters use when their opponent gets in and unloads on them, they use it to prevent or stop it.
Inside fighting: fighting in zero distance.
We've seen Lara used it against Canelo and it wasn't boring, and cost Lara the fight. The fight was fun.
We've seen Floyd vs Maidana I, Floyd tried to use it several times even though MAidana didn't let him do that. It was fun. Floyd didn't move and fought inside for rounds without trying to clinch after his several unsuccesfull clinching efforts.
James Toney fought inside, was a true inside fighter as he called himself. Go watch James Toney vs Iran (not the country, lol, Barkley :P) and you'll see he stays in zero distance and scores.
Golovkin also fights inside, buckles his left arm like a wing and sticks it to opponent's face and lands shots.
What about Ward? Does he stick to enemy and land in zero distance? He actually jumps on the opponent to tangle him, vs Kovalev he came forward only to tangle him, literally run into Kovalev to clinch him a several times. He clinches and arm punches the guy on ribs or guts.
(His arm punches to body are scored as power shots, Ward's clinching arm punches was equal to Kovalev's straight rights. Kov's jabs were power shots and were still counted as jabs but that's another issue
)
Don't try to justify rule abusive clinching by calling it inside fighting.
My view is that Ward uses it too much to a level that it's not inside fighting anymore but abusing the rules. Afterall boxing is entertainment, not just with offensive skills but also defensive skills, Ward's clinches don't fit anywhere. Lemme explain why I think so:
Clinching is a tactic we see outside fighters use when their opponent gets in and unloads on them, they use it to prevent or stop it.
Inside fighting: fighting in zero distance.
We've seen Lara used it against Canelo and it wasn't boring, and cost Lara the fight. The fight was fun.
We've seen Floyd vs Maidana I, Floyd tried to use it several times even though MAidana didn't let him do that. It was fun. Floyd didn't move and fought inside for rounds without trying to clinch after his several unsuccesfull clinching efforts.
James Toney fought inside, was a true inside fighter as he called himself. Go watch James Toney vs Iran (not the country, lol, Barkley :P) and you'll see he stays in zero distance and scores.
Golovkin also fights inside, buckles his left arm like a wing and sticks it to opponent's face and lands shots.
What about Ward? Does he stick to enemy and land in zero distance? He actually jumps on the opponent to tangle him, vs Kovalev he came forward only to tangle him, literally run into Kovalev to clinch him a several times. He clinches and arm punches the guy on ribs or guts.
(His arm punches to body are scored as power shots, Ward's clinching arm punches was equal to Kovalev's straight rights. Kov's jabs were power shots and were still counted as jabs but that's another issue
)Don't try to justify rule abusive clinching by calling it inside fighting.