Has fighting “in the pocket” become a lost art?

[RJJ-94-02=GOAT]

My (Romanian) boy Gavril was a solid fighter... David was only 21 yo and had no such big problems in those fights...

Are you serious? He arguably lost the first fight and got put down.

You definitely need to rewatch the first Gavril fight if you think he had no problems.

[MDPopescu]

Are you serious? He arguably lost the first fight and got put down.

You definitely need to rewatch the first Gavril fight if you think he had no problems.

I watched the fight several times -- I told you, Gavril is Romanian (like I am) and I wanted him to win, of course... But Benavidez was better... Ronnie was promoted by Floyd (and maybe that's why he won on one of the score cards)...

[LoadedWraps]

Perhaps it's fallen out of fashion in the undefeated era? No one wants to get grimy and risk it for a biscuit? Wtf do I know...

Not a lot, clearly.

If you excel at phone booth fights, it isn't a more risky approach.

The reality is, like other areas of boxing, it is lost because trainers don't have the knowledge and fighters come up with less skills on average than the golden eras. Boxing isn't evolving it's been regressing. Smaller talent pool equals less depth and less development due to low levels of competition.

These days anyone can turn pro and guys win titles with flaws left and right. Why? They aren't having to get through guys with complex and intricate defense and offense. Why? Because they are taught minimal crap and pushed to get as far as they can as carefully as they can and in the least fights possible. Does this help you take less damage? Sure. But it also means you get less exposed and challenged. Not a good thing, to me.

I know what I know as an amateur largely because I went out of my way to study the greats, and to really study particular fighters and from the past. If I only knew what my two trainers in my life have shown me, I'd be less than half of the fighter I am today. They taught me the fundamentals and a few tips and tricks of the trade, some combinations. What really makes me what I am, is what I've added to my own game, and that was entirely self developed and learned from fighters I chose to emulate.

And I don't think even the average pro has that kind of hunger and will to learn when it comes to boxing. True students of the game are hard to find imo even within the sport itself.

Truly great fighters of today stand out because of the gap between guys like Fury and Lomachenko who live and breath boxing on a different level than even the next tier of boxing elite, but they are still outliers. The average fighter today is less skilled, less conditioned, and less experienced than the average fighter back when champs defended their titles every other month and were overall more active, fought for more rounds, and had a much deeper pool of peers to contend with.

[Smash]

you mean slippin and sliding, ducking and diving, no its alive and well, just outside the ring

[sicko]

Refs break so fast now and basically protect fighters from having to fight on the inside how the hell do we even know who is good on the inside and who is not in this ERA

The More popular Refs get way too involved and want to make it about them. Refs like Bayless, Reiss, Byrd, those guys break the action too much and too fast. Refs need to stay back sometimes and force guys to fight out. Stop Saving them from having to fight on the inside this happens too often and it is making the sport BORING because then guys will just tie up and clinch even more to take a break during the fight knowing that the refs are coming to break the action every time they tie/clinch

However if you stay back tell them to fight out and things get a little dirty on the inside, guys will have no choice but to continue to fight. Spence Jr vs Porter was a excellent fight because Reiss wasn't as involved that fight and he let them FIGHT on the inside...


Yeah Yeah he also let a few of Spence Jr Punches stray low as well but the point is, Refs need to let them fight out more often! Get The F^ck Out Of The Way!

[Larry the boss]

Yes, and it is badly missed

[Citizen Koba]

No one throws short range punches from long range anymore either.

You know, like mike coming in fast with a left hook or Rocky jumping across the ring with a right.


Well, maybe the little guys do.

Ha well, man, you just voted on the Pick Em for a guy who does something like that so there's at least one left in the world...

[Tony Trick-Pony]

Unfortunately your absolutely right
One big reason for that , imo ,is the refereeing
Refs are not taught to let fighters get out of clinch or chest to chest
They jump in to soon and recently it’s been happening more and more

Yes!

I think the refs have more to do with this problem than anything else. It's a shame, too. Inside fighting is way more fun to watch for me anyway.

[Tony Trick-Pony]

Only if you stop for every clinch.

Let the guy punch his way out and you've got all sorts of fun.

Yes!

"Punch and get out" is the real lost art.

[YoungManRumble]

Not a lot, clearly.

If you excel at phone booth fights, it isn't a more risky approach.

The reality is, like other areas of boxing, it is lost because trainers don't have the knowledge and fighters come up with less skills on average than the golden eras. Boxing isn't evolving it's been regressing. Smaller talent pool equals less depth and less development due to low levels of competition.

These days anyone can turn pro and guys win titles with flaws left and right. Why? They aren't having to get through guys with complex and intricate defense and offense. Why? Because they are taught minimal crap and pushed to get as far as they can as carefully as they can and in the least fights possible. Does this help you take less damage? Sure. But it also means you get less exposed and challenged. Not a good thing, to me.

I know what I know as an amateur largely because I went out of my way to study the greats, and to really study particular fighters and from the past. If I only knew what my two trainers in my life have shown me, I'd be less than half of the fighter I am today. They taught me the fundamentals and a few tips and tricks of the trade, some combinations. What really makes me what I am, is what I've added to my own game, and that was entirely self developed and learned from fighters I chose to emulate.

And I don't think even the average pro has that kind of hunger and will to learn when it comes to boxing. True students of the game are hard to find imo even within the sport itself.

Truly great fighters of today stand out because of the gap between guys like Fury and Lomachenko who live and breath boxing on a different level than even the next tier of boxing elite, but they are still outliers. The average fighter today is less skilled, less conditioned, and less experienced than the average fighter back when champs defended their titles every other month and were overall more active, fought for more rounds, and had a much deeper pool of peers to contend with.

Great points yeah. They help clarify what I was trying to say. I didn't mean it's inherently risky, meant more that it seems riskier if you aren't good at it or weren't properly trained to fight inside. Though it probably depends on your and your opponents style and body dimensions too. Or maybe I'm wrong. Either way thanks for the respectful sonning.