Sparring fighters that use "tricks of the trade"

[Butt stuff]

Fighters that use "tricks of the trade" e.g elbows, head butts, low blows, punches on the hip, kidney blows, intentionally stepping on feet, excessive clinching, headlocks.

They must be a nightmare if you're their sparring partner, because surely they have to practice all these techniques in sparring to be ready to use them come fight time? Anyone ever sparred fighters like that?

[Butt stuff]

Wondering what genuine fighters and trainers think of boxers that use these techniques?

[Akan]

Lol the very first guy I sparred was a dirty fighter. Thing is everyone in the gym knows they use these tactics and the sparring gear actually helps neutralize these tactics in the sens that you're less likely to get cut up by a headbutt or elbow and it doesn't hurt as much. When the gear comes off though that's when it gets messy. So they get more leeway practicing this stuff in the gym because of the protective equipment and you're free to get dirty as well. The coaches don't always let it fly but they understand it's part of the fight game and step in when it gets too crazy. They're a necessary evil in my opinion if you can't deal with it in the gym how are you gonna deal with it in the ring. We've already seen how some fighters have become too dependent on the refs instead of checking their opponent by going low and throwing rabbit punches as well.

[Richard P]

I fought a guy who was dirty but that was 3 rounds and long enough, yeah imagine if you are their sparring partner in camp, week after week getting butted, head locked etc. would be a nightmare

[Dip_Slide]

That's an essential part of boxing. You can't last too long fighting too honest, you have to know when to be rough and when not, you have to know how to conserve your energy in the ring and how to take breathers, how to frustrate a younger more aggressive fighter and so on. All great fighters that were competitive at and old age used these tactics, from Duran to Ali to Ray Robinson to Hopkins to Mayweather to even Willie Pep and the list goes on and on. That's why these fighters were competitive into their late 30s and even older and other physically talented fighters like Roy Jones and others were basically past prime in their early 30s already.

Don't complain about it, try to learn it instead and learn how to deal with it, stay cool in the ring and don't get mad, that takes away a lot of energy.