Boxing is a game of point and counterpoint- move for move like a chess match. All great fighters are great counterpunchers, even those that seem to be always going forward and pressing the action. There are a few reasons for this, chief among them that it is very hard to hit and hurt a guy that is defensive and looking not to be hit and hurt. It is also difficult to walk straight to somebody, through his hands and their abilities, while it can be comparatively easy once the avenue is opened.
Take Tyson at his peak as an example; the book on him was to jab and move, keep him on the outside. That would have been suicidal as there is one thing a very short heavy learns and learns well its to slip a jab. Coupled with Tyson's speed of foot and the way he cut the ring and punched he'd have walked through the jab. Holyfield fought him perfectly (?!!!!) by offering a jab and then landing a hook, uppercut or right as tyson tried to come in, and then tying up. Tyson began to wait out there and got picked apart. His error was in not anticipating the second punch- the one that would land-and making provisions for avoiding it.
So the whole point of this is to toss around ideas on how you would make somebody react as you would want them to react. Suppose you are trying to get inside a tall jabber or a mover, or away from a slugger. If one of them is a 6'3" heavywt with a 78" reach, good jab, right, doesn't fight much inside (holds and slaps) or work the body, moves pretty good but isn't Ali. The other guy is 6'1" and about 212 (17lbs lighter than the first guy) a good boxer and sharp puncher, fights equally well inside and out, moves well a good all around fighter. Call it Sharkey v. Pinklon Thomas

how to beat sharkey? one to the cup and a hook to the head as he complains to the ref that i hit him low.

Just for the sake of debate...

Ok you asked.. Im going use my footwork to stay at the range I wish the fight to stay at; so as to feel him out at his elbow points ,Im going to make contact there with the lower blade part of my glove or wrist before anywhere, so I can feel his intention through that balance point,maintain control but be able slip or allow him past so I can move up the gaps he leaves on his natural reaction or the forced one I get if I choose to place any pressure there,anything can happen here its down to reaction and contact reflex.
IF I duck a jab and are out of reach of a return head or body shot Ill hit him underneath his arm inbetween the bi and tricep so hard eventaually he will start to question himself he may start to question why he's leaving it out there.
Ill be thinking moving to his outside of his jab, on his elbow side the whole time away from that other arm ,trying to catch him turning in to find me so I can use his power against him.
But if his jab arm so much as moves out in that direction to follow me, Ill be more square shouldered to him, feet /legs already loaded just on inside fight style and my left hand will soar up or through that opening on the inside to bring his arm down in reaction or up in reaction depending on that first opening and my right hand will then be backed by continual body movement to take that real new opening and make the most out that situation.if it fails Im away on a skip behind him but not as far as most, waiting for him to turn and look for me with his head ,if he makes that mistake.Or go real low if he start swinging and watch for those gaps inbetween to launch the new rocket to the moon and take his head off near on jumping if I can get it off safley.(Im fucked if I miss this one ).

Thats just for someone who outreaches me and goes for complete outside control with the jab.

The key thing is the range, keeping it at the distance you want to fight at. And when you aren't ready to be fighting stay out of range- it will really reduce the number of punches you take. The other point is that there are three pretty damn safe places in a boxing ring: far enough away that he can't hit you, outside his lead arm, and in tight head and shoulder (left) on his chest and the right held high.
That's also well worth noting; turning him away from his lead foot and baiting him until he opens up on a turn allowing you to (1) turn back on a punch with your full wt meeting his full wt and (2) capture the inside punching position.

You have to shadow box it and then spar all of those variables into your repotire or dont bother even thinking about them really.

That goes back into 'training' instead of just doing the same thing over and over again with your brain elsewhere. Everything is with a reason for some purpose.