Thread: Holding

What is the deal with excessive holding not being penalized

Is it legal or illegal? Obviously its legal, I mean look at how rarely a guy is warned, not penalized, warned. It hardly ever happens, much less a guy being penalized, that pretty much never happens.

Its just odd, boxing has a rule which is totally ignored. I can't think of anything comparable in other sports. And strangely not many people seem to care, I can't think of many people on here that bitch about it, except for maybe LordsGym, unless Ricky Hatton or John Ruiz or maybe Wlad are fighting. But it happens a lot. Look at a guy like Zahir Raheem, its a disgrace to the sport. Its pretty much saying, look I can't fight worth a shit on the inside, so instead of learning how to fight, I'll just excessively hold and referees won't give a shit.

This is one of my major problems with boxing, to me its as big a problem as any. Would boxing not be more exciting if excessive holding was penalized, seems pretty simple, it would be.

And before Wlad fans protest, the fighter that pissed me off last night on this was Travis Simms.

It would greatly help out the sport to penalize excessive holding (the heavyweight division would benefit the most) but holds that break themselves up are completly legal (to my understanding anyway). The only time it becomes an issue is when the ref has to break it up constantly because this gives the fight a very unprofessional and boring feel. There should be stricter rules for it but its only really a problem in a lot of the heavyweight fights and a few select people in the lower weights.

Originally Posted by Punisher136

It would greatly help out the sport to penalize excessive holding (the heavyweight division would benefit the most) but holds that break themselves up are completly legal (to my understanding anyway). The only time it becomes an issue is when the ref has to break it up constantly because this gives the fight a very unprofessional and boring feel. There should be stricter rules for it but its only really a problem in a lot of the heavyweight fights and a few select people in the lower weights.

I think its a lot of divisions although probably not so much in the lower divisions.

I'm not talking about a fight where a guy holds here and there, nobody never holds, Toney almost never held, but he did every once in a while. Its the excessive holding, where holding is a guy's strategy and its repeated over and over that bothers me.

Originally Posted by OumaFan

Originally Posted by Punisher136

It would greatly help out the sport to penalize excessive holding (the heavyweight division would benefit the most) but holds that break themselves up are completly legal (to my understanding anyway). The only time it becomes an issue is when the ref has to break it up constantly because this gives the fight a very unprofessional and boring feel. There should be stricter rules for it but its only really a problem in a lot of the heavyweight fights and a few select people in the lower weights.

I think its a lot of divisions although probably not so much in the lower divisions.

I'm not talking about a fight where a guy holds here and there, nobody never holds, Toney almost never held, but he did every once in a while. Its the excessive holding, where holding is a guy's strategy and its repeated over and over that bothers me.

I'm sure thats the consensus of what excessive holding is. I agree it shouldn't be permitted as a replacement for legitimate defense or inside fighting.

it really depends on the referee and the styles the guys fight in.....Holyfield was never a joy to watch vs Lewis but seperate I think they were both good to watch.

A guy who started holding a lot later in his career is one MIKE TYSON and no one calls him on it....it was part of his downfall, he stopped working on the inside

Tyson - fighting on the inside = Ali - his jab. When someone who's easily in the top 3 of all time inside fighting heavyweights starts holding, they're passed it. Its just another thing on boxing's growing list of things that need fixed.

Some use it as a strategy...they'll initiate a clinch and then break it and throw on the self initiated break.....it's questionable only because if the ref breaks you throwing on the break is illegal.


Vitali Klitschko does that a lot which is how he really hurts those guys....he punches his way in, ties up, breaks, and starts throwing again

People talk about Floyd being boring but how often do you see him holding.

He's got good infighting skills, he doesn't need to.

It just bores me to death, and you realize how bad it is when you see a fight with great infighting, shoulder to shoulder type stuff like Castillo-Corrales 1.

ruiz is the the only fighter off the top of my head that holds to the point off pissing me off.

Originally Posted by 'The Boxer'

ruiz is the the only fighter off the top of my head that holds to the point off pissing me off.

Yeah he is horrid

I think Floyd is annoying just because sometimes he won't engage in fighting at all he'll just move....which is just as bad as holding.

Anything that keeps punches from being thrown is bad.

Originally Posted by 'The Boxer'

ruiz is the the only fighter off the top of my head that holds to the point off pissing me off.

there are more guys than just him

Guys like Zahir Raheem are just as bad as Ruiz. Dude holds every time someone gets near him. Its just a different style of holding, a guy like Ruiz falls in and holds. A guy like Raheem tries to stay away but the second you get near him its time for a hug.

Originally Posted by Lyle

Originally Posted by 'The Boxer'

ruiz is the the only fighter off the top of my head that holds to the point off pissing me off.

Yeah he is horrid

I think Floyd is annoying just because sometimes he won't engage in fighting at all he'll just move....which is just as bad as holding.
Anything that keeps punches from being thrown is bad.

Moving is just as bad as holding?? Using footwork and ring generalship to create space equates to being no more entertaining then mauling and hugging in your book huh Lyle??

I remember I saw an old film of Sugar Ray Robinson and he was holding excessively, and the commentators were commending him on holding as much as possible when the fight came close quarters. SRR wasn't holding as much as Ruiz, of course, but it wasn't frowned upon as it is now in the game.

I think the 15th round was for fighters who didn't like holding excessively. The other fighter was tired by then and his grasp/hold wasn't as strong, so you could use your brute force to make openings. Now 15th is gone.

alot of guys think boxers who use movement are boring. especially the old heads. it wasn't a dumb post. i on the other hand think it's great. i can watch a staring contest and be entertained.

Originally Posted by p4pking

Originally Posted by Lyle

Originally Posted by 'The Boxer'

ruiz is the the only fighter off the top of my head that holds to the point off pissing me off.

Yeah he is horrid

I think Floyd is annoying just because sometimes he won't engage in fighting at all he'll just move....which is just as bad as holding.
Anything that keeps punches from being thrown is bad.

Moving is just as bad as holding?? Using footwork and ring generalship to create space equates to being no more entertaining then mauling and hugging in your book huh Lyle??

I gotta agree - holding has always been, and probably always will be, an integral part of the sport. It can be used just as effectively as footwork and movement. Used to an extreme, it creates a boring fight - just like too much movement ends up looking like dancing. Either one in excess is just an excuse not to engage.