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The Khan-Peterson fight made me think about what constitutes effective infighting. I understand Ray Mancini was a great infighter from yesteryear as were Julio Cesar Chavez and Rocky Marciano. Who currently has advanced infighting technique?
The Development of Boxing Strategies, Styles, and Techniques
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xxNjFn1kTTU
I would think both Bowe & Holyfield had their moments on the inside throughout their trilogy
James Toney is godly on the inside.. He's the best currently..
James DeGale's inside game kinda impresses me..
But overall, inside-fighting and uppercuts are a lost art in today's Boxing. It's pretty sad actually.. It's like these young fighters have no clue what to do upclose which is why they resort to clinching... And often times, their opponent is wide open for an uppercut yet they just dont throw it.. it's like WTF..
Toney the best??? Not Floyd? Floyd stays in the pocket quite nicely and can thump out some brutal counters while picking off punches with his guard.
I was going to include Floyd in the list but everything he does on the inside, Toney has been doing it long before him and he's more of a natural imo..Quote:
Originally Posted by El Kabong
I wouldnt argue with your claim though.. They are close...
Thanks, fellas. Other than Toney, who really should hang them up, and Floyd, who else currently fighting does a good job of infighting?
Rios really stands out
Rios loves to fight on the inside but that doesn't mean he's great at it.. He doesn't have many moves.. He's basic.. He just marches forward with nonstop punches but there's no method to his inside game..Quote:
Originally Posted by iamasadlittleboy
He fights upclose because he doesnt know how to fight any other way..
He's beating guys with his power and dominating them up close. You're right he's basic but he fights to his strengths. He has very, very under-rated defense and his uppercuts are arguably the most frightening shots between 130-140. It looks very ugly at times but he rarely gets buzzed and rarely seems to mark up (which is amazing for a guy who's draining so badly) despite seemingly getting caught a lot. He gets caught clean a lot less than many other fighters who have a similar style.Quote:
Originally Posted by FinitoElDinamitaRios loves to fight on the inside but that doesn't mean he's great at it.. He doesn't have many moves.. He's basic.. He just marches forward with nonstop punches but there's no method to his inside game..Quote:
Originally Posted by iamasadlittleboy
He fights upclose because he doesnt know how to fight any other way..
In my opinion one of the best ALL-TIME boxers who fought on the inside was Roberto Duran. He was aggressive, he put his punches together well, but he had exceptional defense while being aggressive. It's amazing how just slight head movement, rolling with punches, etc would put him in perfect position to counter and would keep him from getting KO'd or knocked down. I don't know if he was just brilliant at timing his opponents or if he read their movements or both, but he could work in the pocket extremely well.
Although retired now Hatton was far better on the inside, made a career of inside fighting and looking stop opponents with body shots. And from the same area Jaime Moore is also a quality inside fighter, very similar to Tyson the way he rolled on the inside to get his shots off.
When he was fighting in the amateurs, he fought a young Ricky, and he was floored by a wicked shot to the body, so he took that into his game and developed it more.
Also Mike McCallum, not many better than him !
Wow, it's shocking how few fighters come to mind as you work through the divisions. Infighting is definitely not at a premium currently although I agree that Mayweather is a great infighter. I think JMM has done some good infighting over the years (David Diaz fight). Tavoris Cloud is an infighter but does it mostly with brute force and determination rather than angles and technique.
They are completely different, Toney could slip stuff, but Floyd switches up his inside fighting way more than TOney, That's why Toney looked so lost against Jones, he was great offensively on the inside against a guy standing right in front of him, but he was pretty flat footed, and mostly stuck with his shoulder roll, Floyd would clinch up more, COme in like he did against N'dou with the shoulder roll or come in with his guard high, he actually steps in at an angle against his opponent more like Hopkins does. He didn't just stay in front of the guy. Toney would have had nightmares against a guy like Hatton, where Floyd didn't. He uses his arms and feet way more on the inside than Toney.Quote:
Originally Posted by FinitoElDinamitaI was going to include Floyd in the list but everything he does on the inside, Toney has been doing it long before him and he's more of a natural imo..Quote:
Originally Posted by El Kabong
I wouldnt argue with your claim though.. They are close...
Guys like Hatton, Castillo were really good modern inside fighters, but they didn't have all the defense on the inside.
The guys I really like on the inside are the guys who can dish it out and avoid whats coming back, while always switching up what they are doing. Hopkins, Bradley, Andre Ward, Whitaker, Duran, Leonard. Guys like Cotto, JCC, Castillo are really great on the inside, but I think defense should never be forgotten anywhere in the ring, and for me just dishing it out. Even Wladimir gets all this hate for what he does on the inside, but he is doing a lot of stuff that doesn't get appreciated to not let his opponent get off punches. What Holyfield did to Tyson was a great example of what a good inside guy can do against a guy who is faster, stronger, etc.
IMO great inside fighting needs to be blended with the outside stuff. If you are a great inside fighter then you face what JCC did against M. Taylor and Whitaker he looked lost. If you can only fight on the outside then what happened to Khan will happen to you. If you don't know how to work and find openings at a high level you will see what Holyfield did to Tyson.