When should initiating clinching/holding warrant a point deduction? What is the distinction between clinching and inside fighting? Should it ever result in a disqualification?

A point was deducted from Andre Berto in his fight with Luis Collazo for clinching twenty times. Andre Dirrell had a point deducted for clinching thirty five times against Carl Froch.

Here is a video showing Devon Alexander initiating clinching a total of 119 times during his ten-round fight with Maidana. No points were deducted from Devon Alexander.



Below is a video showing Andre Ward clinching in his fight against Mikkel Kessler. It argues that fifteen clinches should warrant a point deduction and thirty clinches should warrant a second point deduction. Andre Ward clinched eighty-eight total times against Mikkel Kessler without a point deduction.



Boxers with a well-documented propensity toward clinching are: Andre Berto, Bernard Hopkins, Andre Ward, Shane Mosley etc.