best inside fighters of all time?

[JAB5239]

This is a no contest...Iron Mike would demolish people in the inside...just look at my sig for proof....

Tyson could definetly fight inside, but I've always considered him more of a mid range fighter. I will say his footwork was quick and beautiful on the inside. I use to love the way he would pivot and or step to the side to create angles.

[BattlingNelson]

Tyson could definetly fight inside, but I've always considered him more of a mid range fighter. I will say his footwork was quick and beautiful on the inside. I use to love the way he would pivot and or step to the side to create angles.

Maybe Tyson could fight on the inside. I say maybe because in his prime he was rarely allowed to do so because he was most often tied up by his opponent. So my point is that he didnt fight enough on the inside to be considered a great inside fighter. But his speed and ability to get fast into range to deliver the dynamite was second to none.

[StarshipTrooper]

Tyson could definetly fight inside, but I've always considered him more of a mid range fighter. I will say his footwork was quick and beautiful on the inside. I use to love the way he would pivot and or step to the side to create angles.

Not to mention Mike actually preferred to fight mid-range so he could get maximum leverage on those leaping shots to the head. Mike was a headhunter and went for it with "bad intentions" on every punch.

PS. If you watch closely, a lot of those clinches on the inside are initiated by Mike. Why? So the ref will break them and put mike back where he wants to be at mid-range without having to spend the energy to work his way out: Smart tactics by Tyson.

Poet

[JAB5239]

Not to mention Mike actually preferred to fight mid-range so he could get maximum leverage on those leaping shots to the head. Mike was a headhunter and went for it with "bad intentions" on every punch.

PS. If you watch closely, a lot of those clinches on the inside are initiated by Mike. Why? So the ref will break them and put mike back where he wants to be at mid-range without having to spend the energy to work his way out: Smart tactics by Tyson.

Poet

Poet, where you been? Haven't seen you posting much lately. Good to see you back.

[StarshipTrooper]

Poet, where you been? Haven't seen you posting much lately. Good to see you back.

I lost my internet so I'm only able to get on-line sporadically by borrowing someone else's PC for a few minutes.

Poet

[The Surgeon]

James Toney gets my vote!

[BennyST]

corrales castillo, vasquez marquez, duran hagler, etc etc.

Nah, Duran/Hagler had very little inside fighting throughout. Duran was way too small to fight on the inside against Hagler and he fought from the outside or mid-range most often because he was able to out-box Hagler. Hagler was just too strong at that stage for an inside game plan.

I think what would make Duran the best inside fighter is his defense on the inside. He has as good defense on the inside as Whitaker did on the outside, and that's a hell of a lot harder to do and that's what made him so good. On the inside he was as hard to hit as anyone has ever been.

James Toney, while not an inside fighter as such, fights best when someone is trying to get inside on him so you could say he would be one of the best inside counter punchers that's ever fought. His inside fighting is actually very reminiscent of Duran's. Same goes with Mayweather, Charles, Hopkins, Whitaker etc. Great inside counter fighters that base their game from the outside....usually.

[BennyST]

I always felt that Pernell was one of the most effective inside fighters I have ever seen.

I was actually going to mention Whitaker as well. When he did fight on the inside he was highly effective. His head movement and the angles he got were fantastic.

[BennyST]

Im surprised nobody has mentioned Evander Holyfield.

I think Holyfield was much more of an outside fighter. He got drawn into wars on the inside, but was much less effective there, and was by far his best when he was boxing. You remember his first fight with Qawi? That was fought on the inside and Qawi made it really brutal and hard for him but in their rematch when he boxed he just brutalised Qawi. Same goes for his fights with Bowe and Toney. Much better as an outside fighter, he just had some of the most exciting fights because he was able to be drawn into a war on the inside.

[Hagler★]

What're some good toe-to-toe fights, where both fighters specialize in inside fighting?

Cuevas Duran

Cuevas liked to fight at close range didnt really use a jab and Duran well we all know about his inside fighting