With all due respect (and not in a Ricky Bobby tone), I don't see it either way. I finished 41-0 in my career and had to seriously gameplan some of those.
And of all my fights online, anyone who came out button mashed either got destroyed or immediately adjusted.
You can go Ali on guys and make them hit air often if you defend.
This game has some seriously suckage things about it, no doubt, but the button mash is just something I am not seeing, especially with the blue meter that makes you slow.