I don't think the argument is that they can't be done well. I think the argument is that even the best use of rapid cuts are still inferior to tracking shots.
Take the Winter Soldier example. WS is probably my favorite superhero movie. It uses cuts well, the choreography is superb, the action is great. But compare that fight to this behind the scenes tracking shot of the exact same scene:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nTg7E3IQHMU
The actors worked incredibly hard to make this scene work, and the theatrical version doesn't show that as well. Here the skill of the actors is shown in real time. The camera is pulled back so you can see everything: positioning, footwork, tension, action, reaction, timing, etc. Even with a poorer quality camera, even with a cameraman literally in the way of the shot, I greatly prefer this version.
This is the thing. Because if your actors have worked hard, can do their movements well, and you have great choreography, there really is no reason at all not to show it. The argument I usually hear against this is "they're going for a frenetic, claustrophobic, intense atmosphere". My response today is the same as it's always been:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ja-_sAc25JA#t=0m6s
action, hit, reaction. cuts are used sparingly, yet it's still extremely frenetic, up close, and claustrophobic.
Now compare that to the final train fight from batman begins, with people defending this as important to feel claustrophobic. This is, I think, probably the most poorly handled fight scene in all of modern cinema.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EGWfothiSU8#t=0m11s
No action, hit, reaction. It's all reaction. Nothing makes any sense, no movements have any fluidity or lead up. We're simply thrown from reaction to reaction. Can anyone point out to me, in even a )single way, how this fight is superior to the bathroom fight in Danny?
Ocasionally someone suggests that you have to be Jet Lee, or an expert martial artist to make that buyable. But you really really don't, again, look at that behind the scenes clip from WS. But the real kicker is, christian bale and liam neeson have done great fight scenes before. They're more than capable of making choreography believable. The issue here is all on the director/editor. If your performers can do the movements, there's no reason not to show it all. If your actors can't do the movements, then don't put them in an action movie.
We're talking about a spectrum here. Cuts can be used effectively, but I think what you see when you slowly peel back the layers, is that Hong Kong style cinema is always better for fight scenes.