Most skilled defensive boxers

[Flo_Raiden]

Where would you rank these fighters as the most skilled defensive fighters?

Pernell Whitaker
Willie Pep
Nicolino Locche
Jersey Joe Walcott
Miguel Canto
Miguel Lora
Sumbu Kalambay
James Toney
Hilario Zapata
George Benton
Marlon Starling
Wilfred Benitez
Bernard Hopkins
Floyd Mayweather Jr.
Winky Wright

[jas]

roy jones in his prime wasn't a defensive fighter but so gifted athletically that he never got hit.

[Sugar Adam Ali]

Floyd mayweather jr should be on the list especially over winky IMO


Pep or pernell are obvious choices

I give toney a lot of credit for spanning such a wide weight range.. Even fat n old toney still was a handful for many heavys due to his defense

[Sugarj]

I'd put Gene Tunney on the list.....he was very elusive for 19 of the 20 rounds when he fought Dempsey.

Prime Ali belongs on the list even if it were down to reflexes. Larry Holmes had a good mix of skilled blocking and reflexes too.

More recently Herol Graham and Naseem Hamed were incredibly hard to hit when they were facing sub world class opposition.

Some of the best punch slipping I've ever seen was when Sweet Pea met De La Hoya. Even though he lost the decision I still see that fight as one of his finest defensive performances.

[Sugar Adam Ali]

I'd put Gene Tunney on the list.....he was very elusive for 19 of the 20 rounds when he fought Dempsey.

Prime Ali belongs on the list even if it were down to reflexes. Larry Holmes had a good mix of skilled blocking and reflexes too.

More recently Herol Graham and Naseem Hamed were incredibly hard to hit when they were facing sub world class opposition.

Some of the best punch slipping I've ever seen was when Sweet Pea met De La Hoya. Even though he lost the decision I still see that fight as one of his finest defensive performances.

Bold 1--- Yes but you cant really rate guys based on sub par competition, Jeff Lacy looked like a monster vs sub par competition as well

Bold 2-- Totally agree,, i think pernell put on one of the best performances in defeat in many years

[Prince Mongo]

Rigondeaux should be on the list.

[New England]

the best i've ever seen is floyd mayweather. flame on. i do not care. nobody has better defense.


all you can criticize is the level of competition.

[Sugar Adam Ali]

the best i've ever seen is floyd mayweather. flame on. i do not care. nobody has better defense.


all you can criticize is the level of competition.

IMO floyd's defense isnt as good when facing top level guys,, castillo, cotto, oscar, hatton, even chavez all were able to tag him... He is a really good defender still, i just have never thought of him as an untouchable ATG defender

[SBleeder]

From a purely defensive standpoint, Nicolino Locche was the GOAT. It was like trying to punch smoke.

Clearly there are better overall fighters in history who had a defensive mindset (Pep, Whitaker, Mayweather, Benitez), but if the rules of boxing were that only one guy could punch and the other guy had to defend, Locche at his best would beat everyone.

Of course, smoking a Marlboro between rounds isn't a training strategy that most coaches would advocate.

[TBear]

A prime Hector Camacho could make that list.

I don't know if many of you remember Mike "The Bounty" Hunter. He was a lot like Chris Byrd as far as being hard to hit.