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Pep always takes the nod and for good reason. But I can accept the point being made that Mayweather, Wright and Hopkins are even more defense-first fighters. Or that Locche was actually better at avoiding heafshots than anyone else while remaining planted directly in front of opponents.
Pep didn't like hurting people, but he fought in an era where fighting defensively was evaluated as fighting to survive and would cost a fighter rounds. Also, Pep simply wasn't a b'tch. So he took risks and exchanged punches to rack up points.
I actually think Leonard, not Whitaker, comes closest to Pep in defensive ability. He's not as fluid, clever or constantly moving. But he was the closest we've seen to Pep post war. Also, Ray DID like to brawl. His hero was Frazier. So that compensated when his defensive ability came up short.
The problem comparing pure boxers is that eras change. Young Griffo might have looked a lot like Locche - who knows? Certainly he wasn't doing the Ali shuffle, or running around the ring avoiding his opponent. But you can chart the development of Boxing starting with Corbett, moving to O'Brien, diverting to Gibbons, then back to Philadelphia to Loughran, he passes the torch to Wolgast, Gore replicates that with Pep, then it becomes much more acceptable to win simple by fighting defensively. Clancy and Dundee really push the envelope with guys like Pastrano. But as the talent pool for Boxing dries up, and it's no longer a battle of men, defensive fighting takes a new life. And yes, in recent years you could have guys like Jones, Whitaker and Mayweather, without an ounce of shame, Box, not fight, their way to multi-division titles.
That doesn't mean pure-boxing was always accepted. After Packey McFarland, Billy Graham and Joey Archer are the greatest fighters to never win a championship. You can watch their title fights for yourselves. It's pretty clear, from out perspective, that they won every time they stepped up. But again, our view has been affected by an appreciation for the skill of Boxing, not for the spectacle. And so, you will see fighters like Duran, Lomachenko, Jofre, Napoles, Griffith, early Gomez and Tyson, who actually BLEND their defense into their offense to tremendous effect. And I think a special appreciation should be had for those fighters.
Tyson Fury has to be counted among the best defensive fighters of all time, too. But which direction he chooses to go in will be interesting to see.
Pep didn't like hurting people, but he fought in an era where fighting defensively was evaluated as fighting to survive and would cost a fighter rounds. Also, Pep simply wasn't a b'tch. So he took risks and exchanged punches to rack up points.
I actually think Leonard, not Whitaker, comes closest to Pep in defensive ability. He's not as fluid, clever or constantly moving. But he was the closest we've seen to Pep post war. Also, Ray DID like to brawl. His hero was Frazier. So that compensated when his defensive ability came up short.
The problem comparing pure boxers is that eras change. Young Griffo might have looked a lot like Locche - who knows? Certainly he wasn't doing the Ali shuffle, or running around the ring avoiding his opponent. But you can chart the development of Boxing starting with Corbett, moving to O'Brien, diverting to Gibbons, then back to Philadelphia to Loughran, he passes the torch to Wolgast, Gore replicates that with Pep, then it becomes much more acceptable to win simple by fighting defensively. Clancy and Dundee really push the envelope with guys like Pastrano. But as the talent pool for Boxing dries up, and it's no longer a battle of men, defensive fighting takes a new life. And yes, in recent years you could have guys like Jones, Whitaker and Mayweather, without an ounce of shame, Box, not fight, their way to multi-division titles.
That doesn't mean pure-boxing was always accepted. After Packey McFarland, Billy Graham and Joey Archer are the greatest fighters to never win a championship. You can watch their title fights for yourselves. It's pretty clear, from out perspective, that they won every time they stepped up. But again, our view has been affected by an appreciation for the skill of Boxing, not for the spectacle. And so, you will see fighters like Duran, Lomachenko, Jofre, Napoles, Griffith, early Gomez and Tyson, who actually BLEND their defense into their offense to tremendous effect. And I think a special appreciation should be had for those fighters.
Tyson Fury has to be counted among the best defensive fighters of all time, too. But which direction he chooses to go in will be interesting to see.
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