ATG's: Best technical pressure fighter of any era?

[Leakbeak]

I think it was Roberto Duran by a long mile. In his prime, he was the best fighter ever who kept coming forward. His skills and relentlessness took him to 15 round decisions of some of the best fleat footed guys ever to have boxed, including SRL. SRL even said in an interview (on Beyond the Glory) that he saw Duran getting fat and out of shape, so decided to get a rematch right then at that moment so he could be guaranteed a win. Duran on top of his game would have beaten him again. Discuss.

[Sugarj]

Well the first fight was ridiculously close with Leonard fighting Duran's game flat footed.

I guess that even if a fully fit Duran came in second time round Leonard would at the very least have changed his style enough to sneek a close decision win in a return.

Duran didn't like movers and I honestly think Leonard would have prevailed by a close margin had he continued with the style he employed for the second fight. Maybe its just me but Duran looked fairly good in the return fight up to round six, he didn't look emaciated and didn't exhibit the usual weight drained, overtrained look that some fighters get. Granted he wasn't quite as good the second time round but Leonard's tactics were much better.

Remember, its not long after the Leonard fights that Duran lost to Benitez and Laing too. Weight cant be blamed for these losses too.

Duran had more great moments in the 80s.........Moore, Hagler and Berkley to name three but for me the 70s was his decade at lightweight.

[Ryn0]

Henry Armstrong or the aformentioned Duran. I'd proberbly go with Armstrong.

[Obama]

Armstrong, Langford, Hagler, Duran

[TheGreatA]

Armstrong, Duran, Frazier for a heavyweight.

Honourable mentions Jake LaMotta and **** Tiger ("aggressive counter puncher"). Dwight Qawi as well.

A Henry Armstrong tribute I made:



Duran defense HL:


7:15

[Steak]

I actually do NOT think Duran's style was perfect for cutting off the ring. dont get me wrong, he came foward often, but usually he liked to bait people with his jab and then nail them with a right hand/short left hook...and whenever he fought movers, althoguh he would generally dominate them anyway, he would take some time to catch up to them...most notably against Lou Bizzario and Viruet. but he didnt really cut off the ring quickly and constantly, imo.

Likewise, I dont think Hagler was the best pressure fighter either. in his true prime, he actually mostly fought off the backfoot. up until the 1st Autofermo fight, I believe he was thought of exclusively as a backfoot boxer.
what changed was later in his career when his brutal training regimine caught up to him and slowed him down, and even then he wasnt all that technical when it pressure fighting. although when Hagler did get the fight on the inside, whew, he could really wreck

Armstrong is another story, that guy was nonstop effective pressure, head movement and offense...it was near impossible to keep him off of you for more than 5 seconds.

Julio Cesar Chavez was a master of finding his way inside and cutting off the ring as well. patient, never actually 'followed' his opponent in the ring, and his strategy of 'lure the opponent into a missed punch, then throw the right hand to close the distance while theyre slightly off balance and then freeze them with a left hook to the body' worked great.

Langford I havent seen much of, so I cant comment.

[Thread Stealer]

Duran and Chavez stand out.

Hagler was not a pressure fighter for the great majority of his career.

[Caesar]

i would say it was frazier, with his pressure and intensity

[ironalex]

Duran, Chavez, Quawi, and homide hank.

[GJC]

Armstrong stands out for me in this category