Who Is The Most Elusive Fighter Of All Time?

[peteraugusts]

The most elusive Fighter is Lyoto Machida. Because of his fighting style, it’s a perception that has formed in people’s minds.

[Coach J]

prime jcc could move inside as well as anyone, and you could say he was as elusive for an inside fighter as whitaker was for an outfighter. but you're gonna get hit more coming forward than moving back, just no way to avoid it.

This is a non sequitur. You can't say "for someone with a style that lends itself to getting hit, he is just as good at not getting hit as someone else whos style is elusive". Doesn't make sense.
Chavez got hit more, that means he is not as elusive. You can say that he is more elusive than other fighters who move forward, but if a fighters style is less elusive... that means that HE is less elusive. Whitaker was more elusive than Chavez. It is demonstrable. He was great at creating angles and had amazing timing and precision, but to include him in a list of fighters who were far less hittable is a mistake. Appreciate him for what he was good at.

[TonyGe]

A couple if posters mentioned M Spinks. At first I thought What? Thinking about it... Yeah they're right. Spinks had a very unique style that must have gave his opponents fits. Sometimes it apperared that he was hopelessly uncoordinated. An extremely underrated champion with devastating power in both hands.

[Anthony342]

Niccolino Locche.

[Eff Pandas]

I'm a big fan of elusive fighters. They've always been among my favorite fighters to watch.

First guy I really become a fan of, Jorge Paez, was low key elusive at his peak. His whole strategy was damn near to draw you in to punch him & he'd make you look silly as you missed & he did in the ring circus sh^t damn near to avoid them.

Big fan of Sweet Pea Whitaker too. He'd probably be among my top elusive guys I've seen. Prime RJJ was pretty hard to hit too although that wouldn't likely be among the first things you'd be talking about with him. James Toney & Floyd Mayweather are other cats that were never easy to hit & would casually make you miss by millimeters. Chris Byrd is also up there for me & is among my favorite all time boxers. I often wish he'd have fought at his more natural weight (168, 175) instead of gaining 30+ lbs to turn pro at HW where his ability to avoid punches was even more noticeable vs the slower HW's.

[NChristo]

For the smaller weightclasses Hilario Zapata and Happy Lora could do with some love.

[mickey malone]

Some time ago now, but according to Archie Moore, who lost to him as a middleweight.
The man in question was one Charles Duane Burley, a legendary elusive fighter, & quite possibly, was the most eluded fighter of all time as well.

[The Old LefHook]

Is the candidate in question doing anything besides putting on a brilliant defensive fireworks? It matters. Locche may often look to be the greatest defensive virtuoso who ever lived. But don't forget that is because of where he is putting all his effort. I never particularly noticed him trying passionately to win any of his fights, but only passionately trying to avoid being hit. That itself seemed to be his show and his claim--not to necessarily win fights, but to so expertly avoid being hit that he wins simply by failing to lose, by default. This style does not sufficiently whet the consistent and brutal appetites of fight fans.

Who is defensively great while engaging fully in active battle? Who is still defensively great in an out and out firefight? Which fighters do and do not try to milk defensive points from the judges?

[mickey malone]

Is the candidate in question doing anything besides putting on a brilliant defensive fireworks? It matters. Locche may often look to be the greatest defensive virtuoso who ever lived. But don't forget that is because of where he is putting all his effort. I never particularly noticed him trying passionately to win any of his fights, but only passionately trying to avoid being hit. That itself seemed to be his show and his claim--not to necessarily win fights, but to so expertly avoid being hit that he wins simply by failing to lose, by default. This style does not sufficiently whet the consistent and brutal appetites of fight fans.

Who is defensively great while engaging fully in active battle? Who is still defensively great in an out and out firefight? Which fighters do and do not try to milk defensive points from the judges?

Indeed, defensive and elusive, although fairly similar, aren't quite the same....


Another candidate, was former 140 champ Duilio Loi, not the biggest puncher, but attack minded and elusive while always coming forward.......Think he was 115-3 and few draws if memory serves me right.

[The Old LefHook]

I am not familiar with Loi. I will look the lad up.