The Greatest Defensive Fighters of All-Time Pound for Pound

[Wild Blue Yonda]

Duran was a better example of a forward-moving defensive extraordinaire than Qawi, IMO.

[New England]

This is the list of the slickest boxers, most masterful counterpunchers, and greatest defensive technical wizards ever, pound for pound.

1. Willie Pep
2. Wilfredo Benitez
3. Benny Leonard
4. Gene Tunney
5. Nichollo Loche
6. Tommy Loughran
7. Gentleman Jim Corbett
8. Billy Conn
9. Jimmy Wilde
10. Salvador Sanchez

Just missed the cut in this slickest boxers ever list: Roy Jones, James Toney, Pernell Whitaker, Floyd Mayweather

charlie burley's gotta be up there. slickest of the pure slicksters.

salvador sanchez..?
really? his best asset was his probably his chin... he wasn't easy to hit but he certainly wasn't a defense first type.

ali certainly isn't considered a defense first fighter, but he was as good as anybody at making guys miss in his prime.



and i 100% cosign your number one
nobody comes close to willie pep
he's the greatest pure defensive fighter to ever live

he made his way to almost anybody's top ten all time list without a lick of punching power. nuff said.

[Welsh Jon]

A few people have already said this but I just have to say that this list has to have Pernell Whitaker on it.

[kendom]

What about Joe Gans? Jack Johnson? anyway good list but is Roy Jones really a defensive wizard?

[NChristo]

Happy Lora gets no mention ?, no one ?.

[Steak]

Locche has always been the best to me.

Many defensive wizards have been about limiting the offense of opponents...Locche was the opposite. He WANTED it. he invited it in constantly, and thats where all his offense came from.

[Scott9945]

A few people have already said this but I just have to say that this list has to have Pernell Whitaker on it.

Absolutely. His defensive skills compare with anyones.

[IronDanHamza]

George Benton.

[Wild Blue Yonda]

Locche has always been the best to me.

Many defensive wizards have been about limiting the offense of opponents...Locche was the opposite. He WANTED it. he invited it in constantly, and thats where all his offense came from.

Locche has a strong case for the #1 spot. Pep's reflexes were astounding, but Locche, like Whitaker later, took more chances than Pep (on the other hand, Pep took more fights than either of those two).

Another who did so gamely what youre ascribing here was Benitez, who truly was deserving of his nicknames, "El Radar," &, "The Bible Of Boxing."

[goblin213]

What about Hilario Zapata?