Who had the best defense golden age of boxing

[ron davis]

Please no more then three picks, had the best defense, prior to 1940. Cheers.

[Ben Bolt]

An article praising Jack Johnson's defense:
You don't have to agree with every word it says. Yet, Johnson's defense won him lots of laurels.

http://www.cyberboxingzone.com/boxing/casey/MC_JJohnson.htm

[The Old LefHook]

Mike Gibbons had the most effective defense. A lot of leg in his defense. Whereas a lot of arm in Johnson's defense.

[aboutfkntime]

Pep
Leonard
Corbett
Tunney

[ron davis]

Ben,

You nailed it. Mike Silver couldn't be more right in knowing that Jack Johnson was the Greatest of them all.

Outstanding article!

[QueensburyRules]

- -JJ had over a half dozen draws and 2 ko losses mixed in with other losses before Burns.

I'd say intuitively Benny Leonard and Joe Gans and Jimmy Barry had the best defense.

[Rusty Tromboni]

Most would consider the 40's the Golden Era, but since you are talking pre-Willie Pep:

Gibbons
Loughran
McFarland

I think Young Griffo could be better than all of them, but it's hard to say. It looks like he was his generation's Locche.

Mike Gibbons had the most effective defense. A lot of leg in his defense. Whereas a lot of arm in Johnson's defense.

OK, you're redeeming yourself.

The guy was called "the Phantom". He has to be up there. He might have been consistently better than Greb, too.

[Rusty Tromboni]

- -JJ had over a half dozen draws and 2 ko losses mixed in with other losses before Burns.

Not to mentions he's seen taking shots POST-Burns, from smaller men no less.

He was KO'd by Willard. It's ridiculous to praise his defense.

-
I'd say intuitively Benny Leonard

Leonard was more Louis than Pep. Sure, we don't have all the footage, but what we have when paired with newspaper accounts suggests he was cutting-edge for his generation, but not really a true pure-boxer.


A more primitive Ray Robinson.

Joe Gans

The guy who was bombed out by a Featherweight kid!!?!?!?!?!?

I am guessing Joe Grimm is on your Honorable Mention list...

[Rusty Tromboni]

Ben,

You nailed it. Mike Silver couldn't be more right in knowing that Jack Johnson was the Greatest of them all.

Outstanding article!

Do you always use other peoples eyes to tell you about life?

Like do you buy OTHER PEOPLE movie tickets, and then sit outside the theatre, waiting for them return to tell you all about the movie?

Watching Johnson for yourself. You'll be disappointed, but then watch Loughran and Tunney and you will be amazed.

[ron davis]

Rusty, I was raving about Jack Johnson before you were born. Acknowledged this forum months ago. I know more about the Golden Age of Boxing then you'll ever know.

There were many Great boxers who you've seen on film.

You think sort of, Zivic, Armstrong, Amber's, Jenkins,
Canzoneri, Angott were the best? Just because you seen them fight, you don't know anything, about who had the best defense. It wasn't any of these guys.

You mentioned Zivic having a great defense, yeah, with his face.

Willie Pep, knew who was the great boxer of GAOB. I can name many other's that agreed with Mr. Pep. Cheers.