Five Most Skilled Fighters I've Seen In My Lifetime Thread

[Miburo]

I'm surprised Jones is getting so many mentions. Jones was much more athletic than skilled, relying almost completely on unsurpassed (at the higher weights) reflexes and speed to get away with all his technical deficiencies.

Mayweather, Toney, and Hopkins are probably the big three of the passing generation.

[Rich Loc]

Floyd Mayweather Jr
Pernell Whitaker
Toney
Hopkins
Oscar De La Hoya

[wmute]

I'm surprised Jones is getting so many mentions. Jones was much more athletic than skilled, relying almost completely on unsurpassed (at the higher weights) reflexes and speed to get away with all his technical deficiencies.

Mayweather, Toney, and Hopkins are probably the big three of the passing generation.

Sadly I think it is Mayweather for this passing generation and Hopkins and Toney for the past one. Sadly because I think the pool of really crafty fighters is shrinking with time and if we are at 3,2,1 now we are close to zero. If I compare this situation to the 80s I get sad, If I think of the 40s-50s I get desperate.

As for Jones. He had technical deficiencies but he worked on his style, he was not just flash, he used his gifts to create an unorthodox style. So I would not rank him in term of skills with those you mentioned, but I think he deserves a honorable mention.

[Hawkins]

Roberto Duran
Sugar Ray Leonard
Pernell Whitaker
Wilfredo Benitez
Mike McCallum

[C.Y.]

On pure natural skill..

1. Willie Pep
2. Nicolino Locche
3. Ali
4. Roy Jones
5. SRL

how old are you?

im quite the youngster myself so i seen some of these guys fight when i was 4 and rewatched fights as i got older

floyd mayweather
roy jones
pernell whitaker
mike tyson
bernard hopkins

hector camacho had skills too

[Silencers]

I'm surprised Ricardo Lopez has been mentioned so little in this thread.

[talip bin osman]

Sadly I think it is Mayweather for this passing generation and Hopkins and Toney for the past one. Sadly because I think the pool of really crafty fighters is shrinking with time and if we are at 3,2,1 now we are close to zero. If I compare this situation to the 80s I get sad, If I think of the 40s-50s I get desperate.

As for Jones. He had technical deficiencies but he worked on his style, he was not just flash, he used his gifts to create an unorthodox style. So I would not rank him in term of skills with those you mentioned, but I think he deserves a honorable mention.

wmute! hower u sir?

where is the luv for juan manuel marquez in this "passing generation"?

what about chris john or ivan calderon?

[FasTHarD]

Manny Pacquiao
Floyd Mayweather
Pernell Whitaker
Juan Manuel Marquez
Roy Jones Jr.

[a-raines21]

mike tyson
roy jones jr.
floyd mayweather
bernard hopkins
manny pacquiao

[Miburo]

Sadly I think it is Mayweather for this passing generation and Hopkins and Toney for the past one. Sadly because I think the pool of really crafty fighters is shrinking with time and if we are at 3,2,1 now we are close to zero. If I compare this situation to the 80s I get sad, If I think of the 40s-50s I get desperate.

As for Jones. He had technical deficiencies but he worked on his style, he was not just flash, he used his gifts to create an unorthodox style. So I would not rank him in term of skills with those you mentioned, but I think he deserves a honorable mention.

I included them together despite the differences in career longevity and age because they are coming to an end around roughly the same period. Toney's successes are a few years past at this point, but I think he deserves to be included.

As for Jones, you are correct that he did have skills (although unorthodox), but like you I would not include him with the three names I mentioned. We saw how far his bare skills could take him when his physical peak started to slip - he was unable to make the adjustments that the most skilled fighters do to extend their careers past their prime.

Incidentally, I agree with your comments about the passing of the crafty fighter in boxing. I'm not sure if we will ever see a fighter like any of those three again. The likes of Toney most especially I think, who has a style modeled after Jersey Joe Walcott and Ezzard Charles, will probably never be seen in the ring again.

I'm surprised Ricardo Lopez has been mentioned so little in this thread.

I would include Lopez, whose career ended in 2001, with Whitaker classed in the category of the generation before the one currently coming to an end, which is why I omitted his name.