pernell whitaker , one per century ?

[oldgringo]

Well, Pep and Whitaker are the cream of the crop when it comes to defense, so it can be argued that no one since or ever will surpass or even equal them. That's not to say that there hasn't been great defensive fighters between Pep's and Whitaker's eras. In fact, there has been many. I'd be hard pressed to find anyone who's defense is better than that of Miguel Canto, Jose Napoles, and Wilfred Benitez. Then there are fighters who didn't use conventional defensive technique, but were equipped with superhuman reflexes: Roy Jones, a young Muhammad Ali. Then there are the old-timers who were said to have been unhittable: Jack Johnson and Benny Leonard.

Good post. Why don't you post more man you have good thoughts.

[Dynamite76]

Pernell's defense was great, so great that it hid the fact he couldn't take a punch.

[wmute]

Pernell's defense was great, so great that it hid the fact he couldn't take a punch.

true for roy not for pea

his defense was not good enough against tito, as his reflexes where fading, still...

[SweetScience]

its a shame i have never seen sweet pea fight

He'd pitty pat like Sturm, so you would like that part about him. Pea is like most of Hopkins fights, hardly rewatchable. But a great fighter he was.

[oldgringo]

Pernell's defense was great, so great that it hid the fact he couldn't take a punch.

He ate a lot of hard punches from Trinidad, one of the hardest p4p punchers ever, and lasted the full 12 all while being the definition of shot. He was never KO'd. He almost always got off the canvas and won his fights. But wait no you're right he couldn't take a punch.