Who is the greatest defensive fighter of all-time?

[madsweeney]

as much as i hate to say it - none of the above. . . floyd jr. is probably the best defensive fighter of all time. . . "era for era" it's probably pep since he basically had to figure out everything on his own without 100 years of pugilistic evolution as precedent. . . but the sport has just evolved so much, and floyd had the advantage of being GROOMED from the day he came out the womb to be a defensive wizard. . . i can count on one hand the amount of times floyd has been hit cleanly with a power punch. . .

You could do the same for Pep or Locce if you only counted 41 of their fights.

[madsweeney]

The boy doesnt get hit. And it aint because people arent trying. Call it ***** or whatever the hell you want. This conversation should include Floyd. If someone had mentioned an old timer then you wouldnt have gotten mad huh? Floyd's name shouldnt strike that kinda emotion in you.

Do you know why these old timers get more respect, look no further than the sheer volume of fights they've been through. Hell Toney and Wittaker are proof of this concept. Early in their careers they were untouchable but after time in the ring, age, reflexes and wear and tear broke down their defenses.

All of these guys had their defenses tested far beyond what Mayweather ever will both in terms of opponent quality and quantity.