Who is the Greatest Defensive Fighter of All Time?

[KidDinamita]

Niccholino Locche
Julio Cesar Chavez Sr had some great defense
Floyd Mayweather Jr.
Pernell Whitaker

[MDPopescu]

... I'm glad that people here still remember Whitaker and Pep, and vote for them...

[BoomBapTrap]

I’d say Josie Harris is.

Although she suffered brutal blows from the hands of Floyd, she didn’t KO’d. So she must have had some slick defense to withstand a boxers punches when she’s just a normal female citizen.

[The Big Dunn]

It is outright hilarious that people voted for willie pep when his last fight was in 1966. Everything we've read suggests he was an amazing defensive fighter, but unless you watched boxing from 1940-1966, I don't know how you can vote for him.

[CubanGuyNYC]

It is outright hilarious that people voted for willie pep when his last fight was in 1966. Everything we've read suggests he was an amazing defensive fighter, but unless you watched boxing from 1940-1966, I don't know how you can vote for him.

For me, it’s a toss up between Floyd, “Sweet Pea” and Pep. While Mayweather is the greatest overall boxer between them, it’s hard to say who had the best pure defensive talent and skills. I wound up voting for Willie. I’ve read about him, and watched enough footage to make an informed opinion. Since I consider these three so close in ability, my vote was swayed by other factors. Pep had a much longer career than the others, and he came decades earlier. In one way or another, the more contemporary fighters must’ve been influenced by him.

[The Big Dunn]

For me, it’s a toss up between Floyd, “Sweet Pea” and Pep. While Mayweather is the greatest overall boxer between them, it’s hard to say who had the best pure defensive talent and skills. I wound up voting for Willie. I’ve read about him, and watched enough footage to make an informed opinion. Since I consider these three so close in ability, my vote was swayed by other factors. Pep had a much longer career than the others, and he came decades earlier. In one way or another, the more contemporary fighters must’ve been influenced by him.

I got a ton of respect for you as a poster but that is crazy to me. I caught the tail end of Ali's career and was born well after Pep died. While I saw all of Pea and Floyd. It is just impossible for me to consider Ali or Pep having not seen them in their prime and not really being able to gauge how good their defense was.

[CubanGuyNYC]

I got a ton of respect for you as a poster but that is crazy to me. I caught the tail end of Ali's career and was born well after Pep died. While I saw all of Pea and Floyd. It is just impossible for me to consider Ali or Pep having not seen them in their prime and not really being able to gauge how good their defense was.

There are decades of great athletes to be considered in every sport, not just boxing. If you live long enough, some young boxing fan will use the same rationale you’re using with regards to Mayweather and Whitaker to argue that a fighter of their generation is better. Will you agree with them then? If you ask me who the greatest baseball player was, I’d say Babe Ruth — and most knowledgable aficionados will agree. Yet, few are left that actually saw Ruth play. We have written accounts and footage to rely on. But, most importantly (in baseball, at least), stats. Why should boxing be any different? If you never saw Robinson, or Ali, or Pep fight live, does that mean they can’t be considered? There are available tools to help you form an opinion.

[The Big Dunn]

There are decades of great athletes to be considered in every sport, not just boxing. If you live long enough, some young boxing fan will use the same rationale you’re using with regards to Mayweather and Whitaker to argue that a fighter of their generation is better. Will you agree with them then? If you ask me who the greatest baseball player was, I’d say Babe Ruth — and most knowledgable aficionados will agree. Yet, few are left that actually saw Ruth play. We have written accounts and footage to rely on. But, most importantly (in baseball, at least), stats. Why should boxing be any different? If you never saw Robinson, or Ali, or Pep fight live, does that mean they can’t be considered? There are available tools to help you form an opinion.

For me I think you need to see them live to really be able to weigh in. I completely understand your point, its just hard for me to argue for someone that I didn't really see. Also the technology is so inferior from those days that its hard to get areal sense of what happened.

[therealpugilist]

... ???

Pernell “Sweet Pea” Whitaker
Muhammad "The Greatest" Ali
Floyd “Money” Mayweather Jr.
Bernard "The Executioner/The Alien" Hopkins
James “Lights Out” Toney
Guillermo “El Chacal” Rigondeaux
Vasyl "Hi-Tech" Lomachenko
Willie "Will o' the Wisp" Pep
Ray "Sugar" Leonard
Sugar Ray Robinson
Gene "The Fighting Marine" Tunney
Henry "Homicide Hank" Armstrong
Tyson Fury...

footwork....pep

head movement.....Whitaker


Mayweather.....most complete defense most options

inside defense-James Toney

[CubanGuyNYC]

For me I think you need to see them live to really be able to weigh in. I completely understand your point, its just hard for me to argue for someone that I didn't really see. Also the technology is so inferior from those days that its hard to get areal sense of what happened.

It’s harder; I’ll agree on that. But the tools are out there to help you form an opinion. You have to get used to looking at some of the old footage. I’ve known younger people that simply can’t stand looking at black and white movies. (I love them.) I know it’s much the same for some boxing fans. It’s a shame, because there’s a lot of footage of almost all the fighters you read and hear about.

The truth is, even your memories of the fighters you’ve seen live can’t be trusted. You still have to rely on technology. As great as I remember Whitaker being, I found myself being more impressed or less impressed, from moment to moment, upon watching a highlight video someone posted here. Our memories are very selective. If you remember a fighter being awesome, your regard for them will generally only increase as time passes.