Best I've faced

[Chrismart]

Julio Cesar Chavez - March 2020

BEST SKILLS
Meldrick Taylor: He had every skill you need as a fighter, his speed, quickness, power, all you could ask for.

BEST JAB
Oscar De La Hoya: Because he was tall and used it to mark his range.

BEST DEFENSE
Pernell Whitaker: He was very elusive, and although I thought he was a dirty fighter, beyond that he was just hard to find and especially hard to hit.

BEST CHIN
Hector Camacho Sr. And Edwin Rosario: I threw everything at them and they kept coming.

BEST PUNCHER
Rosario: Anywhere he hit me it hurt. Frankie Randall was also a hard puncher. [Against Rosario] it was my youth, it was the fact I was in my prime, it all helped me get through that fight.

FASTEST HANDS
Taylor: It was definitely Meldrick Taylor. I would land one shot and I would take four in return. He was quick. More than anything it was the fact he had real quick hands. By the time I landed one real power shot I was taking five, six in return. They weren’t hard shots, they weren’t power shots, but I couldn’t get in my range, I couldn’t get established. In that fight I made a big mistake, which was trying to fight at his pace. That’s why down the stretch I was exhausted, I was completely exhausted. I found a way to do it but I was done.

FASTEST FEET
Camacho: It was Hector “Macho” Camacho who had the best footwork. He just dominated the way he walked around the ring. He knew where he was moving, he wouldn’t let you find him. And more than anything he was a marathon man the way I see it. He just was not there to be hit. But in the ninth round he stood and fought, so he was a macho man because he did stand there and took the shots.

SMARTEST
Whitaker: He was very intelligent. And then there was Oscar De La Hoya, who knew how to use his advantage in height and his distance. I think he was very intelligent in the ring.

STRONGEST
Jose Luis Ramirez: He was a southpaw who not only took a good shot but he gave a good shot. The fact he could land a punch and hurt you and take a punch and not be hurt, that was his greatest virtue.

BEST OVERALL
Taylor: I faced everybody. If you look at my record, all the fights I had, I had 37 world championship fights and I didn’t hand pick any opponents. But if I was to look at the best overall fighter, it would have to be Meldrick Taylor.

[Chrismart]

Winky Wright - April 2015

*Originally published in Ring April 2015

BEST SKILLS
Shane Mosley: He was the best boxer. He was strong and quick. It was my style that beat him.

BEST DEFENSE
Ike Quartey: He had a good defense. He had a defense like mine. The only difference is I know how to get through it and around it.

SMARTEST
Bernard Hopkins: He’s very cagey. He tries to take away what you use. He’d try to take you out of your game and make you fight his game.

BEST PUNCHER
Felix Trinidad: I would have to say Tito. He didn’t catch me but you could feel it; you don’t want to get hit with this. I had a few flash knockdowns but nobody really dazed me. Luckily I never got hit and hurt where I couldn’t finish. It was more of a quick knockdown.

BEST CHIN
Sam Soliman: He’s got a good chin. I hit that dude with everything.

BEST JAB
Paul Williams: He was so long he kept me at a distance and I had to try to get inside.

FASTEST HANDS
Mosley: I got to say Mosley. I never fought anyone like that. He was a quick puncher; he was very fast. He was in his prime, too.

FASTEST FEET
Robert Frazier: You know who had good feet? Robert Frazier. He was one that moved a lot.

STRONGEST
Julio Cesar Vasquez: Not muscle-bound strong, just strong. He was a big guy. It was my first time going 12 rounds.

BEST OVERALL
Mosley: This is a tough one but, at the time I fought him, I would have to say Shane. At that time he was fast, strong, coming off wins. He beat De La Hoya. He was at the top of his game. I beat one of the best fighters out there at that time twice.

.

[Chrismart]

Calvin Grove - March 2020

BEST JAB
Bernard Taylor: I had the best jab. Bernard Taylor had speed; it wasn’t all power.

BEST DEFENSE
Jorge Paez: Taylor was quick just like me. He had more way more experience than me. He had getting on to 500 amateur fights; I had less than 50. It was like me fighting myself. He had a good defense but he wasn’t the best. Paez had the best defense. Paez had a sloppy style; he didn’t do everything always right. His unpredictability made him difficult.

BEST HANDSPEED
Taylor: Bernard Taylor had quick hands but I was quicker than him though.

BEST FOOTWORK
Paez: He was one of those guys who comes at you and you don’t know what he’s going to do. His unpredictability made him difficult to read and know where he would be.

SMARTEST
Taylor: He boxed almost like I boxed. He throws combinations; he had quick hands. He was very clever.

STRONGEST
Azumah Nelson: When we were up close, I couldn’t push him off. Kostya Tszyu was stocky and strong. I fought Azumah in our primes; he was a real rough dude. If he hits you, you’re gonna go night-night. Miguel Angel Gonzalez was pretty strong too; his style and my style just didn’t match.

BEST CHIN
Arturo Gatti: Gatti did have a great chin. I hit him with some good shots and didn’t get any change out of him. Troy Dorsey had a good chin too.

BEST PUNCHER
Kostya Tszyu: Oh man…when he caught me and it was like, “Wow, where am I at?” He could punch. The reason he caught me was because I wasn’t 25 no more.

BEST BOXING SKILLS
Taylor: Bernard Taylor was good. He was quick; he was able to do everything, box, move, set traps. He left the best of his game in the amateurs. He should have achieved more as a pro. He had 500 fights; that’ll put a lot of wear and tear on you. You can burn yourself out.

BEST OVERALL
Nelson: That’s very hard. I always wanted to fight Nelson when I was growing up and then, when it happened, everyone said, “Grove’s gonna get knocked out. He’s not gonna last. (Nelson)’s too strong for Grove.” Physically strong, hit hard. I was past my prime when I faced Kostya Tszyu and not in my best weight class, so it is difficult to know how good he was.

[Vodkaholic]

Julio Cesar Chavez Jr - March 2020

BEST SKILLS
Meldrick Taylor: He had every skill you need as a fighter, his speed, quickness, power, all you could ask for.

BEST JAB
Oscar De La Hoya: Because he was tall and used it to mark his range.

BEST DEFENSE
Pernell Whitaker: He was very elusive, and although I thought he was a dirty fighter, beyond that he was just hard to find and especially hard to hit.

BEST CHIN
Hector Camacho Sr. And Edwin Rosario: I threw everything at them and they kept coming.

BEST PUNCHER
Rosario: Anywhere he hit me it hurt. Frankie Randall was also a hard puncher. [Against Rosario] it was my youth, it was the fact I was in my prime, it all helped me get through that fight.

FASTEST HANDS
Taylor: It was definitely Meldrick Taylor. I would land one shot and I would take four in return. He was quick. More than anything it was the fact he had real quick hands. By the time I landed one real power shot I was taking five, six in return. They weren’t hard shots, they weren’t power shots, but I couldn’t get in my range, I couldn’t get established. In that fight I made a big mistake, which was trying to fight at his pace. That’s why down the stretch I was exhausted, I was completely exhausted. I found a way to do it but I was done.

FASTEST FEET
Camacho: It was Hector “Macho” Camacho who had the best footwork. He just dominated the way he walked around the ring. He knew where he was moving, he wouldn’t let you find him. And more than anything he was a marathon man the way I see it. He just was not there to be hit. But in the ninth round he stood and fought, so he was a macho man because he did stand there and took the shots.

SMARTEST
Whitaker: He was very intelligent. And then there was Oscar De La Hoya, who knew how to use his advantage in height and his distance. I think he was very intelligent in the ring.

STRONGEST
Jose Luis Ramirez: He was a southpaw who not only took a good shot but he gave a good shot. The fact he could land a punch and hurt you and take a punch and not be hurt, that was his greatest virtue.

BEST OVERALL
Taylor: I faced everybody. If you look at my record, all the fights I had, I had 37 world championship fights and I didn’t hand pick any opponents. But if I was to look at the best overall fighter, it would have to be Meldrick Taylor.

I also enjoy the fight between meldrick taylor and chaves jr

[hugh grant]

Is there one for Pernell whitaker?

[Chrismart]

Is there one for Pernell whitaker?

Here it is mate


Pernell Whitaker (From August 2015)

BEST JAB
Buddy McGirt: I didn’t really get hit with them jabs. I tried to keep guys on defense. That was one of my best assets. That’s where I start off at, using the jab and being constant, keeping my jab out there. I think every fighter should have a good jab; a good jab could take you a long way. Of the guys I fought I would say Buddy McGirt had the best jab.

BEST DEFENSE
Azumah Nelson: (Laughs) That’s a tough one because it never took me long to get to anybody. But if I picked someone, I would say Azumah Nelson. I don’t think nobody on this planet had a better defense than I did. There are a lot of fighters with good defense but not like Pernell Whitaker.

BEST CHIN
McGirt: Had a pretty good chin. It’s kind of hard to say who had a good chin. I liked hitting to the body; I liked to work from the body up. McGirt took a good punch.

BEST PUNCHER
Julio Cesar Chavez: Everybody I’ve been in the ring with was considered a big puncher. The one who stands out the most would be Julio Cesar Chavez. I didn’t experience any big shots. I don’t like taking punches.

FASTEST HANDS
Oscar De La Hoya: I made all these fights so easy, it’s hard to say who had the better hand speed. I consider all of them being great, they just weren’t quicker than I was, though I would say Oscar De La Hoya had good hand speed. They start off with speed but by the time I break ’em down, the speed’s over.

FASTEST FEET
Diosbelys Hurtado: I didn’t have a problem with anybody. All the fighters I fought were good fighters. It’s hard to give credit when you make guys look so bad all the time. I would say Diosbelys Hurtado had good feet. Like I say I just went in there and took fighters out of their fight game, turn them into being ordinary fighters.

SMARTEST
All of them: All of the guys I fought were smart fighters; I was just a little smarter. Chavez was pretty smart, De La Hoya was a pretty smart kid, McGirt, I fought him twice, he was a veteran. I don’t have no favorite.

STRONGEST
Nelson : I didn’t give anybody the opportunity to punch. I tried to be the complete boxer. I outboxed all off them. The one that comes to mind is Azumah Nelson. He was a strong guy. He just kept coming forward.

BEST SKILLS
Chavez: [He] was just a good fighter. He had great boxing skills, he was a big puncher, you had to be careful. You don’t get caught up with him, going toe to toe.

BEST OVERALL
Nelson: I liked Azumah Nelson. He kept on coming, he never gives up, he hung in there.

[hugh grant]

Here it is mate


Pernell Whitaker (From August 2015)

BEST JAB
Buddy McGirt: I didn’t really get hit with them jabs. I tried to keep guys on defense. That was one of my best assets. That’s where I start off at, using the jab and being constant, keeping my jab out there. I think every fighter should have a good jab; a good jab could take you a long way. Of the guys I fought I would say Buddy McGirt had the best jab.

BEST DEFENSE
Azumah Nelson: (Laughs) That’s a tough one because it never took me long to get to anybody. But if I picked someone, I would say Azumah Nelson. I don’t think nobody on this planet had a better defense than I did. There are a lot of fighters with good defense but not like Pernell Whitaker.

BEST CHIN
McGirt: Had a pretty good chin. It’s kind of hard to say who had a good chin. I liked hitting to the body; I liked to work from the body up. McGirt took a good punch.

BEST PUNCHER
Julio Cesar Chavez: Everybody I’ve been in the ring with was considered a big puncher. The one who stands out the most would be Julio Cesar Chavez. I didn’t experience any big shots. I don’t like taking punches.

FASTEST HANDS
Oscar De La Hoya: I made all these fights so easy, it’s hard to say who had the better hand speed. I consider all of them being great, they just weren’t quicker than I was, though I would say Oscar De La Hoya had good hand speed. They start off with speed but by the time I break ’em down, the speed’s over.

FASTEST FEET
Diosbelys Hurtado: I didn’t have a problem with anybody. All the fighters I fought were good fighters. It’s hard to give credit when you make guys look so bad all the time. I would say Diosbelys Hurtado had good feet. Like I say I just went in there and took fighters out of their fight game, turn them into being ordinary fighters.

SMARTEST
All of them: All of the guys I fought were smart fighters; I was just a little smarter. Chavez was pretty smart, De La Hoya was a pretty smart kid, McGirt, I fought him twice, he was a veteran. I don’t have no favorite.

STRONGEST
Nelson : I didn’t give anybody the opportunity to punch. I tried to be the complete boxer. I outboxed all off them. The one that comes to mind is Azumah Nelson. He was a strong guy. He just kept coming forward.

BEST SKILLS
Chavez: [He] was just a good fighter. He had great boxing skills, he was a big puncher, you had to be careful. You don’t get caught up with him, going toe to toe.

BEST OVERALL
Nelson: I liked Azumah Nelson. He kept on coming, he never gives up, he hung in there.

Thanks bud. I thought he might mention Roger mayweather

[Chrismart]

Mike Weaver - April 2020

BEST JAB
Larry Holmes: Larry Holmes and Razor Ruddock had the best jab. I think Larry Holmes was the best out of the two. It was accurate and straight. It wasn’t a hard jab; it was a good jab. Pinklon Thomas’ jab was harder than Larry Holmes but as far as being better and looking better, I say Holmes – it was faster.

BEST DEFENSE
Razor Ruddock: I couldn’t land a good shot on him because he kept moving.

BEST HANDSPEED
Michael Dokes: He had fast hands. Real fast and snappy, not that he was a powerful puncher but he had good handspeed. He had a fast jab, hook, everything.

BEST FOOTWORK
Dokes: That would go to Holmes, Ruddock and Dokes. Dokes had fast feet. I’ll pick Dokes.

SMARTEST
Holmes: Larry Holmes knew what to do; he was a thinking fighter. He wasn’t going to just run in there. Everything worked off his jab.

STRONGEST
James “Bonecrusher” Smith: Lennox Lewis was strong. Bernardo Mercado, he was strong. Bonecrusher Smith was very strong too. Out of them three, I’ll take Bonecrusher; he was bigger than me and physically strong.

BEST PUNCHER
Bernardo Mercado: Bernardo Mercado was a hard puncher. He dropped me in the gym when we sparred and then we fought and he dropped me in a fight also and I knocked him out the next round. Bonecrusher was a hard puncher, very strong. Gerrie Coetzee was a very hard puncher. Lennox was a hard puncher. I always tell people Bernardo Mercado was the hardest puncher I fought because I was in the prime of my life. I was like 27 years old. Lennox Lewis and Bonecrusher Smith were hard punchers but I fought them in my 30s and 40s.

BEST CHIN
Gerrie Coetzee: Gerrie Coetzee had the best chin. He had never been knocked down in over 200 amateur fights and when I fought him, [he already had] 24 professional fights and they say [he was] never hurt. I knocked him down.

BEST BOXING SKILLS
Holmes: That’s Larry Holmes and Dokes. Just one: Larry Holmes. He could do it all.

BEST OVERALL
Holmes: I told Larry I ranked him in the top 10 best heavyweights of all time. He was determined. I can’t think of anyone else that was better than him.

[NachoMan]

Antonio Tarver - Nov 2013

Best Overall – Roy Jones Jr. – Jones was the best boxer, but the hardest fighter I ever faced was Eric Harding. He was the toughest. Roy was the most gifted, the most talented, and I had to really step my game way up in order to beat him. He brought out the very best in me.

You had to go to the mountain top with Roy Jones or he’ll outclass you and run you out of the ring, if you didn’t get yourself in peak condition. Everything connected when I fought Roy. I didn’t have any distractions. It was tunnel vision on what was in front of me. It felt sometimes like I was in the matrix ‘cause everything pretty much came together for me at that moment. I had to climb that mountain and really challenge myself to find out what I was made of and to go to the peak and only certain fighters can bring that out. You can’t do it every fight. I wish I could but I’m only human. You have to face a guy like Roy Jones. You have to raise your level, sometimes you have to be better than even you thought you can be to be competitive or to beat him. I challenged myself in ways I didn’t think I could and I became better than a lot of people thought I could be because I was facing such a great fighter.

Boxer – Eric Harding – I would say Harding. He had more crafty moves and I had to figure him out and I really had to catch him with a punch to knock him out. Skill for skill he was a tough, tough puzzle to solve.

Jab – Harding – I have to say Harding. He was a southpaw, he was very deceptive. He threw his jab from all types of angels and he caught me with a lot of jabs. Even when I knocked him out the first two or three rounds didn’t really go my way. I was in the best condition, I was sharp and I had to catch him with a counterpunch to change the outcome of the fight. I think he was ahead on the score cards at the time of the stoppage. It was the rematch and I was at my peak and still had problems solving the puzzled.

Defense – Bernard Hopkins – I’ll have to give that to Hopkins because even though I feel I wasn’t at my best or even near the best I could be he was still difficult to hit. I wasn’t at my best for whatever reason. I had just come off a long layoff and came out from the movies but that night I didn’t show up to fight and it showed. He outclassed me and beat me handily. It doesn’t seem like I laid a glove on him in that fight. It felt like an outer-body experience and it was my worst performance.

Chin – Glen Johnson – Undoubtedly, Glen Johnson. I hit him with everything and the kitchen sink and he was still there after 12 rounds so he had a granite chin.

Puncher – Harding – Again I would have to say Eric Harding. He broke my jaw with a right hook. Everybody felt he didn’t have any power cause he didn’t have any knock outs but I felt every punch. He was a deceptive puncher; very crafty southpaw from Philly.

Hand Speed – Jones – He was the fastest person I faced. His speed was incredible. I saw everything coming but I was on top of my game. He made you raise your level.

Feet – Jones – I have to say Roy Jones again. A lot of times I had to trap him in so many ways. He was so mobile, moved around a lot, danced a lot. You had to be patient, you had to wait your turn because a lot of times he’s moving when you begin your offensive strategy and he’d be out of the way.

Smartest – Hopkins – Because he was so crafty. Like I say we have to put an asterisk by that because I just don’t know if I had been at my best how that fight would have went. I still feel today I have everything to beat him. I would say it was one of the most depressing moments I’ve had in a boxing ring because it made it look like I wasn’t at the same level as him and I think everyone knows that’s not true. Whatever reason that I didn’t perform that night made Hopkins look like a great fighter, which he is but I am too and you didn’t see two great fighters in the ring that night, you only saw one and unfortunately it was him.

Strongest – Johnson – He was the most determined fighter I faced. We went 24 rounds, each round was like hell for me. I had to really dig deep in order to beat him. He brought out the best in me. I had to go places internally I didn’t know I could go. I beat him at his own game when I beat him in Memphis. A lot of people didn’t think I could do that toe to toe. Sometimes you have to gut it out and be mentally strong and Glen Johnson brought that out of me both times we fought.

Poor Tarver. Permanently mentally scarred by Bhop.

[NachoMan]

I also enjoy the fight between meldrick taylor and chaves jr

Same. Never knew that Jr fought all of his old man's foes.