Best I've faced

[JaguaresMx]

Great thread for a change

1. Fascinating that Morales doesn't list MAB at any point. Although he lost twice to him, whenever they're are seen together (rarely), Erick still dislikes MAB.

2. The Punisher listing Margaritos punches. Amusing for reasons I don't need to list. But like PAC says, his all time chin cant be questioned

[Holywarrior]

Great thread for a change

1. Fascinating that Morales doesn't list MAB at any point. Although he lost twice to him, whenever they're are seen together (rarely), Erick still dislikes MAB.

In an interview both guys they were asked out of each other and Pacquiao who would be invited to their HOF induction, they both answered "Probably just Pacquiao"

[Chrismart]

Joe Bugner - April 2014

Best overall: Muhammad Ali, who was the greatest of all time in my opinion. What made him so special was that he was phenomenal in and out of the ring. Ali could sell anything to anyone, so he marketed his own fights and in that respect he was a promoter’s dream.
I recall both fights like they were yesterday and had studied this legend for years, before facing him. He wasn’t champion when we met the first time, in Las Vegas in 1973, and both of us were looking for a world title fight at the time.

I had known him since 1969, when we sparred together, and by the time we faced off I’d had 48 professional fights and was considered a fully matured heavyweight. Still, on the downside, I was only 22 years old and here was Ali who was able to dictate and dominate a fight at will.

I tried very hard to overcome him but there was no point going all out on the attack, because he would just pick me off with ease. In truth I fought like a poor man’s Ali and picked my times to box smart.
I just wasn’t as smart, or as quick, as he was.

Best boxer: Muhammad Ali. I take pride in the fact that a lot of people in Las Vegas thought our first fight was closer than the judges had it, but Ali definitely won.
Speed wise he was on the ball and technically he was just awesome. I tried to out jab him but once he had you on the end of his own left hand he could bring out all these combinations, from nowhere, leaving fans, and opponents, in awe.

Best puncher: Ernie Shavers. He was an enormous puncher, but I have real issue with that fight because of a conversation Shavers and I had years later. Apparently Don King told Ernie to get me out of that ring, by any means necessary, and not to worry about disqualification.
Now if you watch the fight I get caught with a good right hand in round two but a follow up head butt, which the referee didn’t pick up on, caused a serious cut. That wound above my left eye required 14 stitches and it wasn’t from a punch.
Now, take into account that Don King was a creature of incredible power within the boxing world and he played dirty as far as I’m concerned. I didn’t like him from the word go – end of story.

I also have to say that the most vicious and relentless fighter on the planet, in those days, was “Smokin” Joe Frazier.

Best defense: Muhammad Ali again. So many people ask why I couldn’t land on him when his hands were low and I always explain that he was the best part of two meters away from me, when he did that. Ali would throw punches as his legs were bringing him in, which was a gift.

Joe Frazier bobbed and weaved really well, but I was able to find the target and if I’m to be brutally honest I thought I won that fight on a very close decision. Harry Gibbs (referee and sole official scorer of the Frazier-Bugner fight) had awarded me the decision over Henry Cooper, two years earlier, and was given a horrendous time by the British media for doing so. In my mind he didn’t want to give me the Frazier fight for fear of a repeat backlash.

Fastest hands: Muhammad Ali. He was in his early 30s both times we fought and still retained that remarkable hand speed, plus he knew me so well. The other thing is that Ali could read you and that only added to the natural speed he already had. When I set myself to punch Ali seemed to know what was coming and he responded in a flash. For example in the first fight I caught him with a beautiful right hand and he said, “Damn, good punch white boy, do it again!” Now, I was only 22 years old, which meant I was stupid enough to try it and he caught me with four solid punches to the jaw. The reactions, the speed, the timing, were brilliant.

Fastest feet: Muhammad Ali. I know it might get boring (laughs) but there is no other contender in this one. Ali danced in the later rounds of both our fights and you must remember that the heat was incredible in the rematch. That tells you that he wasn’t just fit, he was super fit and his feet were such a huge asset.

Ali respected me a lot and knew I could trouble him when he least expected it. I took pride in that because he was, in my opinion, the greatest athlete in the world at the time and if you weren’t ready for him then he would tear you to pieces.


Best chin: “Smokin” Joe Frazier. He was so tough and I landed everything I had in that fight. He dropped me in round 10 with a huge left hook and I remember looking at Andy Smith (manager) who gave me the signal to get up. I got to my feet and suddenly Joe left himself wide open and I caught him with a perfect right hand on the button. His leg went from under him and his knee almost touched the canvas.
Other than that moment Joe took everything I had for 12 rounds. He had a really good chin.

Best jab: Muhammad Ali. I was very lucky in that I had learned so much from him in 1969 and practiced over a four-year period, before we faced each other. I learned from the best and the jab was one of the main things I tried to emulate.
That gave me something that I could use in our fight.

Strongest: Ron Lyle. He was a very strong opponent and although I lost a close decision the bottom line is close isn’t good enough.

Being honest I shouldn’t have took that fight. I had just won the British, Commonwealth and European titles, after knocking out Richard Dunn in one round, and mentally I wasn’t focused on Lyle. I blame myself for that but there was a lot of pressure to fight, because a huge amount of money was on the line.
Lyle, in my mind, wasn’t a fan of white people in those days and he saw it as kill or be killed against me. We didn’t like each other, no doubt about that, but I was still young myself and not the sharpest tool in the box (laughs).

Smartest: Muhammad Ali. Intelligence wise, in the ring and out, he was incredible. Before both our fights he asked me to give him a wink if a member of the press was nearby and I suppose I should have known better. I winked at him and suddenly he jumped out of his chair and screamed, “He just called me a ******!” I was stunned, just a kid at the time, and didn’t know what to say.

Moments later Ali came over to me and said, “Hey Joe Bugner. Was I good?” I told him he’d made me look like a racist and he replied, “That was the whole idea. Joe Bugner we’re selling tickets!”
He was close to the bone but there was always method behind his madness.

[Chrismart]

Michael Katsidis - March 2014

Best Overall – Juan Manuel Marquez – To get up after the hook I hit Marquez with and the way he was able to regain his composure was a true credit to the warrior he is. His knockout against Manny Pacquiao and the epic battles he has been in speaks thousands about this man.

Best Boxer – Juan Manual Marquez – I loved the way Juan observes his opponent throughout the fight. A good boxer does his homework and Marquez did that with everyone he fights. It was only unfortunate how when he fought Mayweather it wasn't on a level playing field. The tactics Mayweather used on the scale gave Mayweather the advantage. Mayweather knew he needed to be a lot heavier to beat him. But this is boxing today; cash is king and Mayweather was able to become victorious using that for his advantage on the field of battle.

Best Jab – Robert Guerrero – Not only has he got a long reach, is jab is powerful and comes from the southpaw angle.

Best Defense – Ricky Burns – His arms are so long his elbows reach below his waist. One of his best defensive moves is to lean back to the ropes behind his guard and following the onslaught, simply walk his opponent back.

Best Chin – Czar Amonsot – Youtube this fight: “Michael Katsidis vs. Czar Amonsot.” Amonsot took an incredible amount of punishment that night and could dish it out as well as he could take it. This fight was a 12-round war and was nominated for HBO’s fight of the year in a very exciting year of fights throughout the United States in 2007.

Best Puncher – At the elite level they all hit hard and they hit often. In comparison to a national level the average fighter’s power would be very ineffective. Though of the elite fighters I have fought I can say I was very surprised by the lack of power of Ricky Burns. Sorry Ricky, unfinished business there.

Fastest Hands – Joel Casamayor – I think the fighter I have fought with the fastest hands goes to Joel Casamayor. He used a lot of variance with his speed but when he let them go you would want to make sure you didn't blink or he would catch you. Which he did, three times in fact (laughs).

Fastest Feet – Vincente Escobedo – He’s a U.S. Olympian and former main sparring partner for Juan Manuel Marquez. His movement on his feet was beautiful and could have him in a position to punch from any direction at anytime.

Smartest – Juan Manuel Marquez – When I fought him I had him gone and I began to (swing my) punches wide. Marquez was a good enough boxer to lower his centre of gravity when he got hurt and began rolling out and under sideways from my onslaught.

Strongest – Juan Diaz – There was a reason they called him “the Baby Bull.” Once inside, this guy could work and his strength inside was incredible. He had many an opponent give in as a result of not being able to match this.

[Chrismart]

Junior Jones - December 2013

Best overall: “Orlando Canizales, who was inducted into the Hall of Fame a few years ago. He had 16 world title defenses and was so cagey and tricky in the ring. I won our fight at Madison Square Garden and it was one of the best performances of my career.”

Best boxer: “Marco Antonio Barrera. He had terrific boxing ability and real punching power, which he displayed in both of our fights. Those wins (DQ5, UD12) really made me.”

Best puncher: “Marco Antonio Barrera again. He hit hard to head and body, although I was never down in either fight. I dropped him heavily in our first fight.”

Best defense: “Tom 'Boom Boom' Johnson. He was so smart and could lock me up at times and, even though I won a unanimous decision, it was a very difficult night for me. Canizales had some nice defensive moves also.”

Fastest hands: “Orlando Canizales. He was able to match me in that area; our hand speed was probably equal.”

Fastest feet: “No opponent in professional fights or sparring stands out in this area.”

Best chin: “Orlando Canizales. He took so many clean shots over 12 rounds, but was there right to the end.”

Best jab: “Kennedy McKinney. He had a pretty good jab at the time, but I ran out of power by going all out for the finish. I punched myself out in that fight.”

Strongest: “Marco Antonio Barrera by far. He was very strong on the inside and pushed me hard in the rematch.”

Smartest: “Erik Morales. In terms of finding the right hand Morales was very smart. He was able to set that shot up extremely well.”

[Chrismart]

Steve Collins - Aug 2013

Best overall: That’s a hard question to answer. It would be easy to say Mike McCallum but I wasn’t at my best in 1990. I was at my peak when I fought Chris Eubank and Nigel Benn, whereas I met McCallum on the way up. It’s hard to answer that based on where I was at in terms of my own career.

Best boxer: The best boxer was definitely Mike McCallum. He was in his prime at 33 years old and I was 26 and still learning. Mike had beaten some of the very best fighters in the world at that point and guys like Sugar Ray Leonard wouldn’t go anywhere near him because he was so slick. I learned more in one fight with Mike McCallum than I did in my five previous fights combined, do you understand? He was skillful, a master at combination punching and he had everything at his disposal. He was the smartest guy I ever fought.

Best puncher: Nigel Benn hit the hardest. I don’t even think Benn knew how hard he hit to be honest (laughs). Nigel caught me flush in the first fight and I thought he had broken all of my teeth and this horrible taste filled my mouth. I actually felt sick to my stomach and nobody had ever hit me like that before.

Best defense: McCallum was so slick. He had the ability to ride punches and come back with his own. He would invite a shot, get past it and land quality counters. Defensively he was so cute and he was well schooled in every aspect of the game. It was great to share the ring with him and that experience did so much for my own career. In the first half of that fight I tried to box with him and that didn’t work, so I began chasing him in the second half. I had to use my strength, toughness and determination and I managed to win some rounds. It just wasn’t my time and I wasn’t ready at that point in my career.

Fastest hands: (Long Pause) I can’t really answer that. I fought guys who would hit and run away. If I had to choose it would be McCallum. Mike was pretty quick.

Fastest feet: I had the ability to cut the ring down so it didn’t really matter how fast someone’s feet were. Fast feet wouldn’t trouble me, and if you’re a professional then it never should. Fast on your feet or not I would be able to find you.I did spar a guy called Paul “Silky” Jones (former WBO junior middleweight titleholder) and he knew his way around a ring. He was a great fighter to work with because if you could cut him off there was nothing to worry about on fight night.

Best chin: It’s Chris Eubank. I hit him with huge shots to the head and he was going nowhere. When I dropped him it was a body shot that sent him over. He was so tough and durable and he was dangerous until the very last second of a fight. He didn’t have Benn’s power or McCallum’s combination work but he had incredible strength. You would be nailing Chris and think it’s all over and then he would just unload with power shots. He would get fancy during a fight and showboat which would keep opponents thinking plus his style was so unorthodox, you didn’t know what was coming next. That was his way of buying time but I would ignore that and jump all over him. I always wanted to be in punching range against Chris but he was the toughest most durable man I ever met – hands down.

Best jab: McCallum had the best jab. He controlled fights with the left jab and punished you if you made mistakes.

Strongest: Eubank was the strongest. His physical strength was incredible but the reason I gave him so much trouble is because I was even stronger than he was. Super middleweight was my division and my strength was second to none, whereas I lost something making the middleweight limit. At 168 pounds I could stand up to Chris and push him backwards and he had never encountered that before, so ultimately I broke his heart in the first fight. I fought all the way up at heavyweight as an amateur and my strength was my biggest asset.

Smartest: Mike McCallum was the smartest. I learned a lot from him and he educated me. Every once in a while you face a guy who is a bit special and they either finish you or make you. When Prince Naseem stepped up a level (to face Marco Antonio Barrera in 2001) he lost and that was basically the end of him.

I fought McCallum and although I lost it made me a better fighter because he was the best in his time. Sugar Ray Leonard told me personally that there was no money in facing McCallum and it was a fight he could lose. I asked him that during a Q&A and he admitted it to an entire audience. I stepped up to the elite level and traded with one of the best fighters around, so I knew I would get better and I knew I would become a world champion after that.

McCallum didn’t get the credit he deserved but just look at his record and you see the guys he beat.

[Kuyukut]

wow, excellent thread!

more please... this is better than sex.

[Kiddoe]

Nice read. Thanks for posting.

[Chrismart]

John Conteh - Oct 2013

Best overall: Matthew Saad Muhammad was the best opponent I ever fought. His record speaks for itself and he had some of his best moments after our two fights. Matthew was a great all-rounder, he could punch, strategically he was sound and what a chin he had. The first fight was competitive but my best was behind me by the time we had the rematch. I only had one fight after that (a decision win over James Dixon in May 1980).

Best boxer: Chris Finnegan was a great boxer. He had the British and Commonwealth titles and I had the European when we met in 1973. It was funny because I took the European title from Rudiger Schmidtke, from Germany, who had beaten Chris for it. Schmidtke was technically very good but he suited my style and I stopped him whereas I always found Finnegan very difficult. Styles make fights I guess but Chris was technically brilliant and his background as a gold medalist in the 1968 Olympics proved that. He utilized all of that experience in the pros and used his southpaw stance to his advantage. We met again a year later and I stopped him on cuts.

Best puncher: Matthew Saad Muhammad because he was the only fighter who ever stopped me. I can’t tell you how hard he punched because I didn’t really feel much (laughs). I’m not taking anything away from Saad but I was coming towards the end of my career in 1980. Jorge Victor Ahumada, who I won the title against, was another big puncher and he could also take a shot.

Best defense: There was a fighter I met on the way up called Eddie Duncan (September 1972). He was hard to hit but that was mostly down to inexperience on my part. It was only my 12th professional fight and I found him very awkward and cagey. He used his knowledge and although we didn’t get a return fight, it was an important learning curve for me. Mate Parlov was good defensively and although I thought I won that fight (Conteh lost by disputed split decision in June 1978) you can’t really complain. I was fighting away from home and I needed a knockout to get a draw over there (Belgrade, Serbia). Still, it must be said that Parlov was a brilliant boxer. He was also southpaw and another former Olympic gold medalist (Munich 1972). Yaqui Lopez was hard to hit and he reminded me a lot of Carlos Monzon but that was maybe down to the way he looked.

Fastest hands: You would have to go some to cause me trouble with fast hands because I was quick. I relied on speed and endurance and worked behind a good left jab. When I got tagged I responded as quickly as I could with fast hands. Saad Muhammad and Chris Finnegan were two of the faster guys I fought. Chris was very fast but he was also clever and, as I said, left handed. That made life awkward for me. Again, Schmidtke was quick but that suited me because I relied on my speed to beat his speed.

Fastest feet: John Conteh, straight to the pub after a fight (laughs). As soon as I got out that ring it would be down to Soho in the West End of London (laughs). No seriously, it’s an interesting question because I’ve never really thought about it. In a boxing match you’re more worried about an opponent’s hands but Ali had very fast feet and made that work for him. There was a fighter called Bunny Sterling, who was a British and European middleweight champion, and we did a lot of sparring together. We had the same trainer (the late George Francis) and Bunny brought me along nicely due to his speed and movement. He was a terrific fighter and his losses were mostly to the very top guys in the division.

Best chin: Jorge Ahumada because I knew before the fight I wasn’t going to knock him out. He had pushed Bob Foster to a draw in Albuquerque four months earlier and Foster retired and left the title vacant. Jorge was incredible but there were other guys I faced on the way up who I couldn’t stop unless it was on cuts. Billy Aird, a heavyweight from Liverpool, had a great chin when we fought at the Royal Albert Hall in 1972.

Best jab: Again you would have to go some to beat my jab because I had developed that shot from childhood. Matthew Saad Muhammad had a great left hand and he used that to set up power punches. He preferred a scrap but he had the ability to stand up and throw straight shots. I was able to give him a good fight first time round but in the rematch I just wasn’t there. My lifestyle let me down and I wasn’t as hungry as I had been before. Finnegan had a great right jab from the southpaw stance but for the most part I would be able to counter an opponent’s jab with my own.

Strongest: Jorge Ahumada was extremely strong. The heavyweights I fought on the way up didn’t get a chance to use their strength because I was too fast for them and I could punch my weight and compete with them on that basis. Ahumada, Yaqui Lopez and Mate Parlov were amongst the strongest opponents I ever faced. I went 15 rounds with all three of them and incidentally I think that cutting back to twelve was good for the sport. When medical professionals make the decision to do that for a fighter’s safety that can only be a good thing. I was super fit in those days and I knew I could go the distance because it was just another human being I was in there with. If you’re 100 percent fit then you can always respond but you’re in trouble if you haven’t trained properly. If I’d done the work then I was like a Formula 1 car and the tank was never going to let me down. As my trainer always said, a fight is won and lost in the training ground. I never ran out of fuel.

Smartest: The tax man (laughs). He’s got more power than the police. I came at him with a pair of gloves and he said you’ll f____in’ need more than that (laughs hysterically). No I would say Mate Parlov and Chris Finnegan strictly because of their amateur back ground. You can’t beat Olympic experience and they acquired their smarts before turning professional. Parlov and Finnegan used strategy and boxed smart. We’re not talking about Marciano or Tyson prototypes, but technically gifted boxers.

[Chrismart]

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.