least god given talent

[glidesmack]

we're talking small hands, glass jaws, mediocre athletes. Who are the fighters that take the cake in these categories, averaging them together to get the poorest overall god given talents?

Oh yeah, did I mention they have to be great fighters?

I say Willie Pep takes the cake. Glass Jaw, weak punch, couldn't be beat.

I don't even know who's in second place. Gene Tunney's up there, but he had a good chin.

[GJC]

we're talking small hands, glass jaws, mediocre athletes. Who are the fighters that take the cake in these categories, averaging them together to get the poorest overall god given talents?

Oh yeah, did I mention they have to be great fighters?

I say Willie Pep takes the cake. Glass Jaw, weak punch, couldn't be beat.

I don't even know who's in second place. Gene Tunney's up there, but he had a good chin.

Well not a big puncher for sure. Glass jaw? Not sure about that.
He kind of just about coped by being as skillful a boxer as there has ever been.
Not the best name to throw into a thread like this.

[TheGreatA]

Pep and Tunney are among the most gifted fighters that I've ever seen.

[TheGreatA]

Vito Antuofermo was not among the most talented champions. He was not much of a boxer, didn't have a great punch although he did take a good punch himself but also cut very easily.

[TheGreatA]

[glidesmack]

Maybe I wasn't quite clear with the title, GreatA. I agree that Pep and Tunney are two all time greats - what I'm looking for is guys, just like them, who had to overcome the most in terms of physical disadvantages to become great. Of course, they both had speed, the lack of which you could easily say is the biggest disadvantage possible.

I'll be more specific - the fighters with the worst combination of power and ability to take a punch.

Oh yeah, and pep did have a glass jaw. No one knew it because he never got hit. When asked later about his incredible style, he said he had to develop it because he couldn't take a punch.

[Jim Jeffries]

Nice vids Machine. Damn Saddler was a dirty fighter, wonder how he would've fared with a pre-plane wreck Pep.

[TheGreatA]

Maybe I wasn't quite clear with the title, GreatA. I agree that Pep and Tunney are two all time greats - what I'm looking for is guys, just like them, who had to overcome the most in terms of physical disadvantages to become great. Of course, they both had speed, the lack of which you could easily say is the biggest disadvantage possible.

I'll be more specific - the fighters with the worst combination of power and ability to take a punch.

Oh yeah, and pep did have a glass jaw. No one knew it because he never got hit. When asked later about his incredible style, he said he had to develop it because he couldn't take a punch.

Never heard that before. Never heard of a "glass jaw" who went 136 fights without being knocked out either.

Pep's biggest weakness was his lack of physical strength compared to lightweight champ Sammy Angott and Sandy Saddler. I feel his punching power is somewhat underrated since he did KO most of the top contenders that he fought during his prime. Saddler and Angott were able to bully him around the ring in a way that probably wouldn't be allowed today.

The worst boxing champion of all time was Al McCoy. He could take a good punch and that's the only reason why he remained champion. He fought during the no decision era, with the stipulation being that he could only lose the title if someone managed to knock him out.

McCoy managed to keep the title for 3 years, losing nearly all of his fights during that period but not losing his title until Mike O'Dowd managed to stop him.

Now there have probably been less capable title holders throughout history but none that reigned for as long as he did or had as many "title defenses".

One of the worst chin's of all time belongs to Terry Norris. He could be knocked down with a jab. He sparred a lot and probably took so many blows in training that he didn't have any punch resistance left for the actual fights.

Tiger Flowers was not a big puncher and was rather vulnerable to punchers but he was a great fighter nonetheless.

[GJC]

Maybe I wasn't quite clear with the title, GreatA. I agree that Pep and Tunney are two all time greats - what I'm looking for is guys, just like them, who had to overcome the most in terms of physical disadvantages to become great. Of course, they both had speed, the lack of which you could easily say is the biggest disadvantage possible.

I'll be more specific - the fighters with the worst combination of power and ability to take a punch.

Oh yeah, and pep did have a glass jaw. No one knew it because he never got hit. When asked later about his incredible style, he said he had to develop it because he couldn't take a punch.

Pep was a great kidder, I posted a few quotes of his in another thread. I would take a lot of what he said with a pinch of salt.