Toughest fighter of all-time?

[Nicky Gambino]

Only one of his fights were fixed and he didn't go down in it, he pretty much dropped his hands and took a beating until the 4th when the ref stopped it.
I say Jake LaMotta is the toughest because he took bad punishment to win his fights especially the Lauraunt Dauthille fight were Dauthille beat him up for 14 rounds until 30 secs before the bell of the final round LaMotta knocked him out.

This is true, LaMotta only threw one fight aginst Billy Fox on 14th November 1947. A quote from Lamotta is as follows:

"The first round, a couple of belts to his head, and I see a glassy look coming over his eyes. Jesus Christ, a couple of jabs and he's going to fall down? I began to panic a little. I was supposed to be throwing a fight to this guy, and it looked like I was going to end up holding him on his feet ... By the fourth round, if there was anybody in the Garden who didn't know what was happening, he must have been dead drunk."

In LaMotta's defence his hands were pretty much tied. If he wanted a title fight it was looking like this was the only way to get it. Boxing was much more corrupt then, with the Mafia at it's peak.

Jake LaMotta for toughest fighter in my opinion, I don't claim to have seen every boxer but this guy was like a train.

[Nicky Gambino]

Calzaghefffffffff

Calzaghe? Based on what?

[BattlingNelson]

Battling Nelson. He had the doctors words for being inhuman and couldn't feel pain.

From a biography:

"Despite his condition, Gans had punished Nelson severely in their three bouts. Yet he admitted that while "I hit him blows with which I have knocked out many heavier men ... they had no effect other than to snap Bat's head back. He is simply impervious to punishment." Bat himself liked to gloat, "I ain't human." Doctors who examined him seemed to agree. They were amazed by his "quiet" nervous system, his abnormally low heart beat, his phenomenal recuperative powers."

Yes on a good chin & only being knocked down once La motta would be right up there maybe the toughest took some shots off Ray Robinson & a fighter who was very tough was George Chuvalo went in with a lot of the golden era heavies likes of Ali etc but a lightweight is the toughest Battling Nelson.

Battling Nelson also Gets my Vote

Here is an excerpt of the fightreport from the bloodiest LW titlefight ever. The 1910 fight between Battling Nelson (champ) and Ad Wolgast (challenger). It's from The Post Standard. February 23. 1910 and it's a good read:

"Battling Nelson is no longer champion, but the extent of his powers of endurance is still a thing to be guessed at. His fight with Ad Wolgast at Richmond to-day was stopped by Eddie .Smith in the fortieth round at a time 'when Nelson stood upright on his feet. But the referee acted wisely, for in one or two of the rounds before the last Nelson leaned across the ropes in a manner that suggested impending collapse.

His face was punched out of a semblance to a human countenance and great strawberry blotches around his stomach and hips bore testimony to the merciless battering of Wolgast's fists.

Nelson was too feeble to fight on with any hopes of success. Wolgast's eyes were snappy while Nelson's were lusterless. The Dane had lost all sense of distance and direction and could only fling out his arms in a feeble way.

"Telegraphs" Blows,

He "telegraphed" his blows, as the rail "birds of the prize ring say, so that even if he had retained the power to hurt, his intentions were so palpable that his opponent had ample time in which to escape.- The champion was only a punching bag for Wolgast. and to have allowed the thing to continue would have been to incur the risk of fatality.

It could be seen in several rounds before the finish that the referee was on uneasy street, He eyed Nelson closely, especially whenever the man from Hegewisch arose from his leaning positions across the

ropes,, -At the end of the thirty-ninth, which was a particularly severe one for Nelson, Smith took the champion by the elbow and led him to his corner.


There he told both Nelson and those who were handling' him that it looked as though all hope was lost and that the champion had better give up. Nelson shook his head in a -weary, yet determined way, and said:
"Never, never, never." "I'll give you one more chance, Bat, and you' must show me something in this coming round," said Smith, decisively, shaking his forefinger at the bady bruised ring-man huddled In his corner. "If you don't do any better, I'll stop the fight,"

When the gong1 signaled the start o£ the fortieth round Nelson stalked in a heavy footed way toward- Wolgast and began hooking and swinging aimlessly. He was so weak that he disturbed his own balance whenever he lashed out, and Wolgast chuckled as he noted how easy it was to avoid the fast fading world beater.

When Wolgast stepped in. briskly and began to batter his feeble opponent on face and body the wonder was that Nelson did not topple.- Although scarcely able to, raise an arm, the durable Dane stood as straight as "Files on parade," even while Wolgast smashed him full sore on the face.

Dane's Spirit Unbroken.


After Wolgast had driven two extra heavy right handers against Nelson's badly puffed lips Smith jumped quickly between the men and brought it to an end right then and there. He grasped Wolgast's blood- soaked glove and raised it aloft, the orthodox pugilistic way of declaring a winner.

Nelson was loath to quit. He laid his hand on Wolgast's shoulder to attract his opponent's attention, and then raised his hands feebly to the fighting position. It was an invitation to continue and the terribly battered lightweight meant it. Wolgast only grinned and drew away from -the man he had fairly beaten, and then Nelson's seconds interfered."

[MarkScott]

Joe Grimm
Battling Nelson

[SouthPawHitman]

I'd say Jake LaMotta

[billeau2]

laMotta was no dope...he slipped a lot more punches than people think and bravo for doing so! They sure don't come any tougher than in the South bronx...cept in certain parts of Denmark and Helsiniki or so I am told. Just kidding about helsinki...I don't think there is a toughest man, there were some very tough fighters for sure

[ragin]

Tough does not mean the ability to take a punch. Toughness...throw out the dictionary means how you act and react. I love the guys who prey caution to the wind. Never cautious. Realize their weaknesses yet have more balls than us writing to stand in the ring. I hate Leonard. But Jesus did he answere the bell. Hearns reminds me of a gunfighter from then west. Hagler. Cooper.no bs. Just bringing their game. Overall.. It has to be duran 1970's. I am not able to dissect the older guys but Duran of that era is certainly a skilled , gifted boxer that symbolizes the definition of tough. I cannot wait for the bully comments liking him to Tyson and the second Leonard fight....peace. Thanks for the feedback.

[Anthony342]

Tim Bradley seems tough, guy has a pretty good beard as well. Guys like Hagler, LaMotta, Duran, Dempsey, Tyson are guys I think of when I hear the word "fighter."

[billeau2]

Tough does not mean the ability to take a punch. Toughness...throw out the dictionary means how you act and react. I love the guys who prey caution to the wind. Never cautious. Realize their weaknesses yet have more balls than us writing to stand in the ring. I hate Leonard. But Jesus did he answere the bell. Hearns reminds me of a gunfighter from then west. Hagler. Cooper.no bs. Just bringing their game. Overall.. It has to be duran 1970's. I am not able to dissect the older guys but Duran of that era is certainly a skilled , gifted boxer that symbolizes the definition of tough. I cannot wait for the bully comments liking him to Tyson and the second Leonard fight....peace. Thanks for the feedback.

Tough according to your definition which is a good one would make Gene Tunney definitely an entree to that list.

[Weltschmerz]

Who is the toughest fighter of all-time?

I would have to say Lamotta but then again i am a bit partial to him so i would like to know what you guys think

Paulie Malignaggi or Rod Salka.