Who was the most effectively skillful boxer ever?

[McGoorty]

Other than Sugar Ray Robinson?

I have to nominate Willie Pep, I have never seen anyone as brilliant as him, ever.

[BigStereotype]

Maybe the slickest fighter ever.. But, RJJ was the most skillful though oddly didn't have a great left jab..

Sort of a misconception. Roy had a killer left jab. He could spear you on it like a harpoon. He just eschewed it in favor of power punch flurries more often than not. If someone had pushed Roy in his prime to extremity, I suspect he would have fought almost exactly like Ray Robinson.

To answer the question, though, Ricardo Lopez is my answer. Double, triple hooks with either hand with laser accuracy and power. Great defense. Every punch in the book. Finito could fight, man. Mayweather, Whitaker or Ray Leonard would also be acceptable answers.

[NearHypnos]

I loved Pep as well. I remember being younger watching videos of him and thinking how brilliant he was even as one of the "old school" type fighters. There aren't many who ever made me think they were ahead of their time or seemed closest to modern boxers.

I loved how Wilfredo Benitez fought too. He seemed so well rounded like he could fight almost anyone in any era and give em more than just hell.

Ray Robinson is a gimme but as others say, Finito Lopez just embodied what you envision in the "classic" champion. The overall skill, power and aura of invincibility with that "textbook" like style is almost surreal. If you think of traditional boxing at it's best you cant go wrong with that image.

I loved Pernell but feel he was a little more slippery and unique. I loved James Toney as well. something about james toney just felt so organic watching him fight. The way he moved and counter...even while older. He was much quicker when in shape but the way he moved..not always fast or anything he just had great combat sense imo. Dude was a natural.

Mike Tyson also had this aura to him like him standing there with his hands up in that peekaboo. Impossible to forget the way he moved he just seemed like such a "boxer" when I was young. Like "Wow, i wish I could move like that" and this was while boxing as a younger kid in mexico. Where you want to be perfect like Finito and courageous and relentless like Chavez. To this day I love emulating Tyson

[fastjabs2015]

For technical correctness, how about Joe Louis? He was a walking text book on technique.

Also mentions for Whitaker, Mayweather as immediate stand outs of the modern era.

[The Old LefHook]

Other than Sugar Ray Robinson?

Rocky Marciano is your man. "Effectively skilled" is the key to your question. Rocky's techniques were mighty effective and pleasing at the same time. There is nothing more pleasing than a man being knocked cold.

Rocky faced his own murderer's row of savvy, black veterans, and put them all to sleep. He had no losses, no draws and a knockout ratio of almost 92%. It does not get any more effective than that, son.

[califo]

What about the Brown Bomber?

[Sugar Adam Ali]

I would say it would be any of the greats that didn't have ko power or high ko ratios..
If you can become great with below average punching power, I think it's a statement to how great your skill level was

[AlexKid]

Rocky Marciano is your man. "Effectively skilled" is the key to your question. Rocky's techniques were mighty effective and pleasing at the same time. There is nothing more pleasing than a man being knocked cold.

Rocky faced his own murderer's row of savvy, black veterans, and put them all to sleep. He had no losses, no draws and a knockout ratio of almost 92%. It does not get any more effective than that, son.

great post sir