Who has/had the Complete Skill Set?

[Hawkins]

If you count clinching, elbows and forearms as in-fighting, then yes, you can add Floyd to that list.

It's my opinion that, after the first Castillo fight, Floyd upped his inside fighting game to the point that he outworked some very good fighters. His infighting skills were on point against Hatton.

[GhostofDempsey]

It's my opinion that, after the first Castillo fight, Floyd upped his inside fighting game to the point that he outworked some very good fighters. His infighting skills were on point against Hatton.

Hatton? Joe Cortez never allowed Hatton to get on the inside, so I'm not sure how Floyd's infighting is showcased during that fight. Hatton was also smaller and not exactly world class.

[Hawkins]

Hatton? Joe Cortez never allowed Hatton to get on the inside, so I'm not sure how Floyd's infighting is showcased during that fight. Hatton was also smaller and not exactly world class.

Hatton wasn't a bum and he was a very good, very game fighter. Personally, I thought Floyd got the better of him on the inside. Although Cortez was constantly running in and breaking the clinch.

[Anthony342]

Isn't inside fighting considered a lost at these days? I'd say Mayweather too, but main pick is Robinson.

[The Old LefHook]

Hah! Hah! my ducks! Power one cannot use because of brittle hands does not score points in a poll of this type, it loses points, for it denotes poor Durability in that particular.

[Reyes101]

Very interesting. Of course that has to include the category of ring generalship, too.

I believe I know the answer to the Has part of the question--I would say Mikey Garcia--but the Had part is a question of the all time greats.

The skill set must include at least:

1 Ring generalship
2 Punching power
3 All Aspects of Defense
4 Discipline
5 Consistency
6 Durability and Stamina
7 Footwork
8 In-Fighting
9 Adaptability
10 Chin

Who had the deepest Medicine Bag of boxing knowledge to resort to when the going got tough?

Allow me, please, to list a few fighters I would consider contenders for this honorable distinction.

Archie Moore
Gene Tunney
Ray Robinson

We could list many more serious contenders, but I will not.

Now if it were true that boxing technique has advanced beyond the old ways, as some argue, it would not do to have any old timer on the list. Count me among those, evidently, who believe that all this talk of the evolutionary advancement of boxing technique during--say--the last half century, is faddish thinking. Others would argue that it is the training techniques themselves which have out-advanced the old ways, and in areas like nutrition, etc. I won't touch that. This is just about technique and who had the widest and deepest skill set of all.

Honestly, the single true advancement I can think of is Cus's peek-a-boo style. No doubt other boxers before that had employed similar techniques, but Cus formalized it into a system. To use a musical analogy, that would at least make Cus the equivalent of the first guy who formalized the study and technique of banjo rolls on a guitar, or the first guy to simulate pedal steel guitar sounds on the six string electric guitar. Cus seems to have made an actual advancement.

I do not defy people to name another true advancement, but I believe they are extremely rare nowadays.

Give it a try, lads. It is a hard question. For any of you to whom the answer comes immediately and automatically, you should meditate in that case on who you think had the second deepest medicine bag of all time, and report it.

I believe the Gibbons brothers knew about all there is to know about boxing. Neither one of them had a punch, however, so apparently they had not perfected that part of their technical arsenal to the point where they employed it in battle.

Mike McCollum. One of the greatest of all time.

I'm taking Mike over hagler,hearns,ray,and Duran any day.

[Anthony342]

It's McCallum.

[Reyes101]

It's McCallum.

Did you really just correct for replacing the "a" with an "o" in Mike's name lol?!

It was a typo from cellphone keyboard, We all knew who I was referring to professor Anthony,didn't know I was in spelling and grammar class.jk

[ShoulderRoll]

If you count clinching, elbows and forearms as in-fighting, then yes, you can add Floyd to that list.

I count fighting in the pocket as in-fighting.

[Anthony342]

Did you really just correct for replacing the "a" with an "o" in Mike's name lol?!

It was a typo from cellphone keyboard, We all knew who I was referring to professor Anthony,didn't know I was in spelling and grammar class.jk

Well now you know and knowing is half the battle. Yo Joe!