Who was the best defensive fighter?

Some great defensive Boxers are:

Pep, Sweet Pea, Floyd Jr, Miguel Canto, Wilfredo Benitez, Nicholino Locche.

I don't know who the greatest is, hard to judge when I haven't watched many of Pep's fights.

In the last 3 decades though I would say Sweet Pea probably has the edge followed by Floyd Jr.
 
How to not get hit in boxing
By BEN COHEN


Boxing is called the sweet science for a reason
 
Mike Tyson, at his best when his head was still in the game, was one of best defensive fighters of all time ranking up there with Willie Pep and Sweet Pea Pernell Whitaker. Tyson's defensive style was more Sweet Pea than Willie Pep but Tyson's best was very short especially after he gave up his defensive style therefore he's not in the same conversation as Willie Pep or Pernell Whitaker.

Willie Pep had such great defense mainly due to footwork.

Pernell Whitaker had superb defense due to having the best upper body movement in boxing history.

PBF is great too but PBF doesn't slip punches as much but he uses his shoulder/body/gloves to block punches.

RJJ was also great. One person that is usually ignored is James Toney. He was a great defensive fighter too, especially in the early to middle part of his career.
 
I wouldn't call him the best, But I'd like to throw Winky Wright some props.
 
Nicolino Locche - The Untouchable

[YT]3LEKHMUCh8k[/YT]

Really worth a look, fellas...


And of course Willie Pep.

Chris Byrd deserves a a mention.


.
 
Loche i'd never seen thanks. I don't know what to do with Roy Jones but anyone who can go 16 years with the chin of a baby should be mentioned. But for what we look for in defensive fighters, upper body movement, neck turning, parrying etc.., I'd say Pep, whitaker, Benitez, Ali in the 60's, they say Jack Johnson. Ali, as a heavyweight was incredible in the 60's, and with that chin we learned he didn't even have to rely on the movement to win. The tragedy is that all the fighters who imitated him use the style to NOT be a warrior (Jones, Mayweather etc..,). Benitez was wonderful too, Sugar Ray Leonard was asked by his attorney to retire after that fight seeing the knots that Benitez put him in. I think it was a mentally difficult fight but his attorney actually said that it was his most physically punishing fight. Ironic thing is, the defensive wizards have ended up being poster boys for the brutality of boxing, Benitez has a brain condition as does ali, i've heard whitaker slurring but that could be the crack addiction he had.
 
Oh yeah, and tyson was phenomenal as a young fighter, someone that short who could do what he wanted to to giants deserves his credit. The only problem with that particular style was as Ali said privately "if you time it right you can hit him".
 
How come Hopkins never gets metion in this catorgray. I have never seen him beat up in a fight, I seen him lose but never beat up.
 
TheRatman said:
How come Hopkins never gets metion in this catorgray. I have never seen him beat up in a fight, I seen him lose but never beat up.
Click to expand...

I think its cause a lot of people don't like him and consider him a "dirty" fighter
 
Willie Pep and Nicolino Locche > all.
Harry Greb and Jim Corbett deserve special mention just because they were both supposedly damn near impossible to hit in the head.
 
Sugar Ray Robinson went 40 fights before he lost. He only went on to win 160 more. Im sure his defense had something to do with it.
 
GreenLantern141 said:
Sugar Ray Robinson went 40 fights before he lost. He only went on to win 160 more. Im sure his defense had something to do with it.
Click to expand...

He had good ring control, but he wasn't no Willie Pep defensively. LaMotta knocked him out of the fucking ring, for God's sake. If you watch any of his fights, he eats jabs like Marciano. He was great for a lot of reasons, and he did have GOOD defense, but you can't rate him with the defensive greats.
 
GreenLantern141 said:
Sugar Ray Robinson went 40 fights before he lost. He only went on to win 160 more. Im sure his defense had something to do with it.
Click to expand...

Ray took punches, he was a warrior and didn't mind it. Also, if you notice, the defensive wizards almost always are not big punchers, they have to develop those skills because you can't fight killers by slapping them and think you'll make it through unscathed.
 
For a guy known for not getting hit much, Pernell Whitaker talks like a guy that has been hit in the head quite a bit.

Which I think should spark a debate about evasion vs blocking.
 
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