Poll: Your Best Technical (Pure) Boxer Ever

[Mr Mitts]

Maybe your guy is not even on my list of candidates, but there is a good chance. If he is not, please reveal him. The candidates are in no meaningful order, as in randomized. Maybe you think the list needs some changes. All right by me, but I doubt if they allow that when you can't even edit a title you screwed up on.

Pure, technical? You probably get the picture but it can be discussed further. To me there is a lot of deep schooling involved, and usually a lot of defensive genius. Some guys are so good at defense they are fun to watch. Not many, for me at least.

[IronDanHamza]

I'll throw Harold Johnson's name in there.

[Mr Mitts]

I'll throw Harold Johnson's name in there.

Consider him in but invisible as only 10 places are allowed visible in the poll. If anyone believes he was the best of the breed they can write it in a post.

[Bronson66]

Maybe your guy is not even on my list of candidates, but there is a good chance. If he is not, please reveal him. The candidates are in no meaningful order, as in randomized. Maybe you think the list needs some changes. All right by me, but I doubt if they allow that when you can't even edit a title you screwed up on.

Pure, technical? You probably get the picture but it can be discussed further. To me there is a lot of deep schooling involved, and usually a lot of defensive genius. Some guys are so good at defense they are fun to watch. Not many, for me at least.

We are of necessity going largely on hearsay, and anecdotal evidence in some cases,but I'll pick Pep,marginally over Leonard who was probably a more complete fighter having both great defence and offence.

The greatest defensive boxer of more recent times may have been Benitez,"El Radar"imo.

Going back, even for me, a few names come to mind.
Driscoll
Attell
Gans
Mandell
It's said Young Griffo was unhittable but really its an unquantifiable question,an entertaining one though.

[Mr Mitts]

We are of necessity going largely on hearsay, and anecdotal evidence in some cases,but I'll pick Pep,marginally over Leonard who was probably a more complete fighter having both great defence and offence.

The greatest defensive boxer of more recent times may have been Benitez,"El Radar"imo.

Going back, even for me, a few names come to mind.
Driscoll
Attell
Gans
Mandell
It's said Young Griffo was unhittable but really its an unquantifiable question,an entertaining one though.

I am familiar with all those names, but not very. I read about Gans's stomp jab somewhere a long time ago. Easily a first table HOFer, though beaten by a teen aged Langford at some point in his career (maybe late) it has not affected his reputation. That is about what I know--a piece of his reputation.

I only put one guy in there I should probably have left out--Corbett. He is in the category you described--unknowable. I like to have seen enough of a fighter so I am not making a pure guess out of nothing..

There was once an Aussie fighter with such freakishly long arms he would make Langford look like Marciano. That would not be young Griffo, would it?

[Marchegiano]

I am familiar with all those names, but not very. I read about Gans's stomp jab somewhere a long time ago. Easily a first table HOFer, though beaten by a teen aged Langford at some point in his career (maybe late) it has not affected his reputation. That is about what I know--a piece of his reputation.

I only put one guy in there I should probably have left out--Corbett. He is in the category you described--unknowable. I like to have seen enough of a fighter so I am not making a pure guess out of nothing..

There was once an Aussie fighter with such freakishly long arms he would make Langford look like Marciano. That would not be young Griffo, would it?

Y'all got reading comprehension issues or some such? What is unknowable?

[Mr Mitts]

This is my poll but even I am having trouble. It seems pretty close and maybe to some degree a matter of taste. I probably need to review a few more tapes before I cast a vote. I will get there.

[Bronson66]

Y'all got reading comprehension issues or some such? What is unknowable?

At the risk of having one of my phrases put under a pedantic microscope again,I'd say unknowable is anything that cannot be proven

[Bronson66]

I am familiar with all those names, but not very. I read about Gans's stomp jab somewhere a long time ago. Easily a first table HOFer, though beaten by a teen aged Langford at some point in his career (maybe late) it has not affected his reputation. That is about what I know--a piece of his reputation.

I only put one guy in there I should probably have left out--Corbett. He is in the category you described--unknowable. I like to have seen enough of a fighter so I am not making a pure guess out of nothing..

There was once an Aussie fighter with such freakishly long arms he would make Langford look like Marciano. That would not be young Griffo, would it?

Gans was supposed to have been a ring marvel and we have the testimony of Johnson.and Langford agreeing on that.
Benny Leonard, Gans only rival as a lightweight for many years said of him,if they have to go back to Joe to make a comparison with me ,I'm happy with that.
Langford could not claim the title from Gans as he was over the weight.
I don't know much at all about him,only that he is credited with sending a wire to his Mother after a fight saying,"I am bringing home the bacon." That he fought Battling Nelson whilst in the grip of TB , that his *** life was extraordinarily busy according to his manager,and that it drained him.
I also know he was small and slender,because I've stood next to his statue, and I'm only 5'8".

I'd put Tommy Loughran in before Corbett,but who really knows?
Griffo was 5'4"with 68" Reach.
I have relatively long arms for my shortness 72".

Thats Griffo below ,not me.
image.png

[Marchegiano]

At the risk of having one of my phrases put under a pedantic microscope again,I'd say unknowable is anything that cannot be proven

Just trying to figure out what makes Jim unknowable bro.


Corbett is not any more or less misrepresented by historians than any other figure from the same era is he?


Really all I'm after. If there's something Corbett specific that makes Corbett a little harder to know I'd like to know about that.