Overrated defensive fighters

[kendom]

We've all read the threads that ask us to name the best defensive fighters of all time, and I feel that they've been done to death, a more interesting question to me is, who are some fighters that get a huge rep defensively who you feel their defense was overrated, who gets put in the top echelon of defense that you dont feel warrants it?


Shoot

[The Old LefHook]

We've all read the threads that ask us to name the best defensive fighters of all time, and I feel that they've been done to death, a more interesting question to me is, who are some fighters that get a huge rep defensively who you feel their defense was overrated, who gets put in the top echelon of defense that you dont feel warrants it?


Shoot

The public is often misled by boxers with an abundance of fast twitch fibers, erroneously equating their outstanding athleticism for a solid defense in boxing.

Jones, Ali and Leonard come to mind as three superior fighters who did not have a traditional skill set to fall back on once they were abandoned by their superhuman reflexes. Their defenses were indeed superior while they were at the peaks of their athleticism, but were rather poor and not deep once they were forced to operate at human speed.

MW fights with more quality as a thity-eight year old than the other three did, because he has a deep traditional skill set at his disposal.

Those like the three above are overrated as defenders, even though they were some of the greatest defenders ever in their primes.

[kendom]

The public is often misled by boxers with an abundance of fast twitch fibers, erroneously equating their outstanding athleticism for a solid defense in boxing.

Jones, Ali and Leonard come to mind as three superior fighters who did not have a traditional skill set to fall back on once they were abandoned by their superhuman reflexes. Their defenses were indeed superior while they were at the peaks of their athleticism, but were rather poor and not deep once they were forced to operate at human speed.

MW fights with more quality as a thity-eight year old than the other three did, because he has a deep traditional skill set at his disposal.

Those like the three above are overrated as defenders, even though they were some of the greatest defenders ever in their primes.

But surely defense is about not getting hit, the methods by which you achieve this surely shouldnt matter as long as its successful. I mean defense even if you do have a traditional skill set to fall back on is still very dependent on athleticism, footwork, headmovement, etc Mayweather is still very athletic for a 38 year old, how many of the great defensive fighters of the past were able to have Mayweathers longevity? I think it can be argued that Mayweathers longevity is as much as due to the state of modern boxing and the relatively fewer fights etc that allows boxers to stay at the top much longer, I mean Pacquiao is 36 and hes still one of the best fighters in the world even though he has an aggressive style, at 36 a fighter of Pacquiao's style was supposed to be done.

[joseph5620]

We've all read the threads that ask us to name the best defensive fighters of all time, and I feel that they've been done to death, a more interesting question to me is, who are some fighters that get a huge rep defensively who you feel their defense was overrated, who gets put in the top echelon of defense that you dont feel warrants it?


Shoot

Mike Tyson apparently lol.

[joseph5620]

Also, Julio Cesar Chavez. At least on this site.

[juggernaut666]

Obviously Ali ...he was hit often and frequently...anyone can see Tyson had flawless defense thru footage as proof even scott..... oops I mean joseph who ran off the other vid when somebody showed video evidence of his skills on defense.....

[jiopsi]

The public is often misled by boxers with an abundance of fast twitch fibers, erroneously equating their outstanding athleticism for a solid defense in boxing.

Jones, Ali and Leonard come to mind as three superior fighters who did not have a traditional skill set to fall back on once they were abandoned by their superhuman reflexes. Their defenses were indeed superior while they were at the peaks of their athleticism, but were rather poor and not deep once they were forced to operate at human speed.

MW fights with more quality as a thity-eight year old than the other three did, because he has a deep traditional skill set at his disposal.

Those like the three above are overrated as defenders, even though they were some of the greatest defenders ever in their primes.

I agree, and there's this misconception related to Ali constantly, that he didn't get hit, when the fact is that he's probably the most hit heavyweight atg of all. I would love to see the punch count.

[juggernaut666]

We've all read the threads that ask us to name the best defensive fighters of all time, and I feel that they've been done to death, a more interesting question to me is, who are some fighters that get a huge rep defensively who you feel their defense was overrated, who gets put in the top echelon of defense that you dont feel warrants it?


Shoot

You did good with the first two ,however i dont think anyone thinks defense when Foreman is mentioned ,Holyfield did become defensively better after the Bowe fights and Tyson shouldn't even be near that list he had the greatest defense ever in HW history anyone ever seen in the 80's.The top 3 would be
Ali
Louis
Frazier

What people are looking at is beyond me.

[kendom]

Mike Tyson apparently lol.

LOL looks like there some leftovers of a debate in the other thread here

[billeau2]

LOL looks like there some leftovers of a debate in the other thread here

Thats all we ever get now a days.

Defensive skill is one of those things that gets exposed eventually when it is lacking. I hold a minority opinion that when Jones got Tarvered it was not so much that Jones had declined. Tarver was not put off by Jones, he stood his ground and went after Jones. So in this respect one might argue Jones was overrated defensively. Everyone previous to Tarver was so afraid of getting hit while Tarver didn't really care.

Then we have Pee wee's lapse against Roger Mayweather. While the Pee wasn't exposed and certainly was not overrated, it did show that Whitaker could be gotten to!

Ine can also argue that the true test of a defensive wizard is dealing with a legitimate b@lls to the wall pressure fighter. Mayweather had problems when he fought Castillo and proved very ordinary against Madianna and even Cotto for that matter.