Really, really love this series.
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Tim Witherspoon - Feb 2016
BEST SKILLS
Tony Tubbs:
He was elusive, smart and boxed really well. We went 15 rounds and I can honestly say that Tony was the best pure boxer I ever faced.
BEST JAB
Carl Williams:
Carl “The Truth?had a very hard jab and what a reach. He had boxed Larry (Holmes) and a lot of people thought he came close to beating him. Williams?jab was much harder to deal with than Larry’s, in my opinion.
BEST DEFENSE
Tubbs:
Of all the guys I fought, Tony Tubbs was the hardest to hit. You threw punches at him at him and he wasn’t there. He was very slick.
BEST CHIN
James “Bonecrusher?Smith:
In our first fight I hit him with absolutely everything and he stood up to it. From the first round to the final round he took my best and just looked at me.
BEST PUNCHER
Frank Bruno:
My defense was one of my best assets but Bruno hit me really hard early on. He had me stumbling and, although I stayed calm, there were people who thought I looked in serious trouble.
FASTEST HANDS
Tubbs:
Tony Tubbs had the quickest hands. I had so much respect for his fight game because he could do everything in the book. If he had kept his weight down, he could have had a much better career. Tony was scared of nobody and was very under rated.
FASTEST FEET
Tubbs:
I never looked at feet but if I had to pick someone it would be Tubbs. When we were boxing he was very nimble and even when I hurt him, he vanished the moment I followed up. He stepped around you really fast and was clever at buying time.
SMARTEST
Tubbs:
Tony was intelligent but he lacked strength and a big punch. Fans may expect me to say Larry Holmes, but he was lacking in key areas.
STRONGEST
Andrew Golota:
Golota was really strong but his game plan was ******. I wasn’t in shape and would have been in trouble if he’d put pressure on me but anytime I loaded up on the overhand right, he stepped backwards. I noticed that early so, when I needed breathing room, I would feint with the overhand and he backed off.
BEST OVERALL
Larry Holmes:
I’ll give him credit because of what he achieved, but Larry didn’t trouble me. He would just jab, throw the right hand and clinch. Larry never went to the body, he had no inside game and couldn’t slip a punch. In the ninth round, after I hurt him, it looked like he came firing back, but I was “rubbernecking?which means I slipped every bomb he threw. I was taught how to do that by a great trainer called “Slim?Jim Robinson. Larry was lucky to get the decision that night and he knew it. He did have amazing courage and a big heart but styles make fights.Comment
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Lots of respect for Tony Tubbs. Man, if he could've just kept his weight under control. Fast hands for a big fella. So many of these HW's from the 80's-90's had good skills but couldn't hold it together outside the ring. But the 80's was the era of drugs. Pinklon Thomas is from my hometown. I saw some things first hand how drugs destroyed him.Originally posted by Chrismart View Post
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Do yo guys remember that interview where Ward was telling the journalist that Kessler was the best he faced by far. Especially from a technical standpoint..SO did Froch. I wonder if Kessler was able to put on more muscle early in his career he would have had more knockouts.Comment
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Antonio Margarito - Feb 2016
BEST JAB
Paul Williams: Paul’s height and southpaw stance made it difficult for every fighter to figure him out, but his greatest weapon had to definitely be his jab.
BEST DEFENSE
Rodney Jones: I fought Rodney early in my career and lost. His defensive style made him successful early on in his career and difficult for me to figure out.
BEST CHIN
Joshua Clottey: Both Danny (Perez) and Joshua had granite chins. I remember landing big shots on both of them, but they just wouldn’t go away.
FASTEST HANDS
Manny Pacquiao: I tried countering and timing Manny but his hand speed made it difficult to do so.
FASTEST FEET
Shane Mosley: Shane could definitely move. He never allowed himself to be cornered.
SMARTEST
Miguel Cotto: No too many fighters go into a fight with a game plan and stick to it like Miguel.
STRONGEST
Clottey: Although I did not think Joshua had a strong punch, he had a strong body. I remember landing heavy punches, but Joshua would not even flinch. Each time I punched him it felt like hitting a solid wall.
BEST PUNCHER
Pacquiao: I have to say Manny’s punch was big for a small fighter.
BEST SKILLS
Cotto: Miguel was destined for success. With his amateur background, financial backing, and promotional support, Miguel had everything a fighter needs to make it easier for him to develop. You only grow as a fighter if your skills grow.
BEST OVERALL
Mosley: Shane had it all ?hand speed, footwork, punch, defense ?and he could take a punch.
*Thanks to about.thousandsComment
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Marcos Maidana - June 2016
BEST JAB
Floyd Mayweather Jr.: Although it was not damaging, Floyd’s jab keeps you at distance and gives himself the proper distance to throw the following punches.
BEST DEFENSE
Mayweather: You can barely land more than two consecutive punches on him. You can catch him in relatively solid fashion with the first, but he would adjust his body to soften the second and then he’s either gone or grabs you.
BEST CHIN
Mayweather and Erik Morales: These two guys had solid chins. I caught them with clean punches and they would never blink.
FASTEST HANDS
Amir Khan: He is just too fast with his hands and able to throw 4-5 punches out of the blue.
FASTEST FEET
Mayweather: The way his legs position him to either defend or to attack is just amazing.
SMARTEST
Mayweather: He just simply used (his intelligence) to do everything just right.
STRONGEST
Adrien Broner: I know people think I gave him the beating of his life but trust me, Adrien is really strong. The last round against him he came at me like a true warrior, asking for more and more.
BEST PUNCHER
Victor Ortiz: This is the hardest puncher I’ve faced. He didn’t drop me three times in our fight for nothing. Yet, I knocked him out.
BEST SKILLS
Mayweather and Morales: Although two totally different styles these guys really know how to box and to get away from dangerous situations to come back with their own arsenal.
BEST OVERALL
Mayweather: Simply the best of his time. Undoubtedly the best I’ve ever faced is Floyd Mayweather. Too smart, slick and also has a tough chin. I put a lot of pressure on him, especially in the first fight, and I guess it was such a close bout. In fact, I thought I had won the fight when the final bell rang. He was never able to do anything in that first encounter and I was the aggressor throughout. The rematch was different since he took the bike. And when Floyd does that there‘s not much you can do to catch him.Comment
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Lmfao
Maidana's description of Floyd in "best overall" is 10/10.
This got me thinking, what if Floyd from the 2nd Maidana fight fought Porter from the Thurman fight? With how Porter cuts off the ring I think we'd see Floyd full-on sprint in circles throwing an occasional left hook.Comment
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Are there anymore updates on this fine thread?
It should be stickied.Comment
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Buddy McGirt:
BEST JAB
Pat Coleman: It’s a pick between two guys: Saoul Mamby and Pat Coleman. Saoul Mamby, when he jabbed he had a sort of half open glove. It was just annoying, he could hit you from different angles because he had so much experience. Pat Coleman had that stinging jab; it was a jab you had to think about. You couldn’t just walk through it. I’m going to go with Pat Coleman.
BEST DEFENSE
Pernell Whitaker: Pernell had a natural ability and his natural ability, along with Georgie Benton’s teachings, just made him better and harder for everybody else to hit him. It’s very deceiving because he’d be right there one minute, and when you punched he didn’t go anywhere, he stays there. He just had this natural instinct of going with the punches and catching them.
BEST CHIN
Frankie Warren: When we fought the second time, I hit him with shots that would have knocked anybody else out. Some of the shots I hit him with I put my ass into. (Laughs) He wouldn’t go anywhere. Even though I knocked him down he was just in my ass constantly. I had nightmares about him for about two months after the fight!
FASTEST HANDS
Meldrick Taylor: He didn’t have the best defense but his hand speed was so fast that you thought you were surrounded! (Laughs)
FASTEST FEET
Whitaker: That’s an interesting question. Even though Frankie Warren was a pressure fighter his foot movement was really good, especially on the inside. He would get inside and give me different angles. He’d be right in your face, quick. His balance was perfect. Pernell didn’t move much, he’d stand in front of you and turn you around. From that southpaw stance he was phenomenal – he could turn you and slip, he could get under the shots and still be in the same place. His balance was great. He had it down to a tee.
SMARTEST
Saoul Mamby: He was very tricky. I hit him with a shot, a good right, I saw his legs buckle and I’m going in for the kill. I thought I’d be the first one to stop him. When I threw a right hand he slipped and hit me with a left hook to the liver. I’ve never in my life been hit like that to the liver. When we got into a clinch he told me “to slow (your) young ass down.” (Laughs)
STRONGEST
Warren: That’ll be tough. Frankie Warren and Vincent Releford. If I had to pick I’d go with Frankie Warren; he was short, he’s an ex-football player and was on me so much you felt you were fighting two people.
BEST PUNCHER
Vincent Releford: He could just punch. He could punch with both hands. He hit me with a bodyshot and I felt it in my nasal passage. He could punch. I didn’t go down. I went down against Tony Baltazar. For seven rounds I didn’t know where I was or who I was fighting. When I looked up it was Round 9 and I said to my manager, “How did we get to Round 9?” and he said, “Keep doing what you‘re doing.” And I said, “What’s that?” He said, “Keep boxing.” I won every round after I got knocked down but I don’t remember anything from the fight to this day.
BEST SKILLS
Whitaker: I’ve got to say Pernell. Meldrick could box but he was easy to hit. Pernell could box but he was hard to hit.
BEST OVERALL
Whitaker: Pernell, believe it or not, he was a helluva bodypuncher. I give credit where credit is due and he was the best.Comment
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Stories like this are fascinating, one of the reasons I love combat sports.Buddy McGirt:
BEST JAB
Pat Coleman: It’s a pick between two guys: Saoul Mamby and Pat Coleman. Saoul Mamby, when he jabbed he had a sort of half open glove. It was just annoying, he could hit you from different angles because he had so much experience. Pat Coleman had that stinging jab; it was a jab you had to think about. You couldn’t just walk through it. I’m going to go with Pat Coleman.
BEST DEFENSE
Pernell Whitaker: Pernell had a natural ability and his natural ability, along with Georgie Benton’s teachings, just made him better and harder for everybody else to hit him. It’s very deceiving because he’d be right there one minute, and when you punched he didn’t go anywhere, he stays there. He just had this natural instinct of going with the punches and catching them.
BEST CHIN
Frankie Warren: When we fought the second time, I hit him with shots that would have knocked anybody else out. Some of the shots I hit him with I put my ass into. (Laughs) He wouldn’t go anywhere. Even though I knocked him down he was just in my ass constantly. I had nightmares about him for about two months after the fight!
FASTEST HANDS
Meldrick Taylor: He didn’t have the best defense but his hand speed was so fast that you thought you were surrounded! (Laughs)
FASTEST FEET
Whitaker: That’s an interesting question. Even though Frankie Warren was a pressure fighter his foot movement was really good, especially on the inside. He would get inside and give me different angles. He’d be right in your face, quick. His balance was perfect. Pernell didn’t move much, he’d stand in front of you and turn you around. From that southpaw stance he was phenomenal – he could turn you and slip, he could get under the shots and still be in the same place. His balance was great. He had it down to a tee.
SMARTEST
Saoul Mamby: He was very tricky. I hit him with a shot, a good right, I saw his legs buckle and I’m going in for the kill. I thought I’d be the first one to stop him. When I threw a right hand he slipped and hit me with a left hook to the liver. I’ve never in my life been hit like that to the liver. When we got into a clinch he told me “to slow (your) young ass down.” (Laughs)
STRONGEST
Warren: That’ll be tough. Frankie Warren and Vincent Releford. If I had to pick I’d go with Frankie Warren; he was short, he’s an ex-football player and was on me so much you felt you were fighting two people.
BEST PUNCHER
Vincent Releford: He could just punch. He could punch with both hands. He hit me with a bodyshot and I felt it in my nasal passage. He could punch. I didn’t go down. I went down against Tony Baltazar. For seven rounds I didn’t know where I was or who I was fighting. When I looked up it was Round 9 and I said to my manager, “How did we get to Round 9?” and he said, “Keep doing what you‘re doing.” And I said, “What’s that?” He said, “Keep boxing.” I won every round after I got knocked down but I don’t remember anything from the fight to this day.
BEST SKILLS
Whitaker: I’ve got to say Pernell. Meldrick could box but he was easy to hit. Pernell could box but he was hard to hit.
BEST OVERALL
Whitaker: Pernell, believe it or not, he was a helluva bodypuncher. I give credit where credit is due and he was the best.Comment
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