Great fighters with bad chins

[Controversial]

I'm talking about world champions who were either hall of famers, all time greats or fighters generally considered world class fighters. Out of these which were generally thought to be chinny, glassed jawed or particularly vulnerable to a big punch?

[Goodnight, Irene]

World-class --- Terry Norris.

[dr_devious]

Tommy Hearns springs to mind, as does Roy Jones later in his career

[SaadOffTheDeck]

Tommy Hearns springs to mind

Get him out of there

[Andypittcov]

Nigel Benn

[orbtastic]

Floyd Patterson, I believe he holds the record for knockdowns scored against him in heavyweight world title fights?

At domestic level, Errol Christie and Paul Ryan.

[King Carlos]

Gomez was tough, but he didn't have a very good chin. He got rocked 3 times (and dropped) in the first 3 rounds against Yum, who was no kind of puncher. The rest of that fight was about as skillful a dismantling as you're ever gonna see, though.

[beaujack]

I'm talking about world champions who were either hall of famers, all time greats or fighters generally considered world class fighters. Out of these which were generally thought to be chinny, glassed jawed or particularly vulnerable to a big punch?

One of the very best lightweight clasic boxers ever was a fellow named Tippy Larkin. As beautiful a boxer who ever lived. No hyperbole. I saw him several times at MSG in the 1940s. He was so good a boxer he won about every round outboxing the great stylist Billy Graham in 1947. Tippy won just about every round...But sad to say Larkin had a "glass jaw ",who only lost by ko to such bangers as Lew Jenkins, Al Bummy Davis, Henry Armstrong , Beau Jack...Were it not for his weak chin, Tippy seldom was decisioned in over 100 bouts...

[misterpunch]

nigel benn? bad chin? naaahh

[AngryGoon38]

Ken Norton ?

[King Carlos]

Hilario Zapata didn't have much of a chin. Hell, he didn't even have much fighting heart, but his otherwordly defensive skills mostly saw him past those handicaps.

[Goodnight, Irene]

Ken Norton ?

Wouldnt call him great, quite.

Lennox Lewis is a better shout.

[Goodnight, Irene]

Im not calling it crystal like some do, but it was definitely below-average, to whatever degree...

[Goodnight, Irene]

Mercer was never really a puncher, though?

What McCall, Briggs and Rahman did to him, I find pretty damning.

[dempseyfire]

Ken Norton ?

Wouldnt call him great, quite.

Lennox Lewis is a better shout.

Neither had glass chins . . their chin weaknesses are greatly exaggerated. Lewis took some big flush punches from Mercer, Bruno and Briggs and never went down. Norton also took some big leather from respectable punchers and only lost to monster hitters, mostly when he was past his best (I never understood how losing by early KO to Shavers and Foreman, two of the biggest hitters in HW history, equated to a glass jaw).

[Goodnight, Irene]

To an extent, I get the defence of Norton (though he did freeze up with big hitters, even Futch conceded it).

Lewis, though, if his jaw wasnt glass, it was at least close. As I said, Mercer isnt this puncher hes often made out to be, and Briggs hurt him BAD. I could be wrong, but I think Bruno had him in trouble too, didnt he? Lewis' chin was clearly suspect.

[Goodnight, Irene]

Mercer was never really a puncher, though?

What McCall, Briggs and Rahman did to him, I find pretty damning.

I'd say he was.

I think hes quite over-rated in that dept. because of the Morrison KO. Not to mention punching dramatically up or downward at a target (as Mercer had to vs Lewis) robs you of a good deal of your power.

[elmersalsa]

Glass Jaws:
Tiger Flowers
Lennox Lewis
Thomas Hearns
Bob Foster
Terry Norris
Julian Jackson
Bob Satterfield
Nino Valdez

[loaded_gloves]

Bob Foster was pretty durable in his own weight class. It was at heavy where he was overwhelmed.

[loaded_gloves]

Jack Dempsey

Based on.....?

[loaded_gloves]

It would take too much time to educate you, and it would be a waste of time anyway.

In boxing class you would be twiddling your thumbs in remedial. Pointless.

[raylawpc]

delete

[raylawpc]

Jack Dempsey

Based on.....?

Dempsey was down nine times in the first round against a bum-level fighter, and several times against other people.

I actually posted that in jest, for all the people on here that seem to think Dempsey is seated at the right-hand of God right now. I would never say he had a bad chin, but he didn't have a great one either.

Dempsey is not seated at the right hand of God . . . Marciano is.

[dr_devious]

Tommy Hearns springs to mind

Get him out of there

Hearn's chin was his weak point Saad, B- at best. The rest of his game was A++

[Goodnight, Irene]

Based on.....?

Dempsey was down nine times in the first round against a bum-level fighter, and several times against other people.

I actually posted that in jest, for all the people on here that seem to think Dempsey is seated at the right-hand of God right now. I would never say he had a bad chin, but he didn't have a great one either.

Dempsey is not seated at the right hand of God . . . Marciano is.

Man, that wouldve made for one mean fight.

Dempsey does almost everything better and Id clearly favour him, but the style clash enhances Marciano's chances, and his right hand is another potential equaliser.