who were the best Defensive Fighters of All Time (and what style did they use) ?

[Caractacus]

that use to be an old term (pre 1960's)for a boxer who was able to defend himself with very little movement other then
slightly moving the upper body by slipping punches by inches.
They didn't even have to learn the technique in Chicago.
There could never even had been to the city of Chicago and still be a great "Chicago Fighter".

[Expug]

Well, I’m not sure where that originated, but it’s interesting. Are you referring to guys like Pep and Nicolino Loche? I wish I would’ve learned some of those Chicago fighter techniques.

[Caractacus]

yeah, having in-coming punches just miss you by just a mere inch or so by only moving your upper body at the last moment.
it sounds a familiar technique tho to one of the more recent boxers..

[Caractacus]

I just remembered reading where I came across the term a "Classic Chicago Fighter"
it was in Lou Duva's 2006 autobiography.
he referred to Joey Giardello as a 'classic Chicago Fighter"
even tho Joey Giardello was born in Brooklyn and raised in South Philadelphia.
Lou Duva (from Paterson New Jersey)had trained him in the later part of his career.

[goose 5]

Georgie Benton had that style. Pep moved around a lot.

[evrenb]

Johnny Bratton

[Caractacus]

what about Jack Johnson ?He fought out of Chicago.

[Expug]

Well if it’s who’s the best Chicago fighter I’d say Barney Ross. If you mean a certain style that you describe, maybe Pernell Whitaker.

[Caractacus]

According to Lou Duva a 'Classic Chicago Fighter" was a boxer who just used moving their upper body
for defense by moving at the last moment to avoid an incoming punch.

[Caractacus]

[Caractacus]

the welterweight champion- Jackie Fields was from Chicago.

https://boxrec.com/en/box-pro/12314

[Caractacus]

There were two famous boxing gyms in Chicago back in the 1920's.
Kd Howards gym on the West side and Mullen's gym (in the loop)Mullen's gym was purchased in 1930 by Trafton
and became Trafton's gym.(Jack Blackburn started training Joe Louis there in June 1934)
Maybe one or both of those is were the classic"Chicago style" was taught (?)

[Expug]

There was the iconic Johnny Coulons gym back then. Historic spot. Johnny was a possible originator of the style Id guess. He is a legend here also

[Caractacus]

yeah, (I had to look this up)
Johnny Coulon was the former Batamweight champion
from 1907 to 1914.
His gym which he had operated for 50 years
was on the 3rd floor of a building on 63rd street on the South side of Chicago.
Coulon only stood 4 ft 11 and 3/4 inches tall and weighed 108 ibs (till the day he died)
he had trained fighters like Tony Zale, Barney Ross and others such as Rocky Graziano when he was in Chicago.
He was most famous as being the fighter that 'No one could lift"
Jack Johnson,Jack Dempsey, Gene Tunney, Primo Carnera,Max Baer ,Joe Louis and others tried it.

[Caractacus]

[Expug]

Coulon was famous for the trick. He’d press against a nerve in the neck. Couldn’t be lifted.
Eddie Perkins was a terrific Chicago fighter who fought the “ Chicago style “.

[Caractacus]

Johnny Coulon was a great defensive fighter
(particularly 'picking off punches, in fact one of his nick-manes was "The Cherry-Picker)
another great old tyme fighter from Chicago was the Bantamweight Champion Jimmy Barry.
(Johnny Coulon himself thought that Jimmy Barry was one of the greatest of all time)

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jimmy_Barry

[Caractacus]

Willie Pastrano was a "New Orleans " style fighter and a mover
( but interestingly enough that is also where Johnny Coulon came up to Chicago from)

[goose 5]

In some photos-like the one with Ali- Pastrano resembled Roberto Duran. Great link, thanks for it.

[Caractacus]

Thought in some of those photos that Pastrano looked a bit like Hector"Macho' Comacho.

[Caractacus]

actually Lou Duva had written in his book that not only was Joey Giardello a classic "Chicago Style" fighter,
but that he was also of course a classic "Philly Fighter" combined.

[Expug]

I’m curious where Duva came up with this. Like I mentioned, I’ve never heard it until this thread. Been around a lot of Chicago fighters , trainers, gyms , fight cards, etc. since the mid 70s. Maybe the description kind of died out.

[Caractacus]

Lou Duva was 94 years old when the book was published.
actually I think Dave Anderson's chapter on him in his 1991 book IN THIS CORNER,
one got a better feeling on how Lou Duva worked and his career.

[Caractacus]

Freddie Welsh was known as a great 'defensive fighter"
( BTW I had read that Spider Kelly had been one of Freddie Welsh's trainers when he came to America,
perhaps the road leads to Chicago at some point)

[Caractacus]

Jack Dempsey had said that Tommy Gibbons was the best defensive fighters that he had ever fought.
-1923-

-1925-