Classic"Chicago style "fighters and who were the best Defensive Fighters of All Time (pre-1985)?

[Caractacus]

Dave Shade, I remember he had trained at Kd Howard's boxing gym in Chicago the 1926,
and was the one Kd Howard had Barney Ross get in the ring and try and knock a cigar out of his mouth.

[Caractacus]

Featherweight champions Abe Attell and Johnny Kilbane were both legendary defensive boxers.
-1912-

[Caractacus]

Middleweight contender Mike Gibbons aka "The Phantom" (Tom Gibbons older brother)
-1915-

[Caractacus]

Mike McTigue-another great defensive boxer
-1923-

-1927-

[Caractacus]

Yong Stribling slipped punches very well too.

[keithmoonhangover]

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)

Did you ever hear Angelo's story about Willie drinking milk in training?

[Caractacus]

Lou Ambers was also said to have been a "Master of slipping punches".

[Caractacus]

and Willie Pep..... (perhaps) the best (?)

[Ambling Alp II]

The winning the round with without throwing a punch is a myth. Still he was one of the best defensive fighters of all time. He had both great both foot and head movement.

There probably were some guys who could have been great defensive fighters if they had chosen to be. However, they fought riskier. It's almost impossible to be a great defensive fighter and a great offensive fighter. i.e. a prime Ali.

[Caractacus]

-1977-

[Expug]

The winning the round with without throwing a punch is a myth. Still he was one of the best defensive fighters of all time. He had both great both foot and head movement.

There probably were some guys who could have been great defensive fighters if they had chosen to be. However, they fought riskier. It's almost impossible to be a great defensive fighter and a great offensive fighter. i.e. a prime Ali.

Very true. I think Matthew Saad Muhammad was one of those guys who had a nice boxing style. At some point though, he decided it was gonna be blood and thunder.

[Caractacus]

Is there any known film footage of Welterweight Champion Jack Britton ?
he had boxed professionly for 25 years.
I remember reading in Micky Walker's book that he just moved his head a fraction of an inch to avoid punches
(also a was a original trash talker in the ring too such as"That punch couldn't break an egg' type of stuff in the ring)

[Caractacus]

the Jack Britton vrs Mickey Walker welterweight title fight (November 1922) was never filmed.
However this story was reportedly based on it (published 1927)
Radio "Theater of the Mind",and the closest you can probably get to actually having been there.