BoxRec

What fighters, past or present, would you say were the hardest to outbox?

Marvin Hagler.

Thomas Hearns
Pernell Whittaker
Larry Holmes
JMM
Barrera

Mayweather.

Benitez
Sanchez
Lujan
Canto
Nunn

magwitch wrote:Mayweather.

Rexob wrote:

magwitch wrote:Mayweather.

Yes, I don't think we'll ever see him outwitted or out manoeuvred, Floyd is a master boxer.

Don Curry was a beautiful boxer, so well balanced and poised.

palooka wrote:

Rexob wrote:

magwitch wrote:Mayweather.

Yes, I don't think we'll ever see him outwitted or out manoeuvred, Floyd is a master boxer.

Don Curry was a beautiful boxer, so well balanced and poised.

Yes, Curry had a great looking style until Honeyghan dethroned him, Floyd is the "Sam Seed" of boxing.

Floyd is something of a Rubics Cube of boxing, only difference is people can actually figure that out. I've never seen Don Curry, know next to nothing about him, other than that for a time, he was lb 4 lb number one on the planet.

you could actually remove the prefix "out-" with Floyd and it would make just as much sense!

magwitch wrote:Floyd is something of a Rubics Cube of boxing, only difference is people can actually figure that out. I've never seen Don Curry, know next to nothing about him, other than that for a time, he was lb 4 lb number one on the planet.

What makes Floyd hard to figure out is that he can adapt mid-fight.

He's also not just a pure boxer/counter-puncher. He can also fight on the inside.

magwitch wrote:Floyd is something of a Rubics Cube of boxing, only difference is people can actually figure that out. I've never seen Don Curry, know next to nothing about him, other than that for a time, he was lb 4 lb number one on the planet.

Please, when you get the chance YouTube Curry v McCrory, Curry v Jones and Curry v Starling, either fight. He was a supreme aggressive counterpuncher.

A prime Winky Wright was an awkward mofo to outbox.

digzee wrote:A prime Winky Wright was an awkward mofo to outbox.

Especially against British boxers.

magwitch wrote:Mayweather.

And that's exacly why he deserves to be top 20 on my ATG list

In all honesty, i cannot see anyone in history out boxing him, certainly no one i have watched
I could name a few that would beat him but the tactics would never be to attempt to outbox floyd. You would have to put it on him and put it on him for 12 rounds or until you stopped him.

Rexob wrote:

digzee wrote:A prime Winky Wright was an awkward mofo to outbox.

Especially against British boxers.

Yep, he was one American who would travel anywhere.

davie wrote:

magwitch wrote:Mayweather.

And that's exacly why he deserves to be top 20 on my ATG list

In all honesty, i cannot see anyone in history out boxing him, certainly no one i have watched
I could name a few that would beat him but the tactics would never be to attempt to outbox floyd. You would have to put it on him and put it on him for 12 rounds or until you stopped him.

I wonder how Willie Pep would have dealt with Mayweather?

Rexob wrote:

davie wrote:

magwitch wrote:Mayweather.

And that's exacly why he deserves to be top 20 on my ATG list

In all honesty, i cannot see anyone in history out boxing him, certainly no one i have watched
I could name a few that would beat him but the tactics would never be to attempt to outbox floyd. You would have to put it on him and put it on him for 12 rounds or until you stopped him.

I wonder how Willie Pep would have dealt with Mayweather?

I recently watched a couple of his fights. Fabela Chaves and Sadler. A fantastic boxer no doubt but I picked up a bit of Prince Naseem about him. Not as flash, but his defensive style looked heavily dependent on head movement. As I watched him I found myself comparing him to Floyd
As impressive as his evasive skills were I couldn't help think Floyd would find the target.

It's always hard to make these comparisons when you have limited footage but I'd take Floyd

and that's before we get into the usual chat about improved fitness and conditioning in the modern era etc

For me, Floyd has perfected his art and beating him at his own game is not an option, you need to use an offensive and aggressive pressure strategy, physical strength and superior physical attributes to beat Floyd.
There a few I teckon could do it. Pep, from what I've seen wouldn't quite be there

Paul Williams

davie wrote: I recently watched a couple of his fights. Fabela Chaves and Sadler...It's always hard to make these
comparisons when you have limited footage.

which sadler fight? they fought 4 times for the title in 4 years. pep only won the second.
pep had a great trilogy with sal bartolo as well. it's amazing how often all the top guys
all fought each other back then. it's also hard to compare featherweights to lightweights
and welters, though. the game changes a lot skillswise as you move up.

Sam Soloman

Ali was hard to outbox. In his prime arguably nobody could outbox him. Frazier beat him - but didn't outbox him. Norton was awkward and that's how he got the better of Ali.

Redback Rasta wrote:Ali was hard to outbox. In his prime arguably nobody could outbox him. Frazier beat him - but didn't outbox him. Norton was awkward and that's how he got the better of Ali.

Kid Gavilan
Sandy Saddler
A prime Celestine Caballero was really awkward.
Lennox Lewis

For his time, I would say Gene Tunney. 65-1-1. Very smart boxer, and well ahead of his time. Only loss was to Harry Greb, and he avenged the loss 3 or 4 times.

Imo Floyd is the best boxer of our time. He not only is a well rounded boxer that is smart in the ring, but technically under appreciated.