BoxRec

Paul Pender did not have one of the longest professional boxing careers. But, throughout Paul's pro career, he had a win over Larry Villeneuve.

Pender had a top win over Carmen Basilio. Paul also had 2 top wins over Sugar Ray Robinson. Pender also had 2 top wins over Terry Downes.


1. What do you think Paul should rank in the Middleweight division?



2. What do you think Pender should rank in boxings "Pound for Pound" category?




3. Do you think that Paul Pender is underrated?


If so, why?





Please explain.

I actually started a thread on him many years a go. He is just a guy who for whatever reason nobody ever wants to talk about.
The wins over Robinson were when Robinson was well past his best and the decisions were pretty dubious. He also lost some respect for quitting against Downes.

When I ranked the middleweights, I had him at #48. Probably 10 guy ahead of him that he could be ahead of and 10 behind him that he could be behind of.

Pound for Pound? Wow that would hard to say. Probably in the Top 400-500 if you wanted to rate that many guys.

I guess you could say given how little talk about him that he is underrated.

Pender does hold the distinction of being that guy who took SRR's title and Sugar didn't win it back in the rematch. A fate Turpin, Fullmer, and Basilio all suffered. (But Pender met a very old SRR.)

I watched the Robinson - Pender fights and it looked to me like Pender would just clinch and keep hitting Robinson in the back of the head and neck. Pender did not seem to do much fighting except in the clinches.

Those fights were both in Boston where Pender lived near. I think Robinson may have gotten one or both decisions if the fights were somewhere else.