Greatest Chins In Boxing?
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HomicideHenry
- Heavyweight

- Posts: 18722
- Joined: 08 Sep 2005, 00:43
Greatest Chins In Boxing?
For my money its "The Bronx Bull" himself, Jake LaMotta, if we're going soley on championship status alone.
..considering that lamotta is usually given at the top or at least near the top on any list (mine included), i was surprised when some years ago ring magazine....and i can't recall when or if it was a consensus or one writer's ...even fleischer's opinion...that gave the best chin as belonging to barney ross. i hadn't seen this before or since. most unusual.
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Borinken25
- Heavyweight

- Posts: 721
- Joined: 08 Jul 2005, 12:28
Marvelous Marvin Hagler had the greatest chin of all time. Eugene Hart, John Mugabi and Thomas Hearns were legitimate middleweight knockout artists, yet they hit Hagler with their very best shots, on more than one occasion, and barely made him blink. Hagler faced the hardest hitting collection of middleweights of any champion, yet was never legitimately down, never close to being down, never staggered, either as an amateur or professional.
Monzon certainly had an excellent chin. Went unfloored for thirteen years until all time great puncher and arguably the hardest hitting middleweight of all time Rodrigo Valdez put him down for half a second with his best punch.silkov wrote:How about Carlos Monzon, don't think he's been mentioned, also Roberto Duran... Sugar Ray Robinson and Tex Cobb come to mind...
Robinson? No, I don't think he had a great chin that should be mentioned alongside some of the others. He was floored many, many times in his long and illustrious career. Of course, he was never stopped due to a particular punch or combination, but his durability was only one factor. Robinson had excellent survival and boxing skills, as well as heart and the ability to take a guy out at any moment. Those abilities deserve more credit than his chin, I think. But we must remember, Robinson didn't exactly face a big line up of huge hitters like Hagler and Ali did, for example.
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dr_devious
- Heavyweight

- Posts: 5349
- Joined: 29 Dec 2005, 09:19
Marvin Hagler had the best chin of any fighter I ever saw, as evinced in his performances against Tommy Hearns and John Mugabi.
Jake La Motta's was legendary for his ability to absorb punishment
Modern day fighters who had great chins include Ray Mercer, Oliver McCall, Larry Holmes, Evander Holyfield, Julio Cesar Chavez, Azumah Nelson, Chris Eubank, Mike McCallum, Gerald McClellan etc
Old time fighters who must have had great chins include Tom Sharkey, James J Jeffries, Tommy Farr, Harry Greb, Mickey Walker, Ace Hudkins, Kid Gavilan etc
Jake La Motta's was legendary for his ability to absorb punishment
Modern day fighters who had great chins include Ray Mercer, Oliver McCall, Larry Holmes, Evander Holyfield, Julio Cesar Chavez, Azumah Nelson, Chris Eubank, Mike McCallum, Gerald McClellan etc
Old time fighters who must have had great chins include Tom Sharkey, James J Jeffries, Tommy Farr, Harry Greb, Mickey Walker, Ace Hudkins, Kid Gavilan etc
Eubank, Collins, Hagler, Chavez, Leonard, Robinson, Ali, Pryor, Foreman, Frazier, McCullough, Lamotta. Of all these mentioned I think Ali's was number one. You must remember although a heavyweight, he was taking shots off huge hitters. A heavyweights head and brain are still practically the same shape and weight as a middles or Welters for example, so they have to take bigger hits to the head than the lighter division
When was Robinson floored?.... about the only time he was floored during his peak was a flash kncokdown by Graziano.... Lamotta, Turpin, Olsen, Fullmer and Basilo were all decent punchers... look at the punches a 40+ year old Robinson took from Fullmer in their fights without going down.... he had a great chin...DoubleM wrote:Monzon certainly had an excellent chin. Went unfloored for thirteen years until all time great puncher and arguably the hardest hitting middleweight of all time Rodrigo Valdez put him down for half a second with his best punch.silkov wrote:How about Carlos Monzon, don't think he's been mentioned, also Roberto Duran... Sugar Ray Robinson and Tex Cobb come to mind...
Robinson? No, I don't think he had a great chin that should be mentioned alongside some of the others. He was floored many, many times in his long and illustrious career. Of course, he was never stopped due to a particular punch or combination, but his durability was only one factor. Robinson had excellent survival and boxing skills, as well as heart and the ability to take a guy out at any moment. Those abilities deserve more credit than his chin, I think. But we must remember, Robinson didn't exactly face a big line up of huge hitters like Hagler and Ali did, for example.
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Rory McCloskey
- Heavyweight

- Posts: 1042
- Joined: 29 Jun 2005, 13:11
In my case I'm not confusing heart with chin. If your clear headed enough to come back and win a round after being knocked off balance your chin did just fine. Don't confuse chin with balance.
When I factor "chin" I'm talking about did the lights go dim? Did you enter that dreamy Place Ali talks about visiting? That place that Zab does a special dance? Knockdowns may or may not take you there. In Ali's case he was there more often on his feet. I don't think he admits to being dazed in any of his knockdowns. Certainly not Wepner Cooper? I think he was in that case though not sure he admits it, and Frazier? I think he claims not in that case.
But on his feet with Foreman he says he found himself in that spot. My guess is probably so with Shavers too.
When I factor "chin" I'm talking about did the lights go dim? Did you enter that dreamy Place Ali talks about visiting? That place that Zab does a special dance? Knockdowns may or may not take you there. In Ali's case he was there more often on his feet. I don't think he admits to being dazed in any of his knockdowns. Certainly not Wepner Cooper? I think he was in that case though not sure he admits it, and Frazier? I think he claims not in that case.
But on his feet with Foreman he says he found himself in that spot. My guess is probably so with Shavers too.