BoxRec

Before you read, I'd like to note that I've left out fighters which are tough too, just because I'm not really interested in them, these are my personal favourites. In my opinion these people have very sturdy jaws.

TONY ZALE - middleweight
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United States

Record
+++++++++++++
67-18-2 with 45 knockouts

middleweight title fight record - 6 wins, 5 knockouts 2 losses
++++++++++++++

I saw two of his fights, one against Marcel Cerdan(by coincidence) and one against Rocky Graziano(the third), although the one with Rocky I had was not complete. The one with Graziano was a gruelling slugfest and he took a few good shots, but eventually hit him with two terribly accurate hooks, a hard right to the left side of Rocky's body and a hard left to the jaw, which put him down and out.
The next one was against Cerdan and in my opinion it was one of the hardest fights I've ever seen, harder than the much hyped Zale-v-Graziano 3. Both took punishment but zale was the worst. He kept taking several hard punches right on the jaw, constantly. I swear, practically every other middleweight in boxing history would have been knocked out scores of times.

In all fights there are always some punches which hit on the jaw but you can't see them because, so it was probably more than what I saw. Eventually Zale was KOd, but he had to be knocked totally unconscious(you can see him droop down like a ragdoll). Even though I only saw one WHOLE fight, it was enough to convince me he was the toughest champion.

KEN BUCHANAN - lightweight
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Scotland

+++++++++++++
62-8(I cannot find the proper record, I lost the one I had)
+++++++++++++

I saw the full Roberto Duran v Ken Buchanan fight, and Duran, a great puncher, hit Buchanan(past his best) with several HARD rights right on the jaw. It was nothing compared to the previous one I noted, but Buchanan hardly showed his muzziness and was rocked against the ropes. He recovered quickly after each onslaught, and went the fight without being knocked down, except for an obvious slip(the "expert" commentator claimed it was a knockdown after slow-mo, but he obviously is not an expert). Similarily to Robinson, it's hard for some boxing novices to imagine a fast stylist with a darting left jab to be so rugged, but this just shows you, the ones that look tough(e.g. Iron Mike Tyson) usually have less of a jaw than the ones that don't.

He lost the fight by the way(he was well past his prime).

CARLOS MONZON - middleweight
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Argentina

Record
+++++++++++++
87-3-9 with 59 knockouts (the record speaks for itself)

middleweight title fight record - 15 wins, 10 knockouts 0 losses
++++++++++++++

Unfortunately I only have two fights of him. One against Nino Bienvenuti(where he didn't take much and knocked him out), and a full fight against Emile Griffith. In the one with Emile Griffith he did not take many combos, but when he did, he basically ignored him. He just swung out of the way and resumed as if nothing had happened, neither smiling nor grimacing.

He was never knocked out in his 100 fights.

SUGAR RAY ROBINSON - welterweight at prime, middleweight after
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United States

Record
+++++++++++++

175-19-6 total

welterweight title fight record - 6 wins 0 losses

middleweight title fight record - 8 wins 6 losses(may not look good but he avenged the losses)

light-heavyweight title fight record - 1 loss(heat exhaustion)
+++++++++++++

Because of his beautiful footwork(he was once a tapdancer), his incredibly fast and hard flurries of punches and his very stylish way of boxing, the fact that he was one of the hardest boxers of all time makes him one of the most complete boxers ever(Joe Louis, Muhammed Ali, Sugar Ray Leonard all agreed). I have 11 of his fights, against Basilio, Fullmer, Olsen, Turpin, Pender, LaMotta & Maxim, and they all seem to support the theory.

I NEVER saw him being rocked in all 11, and when he got hit he often did one of his fast and vicious flurries in return(especially with Basilio). It's no wonder he suffered from alzheimers. One of the greatest onslaughts I've ever seen was against Olsen, when he made a sustained flurry to the body followed by a perfect left hook to the chin.

I can't believe I forgot Sandy Saddler, I'm putting him on tomorrow.

terap wrote:Zale was knocked down by Al Hostak and by Graziano in their first fight.


Monzon was knocked down by Rodrigo Valdez.


Robinson was knocked down by Jake LaMotta, Tommy Bell, Rocky Castellani, Gene Fullmer, Rocky Graziano,

and late in his career by Joey Giardello and Joey Archer.

This guy is totally way off. Zale was dropped by Graziano, Hostak, Steve Mamakos, and Georgie Abrams, and was knocked OUT a few times too.

Monzon was down against Valdez and 3 times against an opponent early in his career (I think the 2nd guy to ever beat him).

Robinson was not only knocked down by the guys you listed but also by a few others (like Artie Levine).

I'm surprised LaMotta didn't make the list

Artie Levine scored a knockdown over Ray Robinson and Sugar Ray was lucky to beat the count, that's how hard he was hit. Levine claims he was hit on his "Adams Apple" when he was stopped afterwards.

IMO Julio Cesar Chavez and Jake LaMotta have the best chins of all time.

I should add Hagler to that list as well.

Actually, your all right. I misread most of the publications and I've gone back, they say out not down.

Hawk, yes I misread the Zale publication. It was talking about the Cerdan fight, it said he was never knocked down in the fight. But Zale DID have an enormously tough chin, anyone who watched the Cerdan fight will agree. Cerdan punched just as hard as Graziano(he was certainly a better fighter) probably, and I am surprised Graziano managed to knock him down, let alone out.

Robinson was knocked down, but never out, he was still tough though.

Monzon did get knocked down by Valdez, but he got up and won a good pts decision(unanimous as far as I know). He also absorbed further rights from him.

Sorry people big mistakes I know, but Monzon still had an iron jaw, Tony Zale WAS a "man of steel" and Robinson could take it well.
It's no wonder Robinson got Alzeimers disease and if Monzon hadn't died he might have got it himself.

Jake LaMotta was seriously tough, but he's not my kind of fighter really(I explained).

TonyJ, Hagler was one of the toughest ever, probably more than Robinson. I saw the Hearns fight back in the 80s and I cannot believe how much he took. I just don't like his style, constantly twitching and moving his body.

ray mercer-took 40 years to knock this man down, (lol) evander got him down onces, but he just took a knee.

Let me just make a point. I know they were all floored, but no boxer is "superman".

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Muhammed Ali was downed by many people.
Marciano had an iron jaw but was downed by Walcott.
George Chuvalo was KOd by Foreman.

These three were all in Boxing Scene's "10 greatest chins".
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And lastly, anyone who saw Zale's fight with Marcel Cerdan would agree that his jaw was not overrated. So what, he was KOd by some people(including a knockdown by a punch to the body, as far as I can remember), he still had an IRON JAW. All you need to do to have proof of this is to watch the Cerdan fight.

Hawk, Monzon still had one of the greatest chins. As I said, no boxer is invincible.

I don't believe he ever held a world title, and he couldn't box much, but Randall "Tex" Cobb comes to mind when talking about tough chins, or tough guys period. He referred to his fighting as "scrimmaging". And he was willin' to "scrimmage" with anyone, anywhere and anytime.