Which World champion fought the most awkward contenders during their reign?

Tucker was a good fighter, took both peak Tyson and early Lewis to the distance, was something like 48-2 at one point, had decent wins, better boxer than the Klitshkos, iron chin, just didnt have that huge one punch knock out power.


Lewis had some strange ones, Tus (very squat/powerpuncher) Briggs(fast sharpshooter) Holyfield (willy veteran, high end skills) Mavaroic (unortox boxing skills, iron chin) Akinwander (very tall and gangly), Vitali Klitshcko (tall and unusual punch movements), G. Mason (medium height/powerpuncher), R. Ruddock (unusual left uppercut/left hook), Morrison (great left hook) ( Mercer (brawler) O. McCall (limited boxing skills, crys, iron chin)

 

De La Hoya-

Trinandad,
Mayweather
Pacqauio
Whitaker
Mosley
Vargas
Mayorga

All had vastly different sytles.

 

Vargas, Trinidad and Mosely I wouldn't call awkward though. I see what you mean in that Oscar fought a selection of varied styles though.

 

Ah ok, arkward as in not the norm?


Depends what you consider awkward i guess. Pernel...was deffo awkward...no one ever looked good against him. and his unorthodox movements.

 

Sports, if you can, check out Zapata-Chang 1, Zapata-Bassa 1&2, and Zapata-Torres. All high-level fights.

 

yeah I think that's what he means by awkward, like tricky unorthodox ****s who are a nightmare to box against! But Oscar is still a good shout, even Mayorga, he's usually in there slugging but doing it with such an awkward approach, throwing mad haymakers etc.

 

Mayorga is the very definition of awkward IMO.

 

Yes deffo, if you took a young aspiring boxer, you would make him watch Ricardo and say dont do a single thing he does...do the opposite ......yet he beat Forrest twice....still cant explain it.

 

crazy isn't it. I would say the best way to beat a prime Forrest though would be to do something very unorthodox and aggressive, because Forrest was so textbook and class with it, but he lacked lateral movement. Nahm sayin brother?

I used to love watching Vernon Forrest fight though, watching him come in and unload on boxers behind the jab, made me envious of his ability.

 

Still in theory, Vernon straight line approach of boxing should work against a wild swinging fighter...but that's the intangibles in boxing. Foreman couldn't box but had incredible muscular/bone density, huge strength, and power. Alot of elite fighters sometimes do alot of things backward but because they are gifted physically, have a great will to win, and have mental toughness then they make it to the top. Vitali at the moment comes to mind, and T. Fury...Fury is really sloppy, dosent punch correctly but I do think has a huge will to win, his discipline and lack of skills will be his downfall.

 

Who would everyone say had the best form in punching technique in history, something you would show an amateur?

 

Forrest was a guy who needed to be in his rhythm. Mayorga threw when he wasn't expecting, so he couldn't maintain his rhythm.

Forrest was also easy to tag with wide shots and hooks, so yeah, the madman from Nicaragua was perfect foil to Vernon, mad as it seems.

 

Joe Louis.

 

[ame]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6sv1ph-Ecf0[/ame]


Best heavyweight before 1960. Guys watch this, incredible tribute to the guy...champ for 11 years.

 

Eubank, Louis, Tyson and Toney come to mind. But Arguello, Napoles and Harold Johnson are beauties, too. To show a pre-pro who is finishing amateur..