Better defense Whitaker or Mayweather

I voted Pea, but I don't feel that here is a great deal seperating them and it could be a toss up. Both guys are brilliant masters.....this is knda like asking who hits harder Foreman or liston....they will both knock most people out....who is better defensively Floyd or Pea, they will both seldom get hit flush, and will frustrate the heck out of just about anyone...Once again Pea by a hair, but I won't argue anyone who sees it different.

 

Pea is flashier but Floyd is more efficient in blocking. Nothing really separating them though

 

I think Floyd places more of a premium on defense than Whitaker does, but if Whitaker makes defense his prime focus (like he did say in the DLH fight) he'd do a better job of it than Mayweather could. He's simply got a bigger bag of tricks.

Contrary to his categorisation as a defensive specialist though, on the whole Whitaker didn't really mind getting hit. His primary focus was usually to mock his opponents, and he'd take a few shots to be able to do that.

Mayweather fights much more economically and is usually risk averse, which sees him take less shots as far as things like compubox are concerned.

 

Whitaker

 

There isn't a whole lot to choose.

The big difference is level of opposition. That has to count for something. If you're that good defensively against better fighters, that may be indicative of being better defensively.

On the other hand, just because Floyd didn't have the opportunity doesn't mean he couldn't.

 

Hard to say. Floyd was more tough, and complete. Pernell was basically all defense, and very flashy. Floyd was more of a counterpuncher that made you pay. Pernell wasted your punches by avoiding them instead of making you pay. I will have to go with Pernell.

 

Floyd got multi-layered defense while Pea at most two dimensional. Floyd will do every possible way to not get hit while Pea just mostly head and upperbody movements. Pea = upperbody and counter. Floyd is upper body movement, counter, conventional, philly, clinch, smother, foot movement.

 

Great comment. Floyd had the intangibles.

 

I voted Floyd because I think he has the better footwork, better guard and overall more varied defense. Pea was more reliant on reflexes and radar than Floyd is, I feel.

Floyd does have a tendency to go, or even skip, back in straight lines, though. I also would like to see him incorporate defense and offense in a more varied manner. When it comes to slipping and countering he is actually some way from the best I've seen (McCallum, Toney etc). But in terms of blocking and deflecting blows with guard and angling of his upper body he's second to none.

 

When I think great boxing defense, I think that it is not only avoiding punches, but being in poisition to land your own. The art of hitting and not getting hit. Both Pernell whitaker and Floyd Mayweather Jr. are masters at this.
I think that if we were to take stats there would not be a lot to chose from between the two.
There is a key diffrance that in my opinion gives Whitaker the slight edge.
In boxing preception can be more important than reality. Mayweather is more of a counter-puncher. Whitaker is more of a defensive boxer. Mayweather blocks a lot of punches. As a counter puncher he needs his oppoent to throw punches. If he's simply making them miss badly they might not throw and not give him his oppertunities. Mayweather can adjust, but that's another thread. The Mayweather video posted by the OP has a few slo-mo replays. To the nacked eye it may look like he's being hit. Like I said sometimes preception is more important than reality. Whitaker makes his oppoents miss by wide margans. He shows his oppoent missing their punches. I think this diffrance puts Whitaker slightly a head of Mayweather.

 

Different mind-sets.

Floyd's more disciplined, business-like and more defense-conscious.

Whitaker doesn't mind getting into exchanges or getting hit.
Less rigid and enjoys making fun of opponents.

As S_S said if Whitaker concentrated purely on his defense his was harder to hit cleanly.


Personally I always thought that if Whitaker had Mayweather-like no-nonsense approach he would've been even better fighter than he was.

 

I go Floyd for the simple fact as Sweet Pea got older and slowed down he became easier to hit,it was still hard to catch him but as the reflexes slowed he was hit more regularly where as even though Floyd aint as quick he is still nearly impossible to hit..

 

Both are top notch, I voted Whitaker because he tested it vs the best opponent of his era when the fans demanded the match (vs Chavez obviously).... floyd was a major embarrassment & let down in this regard, therefore he has a big Q mark next to his name, Whitaker has none.