Not just pure defense (otherwise i think Locche would be the unanimous pick) but in the flow of a fight and setting up their offense. I feel Benitez peaked higher, his taking Duran apart being very, very impressive but Locche was never banged around the ring like Benitez was, sometimes even in his prime. Picks. No fence sitting.
benitez was extremely elusive but I personally go with locche who had that once in a lifetime ability and awareness. So pretty to watch, spectacular, made defensive boxing so entertaining, rare artistry. he had a relatively low punch output though. the best mixers of offense to defence ive ever seen were young mike Tyson and Julio cesar Chavez who had all time great defences.
My pick is Benitez. Locche could make guys miss like crazy but he wasnt setting up his offense. He was just being negative. Benitez was trying to win and would get in there and bang away as well.
Purely as a defensive fighter...its Locche by a hair...based on a balanced (or near balanced) ratio of offense to defense, then it's Benitez. Locche of course was able to successfully maintain his career, i.e., his defensive prowess longer and more effectively than Benitez...and i think the had a better chin than Wilfred. Over, these two are favorites of mine and to carp about the differences between them is like carping about the differences between two masterpiece paintings, like between Velasquez's "Las Meninas" and Vermeer's "Girl With Earring".....just to get a bit esoteric with you here.
Like others here have alluded to, it was a different kind of defense employed by these two. Benitez would make you miss and make you pay. Watch his clinic against Palomino if you want to see pure artistry in counter-punching. Loche on the otherhand would make you miss, mug for the camera and the home crowd and then await the grace of Argentine officials. For entertainment value I prefer Benitez, but I would have loved to seen more of Loche when he was younger when he wasn't using that safety net.
First of all, I love Benitez...always have. He was a 17 year old genius defeating a formidable champion in Antonio Cervantes... and I believe that at his best, he would have always had Roberto Duran's number, because as with the great Carlos Monzon, remember,...ice always beats fire. Having said this, I'll offer video proof that Nicolino Locche is one of the great, certifiable defensive masters of history...against a man who may have been a trifle, uh, how should I say it, "one dimensional", that being Paul Fuji. But Fuji was uniquely capable of beheading a man...even a ver y capable boxer with that power of his, yet the great "Untoccable" Locche put on one of the greatest, artistic performances that ANY fighter...I literally mean any fighter has ever produced: First of all, I love Benitez...always have. He was a 17 year old genius defeating a formidable champion in Antonio Cervantes... and I believe that at his best, he would have always had Roberto Duran's number, because as with the great Carlos Monzon, remember,...ice always beats fire. Having said this, I'll offer video proof that Nicolino Locche is one of the great, certifiable defensive masters of history...against a man who may have been a trifle, uh, how should I say it, "one dimensional", that being Paul Fuji. But Fuji was uniquely capable of beheading a man...even a ver y capable boxer with that power of his, yet the great "Untoccable" Locche put on one of the greatest, artistic performances that ANY fighter...I literally mean any fighter has ever produced:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GCxgODaBiBw
Loche was one of the best I saw, Benitez was taller and because of this better physically equipped but Loche for his size was amazing at avoiding punches and right under Willie Pep IMO
