Most successful boxers with the worst defensive skills?

Tex Cobb

 

I think Pac`s head movement is bad and he always used to leave his left hand low as he jabbed but managed to beat really good fighters that didn`t take advantage of these flaws the way Marquez and Floyd did. Naseem Hamed didn`t have the success that Pac did but was still highly respected even though he was really flawed in terms of balance, after he threw a lot of his big punches he would over commit and lose his foot positioning leaving him wide open yet he beat some good fighters because of his power and strange angles. Pryor was better than these 2 defensively but was so attack minded he could sometimes be caught by well timed left hooks. Jeff Fenech wasn`t that good defensively but was considered one of the best pound for pound fighters in the world while he fought at Bantam, he was also known for having a great chin before he moved up and couldn`t take a powerful feather`s punch from Nelson. Gerald McClellan have a dreadful defense. Matthew Saad Muhammad took far too many shots but is lauded everywhere. Bowe had an awful defense but won the heavyweight title and might have gone on to bigger things.

 

I've been watching lots of Julian Jackson, and he comes to mind. Often he wouldn't move his head at all, which made little difference anyhow.

 

Yes, the fight with Graham was a classic example and the 2 round knock out of Norris, 2 fighters who were far more developed in terms of defense but just got caught that one time by Jacksons quick hands, this is how Conor was made to seem before the Floyd fight! I even mentioned Jackson in a comment section before the Floyd v Conor fight because I couldn`t believe they thougt McGregor could knock Mayweather out with one shot, it turned out he couldn`t break an egg with boxing gloves LOL!

 

Ali, his offence was basically his defence and it was his great gifts of speed and reflex that mostly got him out of trouble before he slowed down.

 

Hatton.

 

Ali was so hard to hit in the 60`s because he was a great judge of distance so when his foe`s reached at him he could easily lean away with amazing reflexes, he was a lot slower by the time he fought Foreman but his defense in that fight was great the rope a dope a long with brilliant counter punches it wan`t just his chin that night.

 

Michael Moorer had quite a few issues, but it may have been more his chin that let him down.

He could have serious lapses in defense at times.

 

Moorer was better defensively when he moved up to heavyweight.

 

JMM
vs Katsidis
vs Juan Diaz 1
vs Pacquiao 4
vs Casamayor

had zero defense

 

Wladimir Klitschko. No definitive skills whatsoever. Who knows who else he would have lost to if it wasn't for his illegal bear hugging.

 

Max Baer and young Foreman

 

Matthew Saad Muhammad. He made the IBHOF with mediocre defense. It was really his only major weakness though, other than a tendency to cut. He compensated with a great chin and tremendous fighting heart. Still, he had to grit his way through in many of his biggest fights.

Gatti should be mentioned, as well. But, I don't consider him as accomplished as Saad. Although he made the HOF, i feel he did so on popularity/politics.

 

Marquez fought very smartly against Pac, Manny`s defense was crap in that fight, he`s open to a counter right, JMM was trying to land that often before the KO he knew it was Pac`s weakness and so did Floyd.