Who's the best counter puncher you've ever seen?

A "second" to the previously mentioned Jimmy Young and Joey Giardello.

 

I'll second the young Jerry Quarry too.

 

Not the best, but I would like to give a shout out to the very underrated Jose Medel. One of the best fighters I've seen on the ropes. I mean, he managed to KO an already championship level Harada.

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Benitez

 

Let me get a plate of Ezzard Charles with a side of Jerry Quarry.

For dessert...Orlando Canizales.

 

James Toney and Archie Moore deserve a mention.

 

Some good mentions. I’m surprised no one mentioned Sweer Pea, he’s a great counter puncher.

Donald Curry, Marlon Starling, Mike McCallum, Sumbu Kalambay, and Miguel Lora were also damn good counterpunchers as well.

 

Agree here, for other reasons to but it's as simple is, Roy was just faster with more God given talent; and he had more power, which in turn led to devastating KOs, where May used it more for winning a decision. Both work, but one seems better imo.

 

Most have been mentioned already, and guys I think of, like Jersey Joe, Napoles, Duran, Roy, Alexis, Archie. Guys who used timing and power to dictate or stop fights with counters.

A guy who I think was an excellent counter puncher, but suffers from footage quality and output, is Jack Johnson. Not only could he use timing and movement to counter attacks, but he used an art that isn't really practiced as much as it was then, to parry and counter off of that. Which is just as hard if not harder than timing your foe. His conservative approach hurts him, but the counters I did see and my eyes tell me he was fast for his size with great reflexes, vision and ring IQ. Which translates to a good counter puncher imo

 

It's funny cause I see why you'd say May, but I also see why some feel JMM is better. He simply put it to greater use, and put himself out there more to show it off. One could say it shows more skill to counter in the danger zone, with fast exchanges happening, than to do it more sparingly while fighting off your backfoot more. Hard to say, May showed more of that at the lower weights but then his workrate rightfully fell off some as he went up in weight and age. Marquez just appears to use it more and that sometimes can be the difference in close comparisons maybe.

 

Mike McCallum, James Toney, Orlando Canizales, Salvador Sanchez, Juan Manuel Marquez. All could give clinics on counter punching.

 

Ricardo Lopez deserves a mention. His counter uppercut that knocked out Ala Villamor is a thing of beauty.

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Other than the ones that have already been mentioned: Guillermo Rigondeaux, Lionel Rose, Miguel Canto, Ricardo Lopez, Hilario Zapata, Joel Casamayor.