Fighters Who Were Hard To Look Good Against

Emanuel Burton (Augustus) was always difficult to fight. He made his opponents have to think and try and figure out what the heck he was gonna do next.

 

Holly Mims was one of those guys. A real cutie, he was briefly a middleweight contender; for the rest of his career he was a spoiler most of the top guys preferred to avoid for fear of looking bad against him. He had Ruben Carter on the deck. Narrowly lost to 37-1 Joey Archer in the Garden, when it was Archer's bailiwick. Cut Ray Robinson's eye when Ray was 122-1. Beat the well-respected George Benton. Decisioned young middleweight Jimmy Ellis. Outpointed Gomeo Brennan and Henry Hank. Lost narrow split decisions to prime Joey Giardello and Dick Tiger. Gave tough Rocky Castellani a scare in Rocky's hometown Cleveland, and kayo'd 19-0 Willie Troy.

Mims boxed often on Gillette Cavalcade, where Don Dunphy always described him as a difficult opponent and cutie. Often he fought in the other guy's home town, sometimes filling in at the last moment. It's a shame he's been forgotten

 

Vaughn Bean
Ossie Ocasio
Jimmy Young
Jesse Burnett
Darnell Boone

 

Marciano made a many of good boxers look confused and off balance with his low stance, crowding.
Mayweather made some of the best ever look extremely average.
Young Ali frustrated everyone

 

Saoul Mamby
Lou Bizzarro
Holman Williams
Philly Jack O'Brien

 

Bernard Hopkins could really stink up a fight. Andre Ward was also hard to look good against.

 

Freddie Pendleton
Sanderline Williams
Drake Thadzi
Karl Mildenberger

 

Jimmy Young
Chris Byrd
Very talented quick and wiley they know how to nullify your advantages and frustrate you. These types of guys usually are not big hitters and the fights are snorefests. .

 

Gianfranco Rossi

Sammy Angott

Adolfo Viruet

Saoul Mamby

Vilomar Fernandez

Robbie Sims

Here’s a guy that to me was often hard to look good against but not because he was negative or slick or awkward … maybe because he hit hard enough to make people really think twice about laying it on the line or because he was just tough and well-rounded … Mike Weaver. You might beat him, but few people had one of their better performances against him. I realize this one is debatable ut he was a hard nut to crack imo.

 

His opponents couldn’t figure out what he was going to do next because Emanuel didn’t know what he was going to do next, haha.

 

John Ruiz.. was that his name? The heavyweight from the late 90's. I think he was a champion, held the belt(s) more than once.

hold, hold, hold, hit
hold, hold, hold, hit

 

Not many looked good against George Benton. He was tough.

Herol Graham could be awfully tricky too of those not named.

 

Winky Wright

 

Marlon Starling gave almost everyone he faced a hard fight.