Harder To Stop Part II: Best Chin & Defence - Peak Mayweather or Peak Whitaker?

the defence sweet pbf showed in the ramirez fight was absolutely incredible. I have to lean slightly towards him but mayweathers defence is also on another level. he has shown many methods of applying defence such as the shoulder roll-ndou or high guard-judah. Its pretty much a toss-up.

 

It's hard to say. I think Mayweather has more defensive skills and fundamentals where as Whitaker's defence depended more on his absolutely freakish reflexes (although Mayweathers aren't bad either) and upper body movement (from the footage I've seen.) Both of them seem to have sturdy chins. Mayweather did get wobbled by Judah, although I don't think he was really that hurt. It's too tough to call, I'd say that in their primes they are impossible to stop.

 

so Dinamita who were you comparing in part 1 of the thread??same guys?

 

Seeing a Post-Prime Whitaker's skills hold up against some of the best prime fighters of their era also helps me sway my opinion towards him... Gotta see how a past prime Mayweather would deal with that.

 

nevermind just came across it:thumbsup

 

both defensive wizards, floyd is more fundamental and uses his natural reflexes to augment a standard defense turning it really into an offense. hence moves we have never seen like the pull counter, and check hook.

sweet pea was more reflexes and really didn't employ fundamnetal defenses. I have also seen sweet pea knocked down in his prime a few times floyd has never been down

 

Mayweather takes less hits but he also engages less. Whitaker stays in range more and embarrasses opponents, whereas Mayweather likes to keep his distance, lower his punch output and play it safe. Given the way Whitaker fights though I'd say he has the better defense because to quote Larry Merchant, he can "stand in the eye of a storm and survive and thrive". Mayweather can't. Not to the sae extent anyway. I think if Whitaker wanted to be a stinker he could do what Mayweather does just as effectively.

As far as chin goes, Whitaker has been hurt by Roger Mayweather pre-prime and Felix Trinidad post prime. Floyd has been stunned for a second against Zab and Demarcus, and looked a bit hurt when Castillo broke his ribs and sent him to the canvas. Whitaker has clearly faced the better competition given the stages of the careers the fighters he faced were at, and has shown that he can take an ass whipping. Mayweather hasn't faced anything like a Tito when being on the slide, or a prime DLH when he is on the slide, nor anyone as brutish as a Julio Cesar Vasquez. It remains to be seen how much punishment he can absorb. Personally I think he will not be able to endure a Tito like beatdown the way Whitaker did (with a broken jaw mind you) but time will tell.

 

Ah yeah, I forgot about that. Nice aggressive fight from Floyd, an absolutely dominant one. I also liked the way he covered up from Zab, I remember someone on the vidoe saying "definition of saved by the bell" and I just thought about what a tool he was. Floyd covered up and evaded well, even when shook. Great fighter, could yet be greater.

 

Whitaker was knocked down against Rafael Williams and Roger Mayweather pre-prime and could have been called a knockdown against Poli Diaz. He was knocked down against Buddy McGirt in their rematch and against Julio Cesar Vasquez. Also he was knocked down against Hurtado and Trinidad.

Mayweather should have been called for knockdowns against Zab and Castillo imo.

 

Anybody that says that Sweet Pea defensive ability results from solely his reflexes, and not his technical ability is laughably silly. They are both necessary qualities for a good defensive fighter. You can't have a good defence without having good reflexes and timing for ****s sake. Also, from a technical stand point, Pernell Whitaker was one of the best ever.

And to answer the OP's question, it would have to be Sweet Pea. The man went 12 rounds with a young Trinidad when he was close to being finished as a fighter. Nuff said.

 

Ya pretty much this.... I mean, can you remember either one of them in their prime getting hit flush much at all?