Top 5 Counter-Punchers All Time ?

Duran, Napoles, Lora, Zarate, Robinson at a guess

 

Gans
Johnson
Moore
Benitez
Mayweather Jr.

:nut

 

James Toney has perfected the art of counter punching.

Mayweather Jr. is an excellent one too.

Archie Moore had wonderful counter moves.

And Hopkins counters very well.

 

And Benitez definately.

 

Joe Gans was apparently the master counter-puncher.

I'd have to put Monzon and Hagler up there.

 

atsch You have to be ****ing kidding me.

 

Mayweather shouldn't be here either.

Any remotely defensive fighter gets labelled as a counter-puncher on here. There's a huge difference.

 

Both Monzon and his countryman Galindez were great counterpunchers.

 

Show me some film of Monzon counter-punching, or name a fight where it happens.

 

His counterpunching is clearly the foundation of his style today. What the **** else does he do nowadays but sit in the pocket and counter when the opportunity presents itself? I don't even rate PBF very highly or even consider him that complete of a fighter but criticising his ability to counterpunch is nonsensical to me. He has shown excellence in this area more than any other.

You cite Duran's excellence in counterpunching but his counters were not the foundation of his style. They are for PBF.

Would you have been happier if I had replaced him with Sweet Pea?

 

Yes Benitez...and in the late 60's..early 70's Jerry Quarry. Livingston Bramble was a fine counterpuncher also.

 

Emile Griffith.

 

Sanchez and Schmeling deserve a shout, i think.

 

He does that more because he's past his prime and above his best weight, so he can't run like he used to.

What you apparently see as "sitting in the pocket and countering", I see as leading with potshots and then grabbing on.

I never criticised it. I just don't think it's Top 5 material and I don't think that it's the pillar of his game.

See above.

Duran certainly relied on countering more than PBF, using it as a means to close the distance among other things.

Yes, insofar as I think Whitaker was the superior counter-puncher (and fighter), though Whitaker also wasn't exclusively a counter-puncher but a complete pure boxer/defensive cutie.