mark '2 sharp' johnson terry norris michael carbajal....maybe orlando canizalez. strange angle fighter never seemed to be set to punch but good in all departments azumah nelson i think had it all. not technically pleasing I.E. jabbing from cross arm block switching stance mid weave but i cant fault him in any department
I sometimes think Ezz was the textbook. Moving forward, moving backwards, moving right or left, jab, cross, hook, uppercut, power, speed, outside, inside, initiating, countering, combinations, head, body, offense, defense, chin, could get up to win and weather crisis situations (Fitzpatrick), 2-0 against Burley, 3(1)-0 against Moore, was there anything he couldn't do well at his peak?
No. But textbook doesn´t necessarily mean complete. I mean Barney Ross and Harold Johnson were living textbooks but I wouldn´t say they were complete fighter.
I think the Duran/Gomez comparison is a good one. I'd give Duran an edge defensively. Other than that, I don't see a whole lot between them at their respective weights. I think that and Duran's success at higher weights is the difference between a top 10 ATG and Gomez maybe being top 50.
Good distinction reminder. I'm thinking "boxer," while this thread asks for "fighters." Maybe Duran came closest after Barkley, when Arcel commented, "I think he may know more than I do!"
From what I've seen, SRR, SRL, Ali, Duran, MAB, Donald Curry, Holyfield, Lennox Lewis when he wanted to.
i love roy almost as much as anyone on this forum but he was NOT complete. he had a ton of flaws and gaps that he was able to get away with because of natural gifts
Yep, in his prime he was awesome to watch, one of the, if not the, most athletically gifted fighters to ever lace them on. :good But he was not complete.