Foreman, Canto - Thai / Mummy guard Duran, Canizales - neck slip / punch riding There are also quite a few ATGs who literally bat away punches with their own punch, as a type of parry.
A couple that I like...misdirecting an opponent's right hand by bumping his right elbow with your left glove. I believe that I saw that for the first time in the Chavez v Rosario fight. I saw a guy sparring and realized that he was using his head to smother his opponent's punches; he was leaning in in such away that it took his punching room. They had brought in a guy specifically to teach the fighter defense and, after that,I watched them very closely.
Bowe had an unconventional defense in the sense that he was easy to hit with a shot but very hard to hit with follow shots using blocking and slipping skills, very different.
Haha, that’s like The Hunt for Red October where they turn and accelerate into the torpedo so it bounces off before it reaches detonation. I saw Pernell Whitaker once reach his left out to tap the opponent’s right shoulder just as he launched a right hand, so he punch was thrown from an inch or two farther away and ended up about half an inch short. Pernell was a master of ‘putting his hands’ on his opponent to manipulate him. Of course we have Archie Moore and others with the cross-arm defense. Archie did it so well. Larry Holmes would extend both hands out somewhat like the aforementioned ‘Mummy’ defense to put ‘flak’ between punch and target.
Bob Fitzsimmons used defensive technique unlike any other boxer. I don't think I've ever seen anyone else using his stance, his guard and his blocking technique. Tony Canzoneri had very unique style as well.
Gene Fullmers is the strangest defence I can think of, the cross armed defence except with his lead hand covering his head instead of the back hand.