Some names.... Kid Gavilan, Joey Maxim, Barney Ross Although one could argue how much of that was chin and how much defensive acuity.
p4p : James Toney Oliver McCall Juan LaPorte Miguel Angel Gonzalez Wayne McCullough David Tua Jorge Fernando Castro Jake LaMotta Mike McCallum Salvador Sanchez
What are you talking about Manassa, don't you know that Ali is the best at EVERYTHING? Any view to the contrary is forbidden in some people's eyes... :roll:
Hagler was made of steel.........But then again, so was McCullough. Imagine taking volley's of punches from Morales at 122lbs, then doing a shuffle with your feet after they bounce off your head. And, when Harrison smacked him around for 12 rounds, McCullough looked like a fly in there against a Gorilla. McCullough was a natural bantamweight who fought punchers who were physically much bigger as well as being more powerful.
That's the clincher for me. Plus he also fought coming forward all the time, seldom took a backwards step or rested, was lacking in defense and didn't roll at all with punches (unlike La Motta and Duran) instead absorbing them flush. Some of those punches Morales landed on him would've flattened a house and for all the effect it had on McCullough he may as well have been flicking rubber bands at him. His chin was incredible.
The same Ali down and rocked by Doug Jones, Henry Cooper, SONNY BANKS, Chuck Weppner? Not to mention hurt numerous times against other fighters.
Damn right! He ONLY fought.... Kostya Tszyu Azumah Nelson JCC Sr. Barry McGuigan Eusebio Pedroza Rocky Lockridge Salvador Sanchez And he was never knocked down or visibly hurt his entire career.
Very hard to make lists of the best "chins" when so many things come into it. Some people have mentioned Ali as beign the probably most unknockoutable heavy in history and I agree but he had alot of this goign for him besides a great chin like great recovery, very good at spoiling, very good at surviving when hurt he knows exactly what to do. Contrast to a dude like Tony Galento who had no defense and basically caught every punch with his face and still was only decked twice is his 100+ fight pro career by none other than Joe Louis. For once I agree with frankenwank his list is solid.
What about Gerald McClellan? Fought Mugabi, Jackson x2 and Benn yet was never knocked down. In fact his chin was so damn good he could keep boxing WHILE brain damaged against Nigel Benn. Also Emmanuel Stewart recounted countless sparring wars between McClellan and Hearns and said how Gerald could take Hearns' right hands without flinching.
Can't believe he slipped my mind, there's a story of a 16 year old McClellan sparring with Hearns who was outboxing him Mclellan gets mad throws off his head gear and starts throwing bombs at Hearns who instinctly throws a right that catches Mclellan clean to no effect. Also used to spar with heavyweights with no head gear. Man had serious chin and power a rare combo.