Best defensive fighter in history while in the pocket?

Yes. Toney got hit a lot more, but perhaps that’s because he was more of the type to take one to land one. I think Floyd’s shoulder roll was better.

 

Sam Eggington

 

Toney, Whitaker, Lomachenko

 

What fights can I see Floyd fighting in the pocket? When I’ve seen him try it he gets hit, and usually backs out to a range where he is more effective. Toney stays there and fights back, Floyd can’t combine offense and defence like that.

 

Toney is el numero uno when he's having an "on" night.

Mayweather and Pea are better overall defensive fighters but it's because they'd used their legs more.

Loma's best in the pocket today....but as the two mentioned above, plenty of his game is still facilitated by his legs.

 

Most guys already covered. I will throw in a prime Don Curry though; watch him vs Colin Jones, stood his ground, hard to hit in head and body, with a tight guard and pinpoint accurate counters. From memory of around 84/85...not watched it since a few re-watches on VHS around the time. Oh vs McCrory good example too.

 

Without using his legs... toney, probably. A special mention to durán y jcc, good luck trying to hit them head to head, toe to toe. Another kind of defense, but wow! what a defense, you wont be able to move your arms a single inch without being blocked/controlled. This kind of boxing is lost, though.... I miss it I liked it, not always, but every now and then I loved to watch a fight like those ones.

 

Herol bomber Graham, did it without cheating!

 

He was in range plenty of times vs Canelo, defending virtually everything coming at him while bouncing right hands off of Sauls face. People say Mayweather shouldn’t be number one because he never did it for 12 rounds (I’ll give you that) but that’s mostly because being in a phone booth isn’t exactly the smartest thing to do on purpose for a whole fight. The percentage of getting tagged goes way up and Floyd ain’t about that.

 

If Herol Graham had been American, particularly a connected one, he'd have won a JM title within about 20 fights, and defended it to a respectable extent too. But he wasn't American or even well connected/managed over here. Around 10 silly British, Commonwealth, Euro fights, plus time filling stay busy fights took his prime years. Past it by the time of his World title fights. Good embodiment of why I welcomed the IBF and WBO onto the scene--opened things up for non Americans. Without the WBO for eg, Calzaghe wouldn't have got a title shot until around 30 and getting past it.

 

Camacho

 

First guy that came to mind!

 

I think that was Floyd’s best performance. However Canelo was drained, and it’s easier to stand and counter against a guy like Canelo who doesn’t alter the tempo of his punches.

I’m thinking of him against opponents like Augustus, Cotto. He gets hit.

 

Because Mayweather was way more versitile. He doesn't depend only on his defense. Toney is punch drunk for a reason. His defense wasn't as solid as Mayweather. Even Toney admits Mayweather took what he mastered and perfected it!

 

Been so long since I’ve seen those fights, they are not fresh in my memory like the Canelo fight. I forgot he got hit more in the middle rounds vs Cotto.