Finally! From The Ring Magazine: BEST JAB IKE QUARTEY: By far, Ike Quartey. Not only was it powerful, it was very consistent. BEST DEFENSE PERNELL WHITAKER: It would have to be a coin flip between Pernell Whitaker and Mayweather. Both had different styles. Whitaker used his waist more and stood in front of you and was very slippery. Mayweather was more of a boxer that moved just a little bit more. The most difficult to hit was probably Whitaker. BEST FOOTWORK FLOYD MAYWEATHER JR.: I think (Floyd) Mayweather used the ring really well. He had good footwork – that’s what starts it all. The anticipation of knowing when you’re going to attack was a big part of his defense, which made him very clever. BEST HAND SPEED SHANE MOSLEY: It was “Sugar” Shane Mosley in the first fight. He had amazing hand speed. With him it was just the speed behind his punches; even though you can see them coming, there were so many – and very accurate and great power. A fighter like Pacquiao, he’s fast as well. He throws a lot of punches from different angles and you get hit because you don’t know where they’re coming from. With Mayweather, he’s fast too, but his speed is more about timing. It’s not like “Sugar” Shane Mosley with four- and five-punch combinations. Mayweather is more like you throw a jab and he’ll counter it. That’s his speed. I think Shane Mosley in his prime was the fastest fighter I’ve met. STRONGEST FERNANDO VARGAS: I would have to say Fernando Vargas. He was very big and strong. We all know what happened after that fight (Vargas tested positive for steroids), but he was very powerful. I was almost knocked out of the ropes in the first round. He was a strong son of a gun. His anger is what fueled him. SMARTEST FLOYD MAYWEATHER JR.: I think the fact he knew how to anticipate my punches made him smart, made him win the fight. BEST CHIN JULIO CESAR CHAVEZ: I hit him with some good shots and he still wouldn’t go down. He had one of the best chins in the world, ever. Very resilient. He still is my hero. BEST PUNCHER QUARTEY: His punches were like bricks; he hit me and it would sting me. Every punch he would hit me with, it would rattle me. BEST BOXING SKILLS WHITAKER: Whitaker had to be one of the most skillful fighters in any generation – the fact he could stay right in front of you and could still slip the punches. Whitaker wasn’t a runner; he was just someone who stood right in front of you and knew how to slip. Whitaker knew how to knock you out, too. Punching power, skill, I.Q. – Whitaker had it all. He’s probably one of the all-around best boxers I faced. BEST OVERALL MANNY PACQUIAO: I would have to say Pacquiao. I think his determination, his conditioning, his skill, his power, speed, footwork … he’s one of the fighters I most appreciated. Mayweather-Pacquiao would have been a lot different (if they’d fought) in their primes. Pacquiao would have beat (Mayweather) easy, absolutely.
He is reasonably honest except for the thing about Pacquaio winning easily and Vargas being the strongest. I'm not sure I believe Vargas can be heavier than Hopkins or he actually thinks Pacquaio beats Mayweather easily. I think he has a grudge thing against Floyd, which kind of played out when he was hoping for Hatton to beat him.
Yes, he doesn't like Floyd but he admits here that Floyd beat him. He said before that he was robbed against Floyd
Hopkins obviously hit him the hardest because it was the only time that De La Hoya was KOed by one shot and was writhing on the floor in great pain but no elite boxer likes to admit they were knocked out by one single body shot.
That has no bearing whatsoever on the idea of whom hit him the hardest. It was a body shot that landed right where it needed to that's all.
Anybody that has been hurt by body punches knows that it is the placement of the punch that hurts more than the force of the punch. Any "elite" boxer knows that a well placed body shot can fold you up, even if it isn't especially hard. Which is probably why he didn't say Hopkins hit him the hardest.
I hope some of the posters read and understand his opinion on Whitaker. Key words "Not" a runner, " being able to stand in front of his opponents and make them miss" slipping and countering on Whitaker's level we don't see anywhere in the game today. And by the way, when Deloyhoya fought Whitaker, he was past his prime and best fighting weight.
While true, Quartey the biggest puncher? I'm pretty sure the biggest puncher he faced was Trinidad. Now Tito maybe didn't get off
Well yeah, I think there's some logic to that. Quartey was able to land on him, Trinidad wasn't. Not really. Can't judge a guy as a puncher if he never really hits you. Quartey was extremely heavy-handed though, and very strong for a welter.
Interesting on his comments that Pac would beat May easily. I wonder if it was because Pac kicked his ass more... I will always say that I think May has the style adv. over Pac .. But I wouldn't be betting against Pac in '09 '10, that's for damn sure
As far as Chavez having the best chin out of the guys he fought, that's actually believable given that Chavez was down like 2x in 115 fights. Guy was just an absolute monster. The last part about Pacquiao "easily" beating mayweather is just bitter wishful thinking nonsense though, but the rest of his picks seem pretty honest and logical. Quartey had some heavy hands, and Whitaker was indeed incredibly hard to hit clean.
Interesting. Until reading this, I didn’t really considered how many greats Oscar fought. Started out at 135 and fought Hopkins. Honestly I have to say I find it hard to think of too many people of his era that had fought better competition. Win or loses, I really appreciate it. Fighting Pacquiao in his last fight is legendary because he did not have to take that fight or that beating. L - Hopkins W - Whitaker L - Mayweather L - Pacquiao W - L - L - Mosley W - Trinidad W - Vargas W - Chavez
Surprised he did not give Tito the power call .. he sure fought him like he hit hard .. I believe him on Mayweather - Paq .. he gave Floyd terrific credit here .. he himself was more than just shot fighting Paq but drained , fighting at 147 for the first time in many years.
