Rewatching Foreman comeback fights yesterday (yeah, life is way too exciting), I was impressed anew at how relaxed George was at this stage of his career. He wasted almost zero energy in pursuing and working his opponents, totally confident and relaxed. In that manner alone he reminded me much of Toney's great work in the pocket, not a wasted calorie, totally relaxed and effective. Don't get me wrong, frenetic fighters can still be incredibly effective (Hagler, Tyson, Waldo), but who were the most relaxed, elite fighters in your observation? Aside from the two mentioned above, I would name Monzon as a guy who qualifies highly in this regard.
Salvador Sanchez. A stoic man, yet one who truly enjoyed every second of his craft, like a child playing a game. Eased yet focused. Truly my favourite of all time. Jose Napoles, the Cuban phenom. His intelligent, relaxed style flowed seamlessly like a river - the speed and spite disguised, hypnotising his opponents. Roberto Duran. As he grew, he became a fierce but controlled fighter, the art of boxing ingrained into him and becoming a pure instinct. Fighting men way past his best with sheer intuition and artistry. Alberto Davila. No dominating physical attributes, and short for his weight. Yet he was a champion and a world level operator through sheer learned skill and experience, a textbook shorter boxer. Extremely fluid and easy to root for. Miguel Canto, the legendary midget maestro. Maybe one of the most skilled fighters ever, his footwork and sleek boxing were truly off the charts. He could dominate much bigger guys through his perfect feet and left alone, whilst avoiding hits like a phantom. A legend. Jiro Watanabe, the southpaw assassin turned Yakuza. Had an extremely talented, fluid style with a karate base. He could nail you with vicious short punches, turn the corner with his truly expert feet and nail you with the hook. Had that tough, cool guy aura to truly complete the style. Ismael Laguna, the hero of Duran's childhood. Extremely sleek and clever, this man could nail you with an inverted right left combo and dodge all return fire - and look classy at every moment. Extremely skilled, fluid and proven
It's all been said here already Lads. But for me, Chava and Escopeta. Mantequilla is there too. But all good choices on this thread.
Aside from Napoles, I always felt 3 welterweights from the same era had the most beautiful, relaxed style. They are Hedgemon Lewis, Angel Espada and Harold Weston.
