Best Mover/Footwork/Mobility by weightclass

Robinson takes the overall for me. Always pit himself in a position to use his weapons.

My next pick for defensive footwork, and this may seem strange to some...but it is Carlos Monzon. Anything but a static fighter, not quick, not pretty, not fluid...but highly effective given his size and style. You never saw Monzon "waiting for a reciept'. This fighter is the best at judging and maintaining distance overall that I've seen on film. The man knew where he was in the ring. Brussa did a fantastic job working with him, and couple that with a boxing IQ that was excellent. Monzon's footwork given his style and attributes was great. Underated defense.

Honorable Mention: Ayub "Will O' Wisp" Kalule

 

That's right dpw...nobody did "distance" like Monzon...he "fought tall" the right way...maximizing his height and reach...and as far as moving...he did a very good job of moving and throwing lot's of punches while on the back foot vs Briscoe.

 

Burley could get a shout here for offensive footwork, from what I have read and seen (although breifly) he seemed always in a position to punch.

I know Eddie Muller was very impressed with his footwork, despite it being 'shuffling.'

 

105: Lopez on both counts, obviously.
108: Zapata and Chang. I assume I don't need to specify who goes where.
112: Canto for defense, maybe Arbachakov or Ebihara for offense.
115: I'd go Watanabe on both counts, or maybe Roman defensively.
118: Lora defensively, Olivares offensively.
122: Gomez on both counts.
126: Pep defensively, maybe Pedroza offensively.
130: Floyd defensively, Chavez offensively.
135: Pete defensively, Duran offensively.
140: Locche/Benitez defensively, anyway. Offense will take some thinking.
147: Robinson/Rodriguez for pure hybrid types.
154: Kalule, no doubt.
160: Kalambay defensively, maybe Hagler as a bit of a hybrid type.
168: ROY JOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOONES JUNIOOOOORRR!!!
175: Pastrano defensively, maybe someone like Mustafa Muhammad or Conteh for a hybrid type.
CW: I guess De Leon defensively, with Holyfield working the offense.
HW: Ali and Louis.

I'll be elaborating on a few of these in due time.

 

Ezzard Charles for offensive footwork at light-Heavyweight? On the footage we have he looks real adept.

 

Ezz moved like a cat GP.

 

Great threat.....
HW- Walcott defensively, and Frazier offensively
LHW- Billy Conn and Willie Pastrano defensively, offensively maybe Qawi or Patterson..
SMW- Ottke defensively, Calzaghe offensively......
MW- Sugar Ray Robinson on both ! ....But Hagler too.....Hopkins hybrid footwork, Lamotta offensively...
WW- SRR on the two types, Mayweather Jr defensively....Armstrong, Burley and Napoles offensively...
JWW- Pryor offensively, Locche defensively....
LW- Benny Leonard and Whitaker defensively, Duran ofensively......Sid Terris deserves a mention.....
FeatherW- Johnny Dundee, defensively, Pep of course......Sanchez offensively....
SBW- Wilfredo Gomez, both....maybe Erik Morales offensively...
BW- Jofre on both styles....Canizales defensively....
SFW- Tapia on both, Roman def.
FlyW- Miguel Canto defensively....offensively maybe Wilde or Pascual Perez...

 

Willie Pastrano-lightheavyweight...moving and dancing was Willie's forte. He wasn't going to any fights without those legs being in top shape.

 

Thx Red.:good

 

I don't normally class footwork and mobility as the same thing, for example;

Hopkins>Jones for footwork
Jones>Hopkins for mobility

 

Good post

 

anyone who hasn't got ali as best movement/footwork as a heavy is talking shite. at his peak he moved superquick like a lightweight compared to the others. liston was missing alright - he couldn't catch him lol. he used the correct game play in that fight. doug jones - watch the fight - a young clay is trading punches - something that never worked for him aswell as the frazier fights proved except for fight number 2 where mobility was the game plan. in manila he thought frazier was finished and could do him early so he started to trade and look what happened.

 

Don't confuse speed and flash for effective good footwork. I am a reknowned Ali fan, but I recognise that sometimes, his dancing was inefficient footmovement. If you look at some of the footmovement against Liston, in the first bout, he wasted energy when he was dancing and since he wasn't scoring, it allowed Liston to make some rounds closer than need be, just for the sake of dancing. Although, admittedly, it was an integral trait of his style to 'feel out' his opponent, to intimidate with his size, speed and elusiveness, before he started to score with the jab. I just felt that if Ali had sat down and boxed off of the jab instead of dancing in many of his fights, he wouldn't have unnecessarily lost rounds to or 'struggled' with some fighters he need not have.

I think Ali's footwork is much more impressive when he holds ring centre, up on his toes, moving around the jab, pivoting, gaining new angles to score points and control rounds.

McGrain made an excellent thread about Ali's footwork in the first round of Rumble In The Jungle, where Ali spreads his feet a bit more, backs up diagonally, by shifting his feet, creating the perfect range and angles for Foreman to walk onto the right hand leads.

Conclusively, Ali had great footmovement and incredible footspeed, but it wasn't always efficient and it was definitely used in a way that someone with lesser physical gifts would struggle to pull off successfully.

 

yeah agree but we're being picky at his peak he was light years ahead of other heavies in terms of movement. liston couldn't hit him in the early rounds so all that dancing around worked. liston and foreman were dangerous in the opening rounds - make them miss then ya doing a fukin great job.