Better defense Whitaker or Mayweather

No, it's just beneficial to all other things professional athlete (and males in general). It was a genuinely funny reaction, especially when he's friends with Don Hale who owns a couple dozen TRT clinics across the country. Why play stupid? Priceless stuff. In all honesty, I couldn't really give a **** less considering the competition is likely doing the same anyway. Floyd's getting old, and there still isn't a fighter his size on the planet who could beat him. He'd likely be favored over anybody 154 and down right now... And that's testament to skills -- some would cite '**** era', but still. I love the mother****er and would make plans to watch him school a Peter McNeeley level opponent.

I like it. :deal

Great post overall, too. Don't think anybody worthy went without mention.

 

For technique in defence oriented stylists At or near best, not taking into account bad trainings habits, mental weakness\enormous egomania etc that can be factored into an overall assessment of the fighter

This is probably the definitive post-pep list and should be stickied for future reference.:yep

Locche
Zapata
Pea
Duran
Benitez
Lora
Kalambay
Canto
Starling
Toney
Benton


Mayweather
Hopkins(from circa Echols on)
Wright(once he developed his glove defence)

I know Duran shouldn't really be there stylistically speaking, but he's such a freak it had to be done.

Boxer-punchers who had lots of defensive chops at one point or another in their career and can be added somewhere to 2nd tier list without fear of outright ridicule.in no particular order

Archie Moore
Ezzard Charles
Charley Burley(might be even higher but only one fight available)

in fact most of the great boxer punchers of the 40-60s can be added here.

Eder Jofre
Jose Napoles
Emile Griffith
Luis Rodriguez
Carlos Ortiz
Wilfredo Gomez
Ismael Laguna
Ken Buchanan
Ernesto Marcel
Johnny Famechon
Lionel Rose
Dwight Qawi
victor Galindez
Ali
Michael Nunn
Santos Laciar
Esteban Dejesus
Ayub Kalule
Sugar Ray Leonard
Marvin Hagler
Jung-Koo Chang
Michael Spinks
Hugo Corro:yep
Mike McCallum
Salvador Sanchez
Julio Cesar Chavez
John Conteh
Roy Jones jr.
Chris Eubank
Mark Johnson

Then the amount of fighters with very good defensive capability while fighting in a varied non-safety first manner drops off considerably over the past 15 years.PLenty of strong talent in other areas, but i think a substantial amount of that period's best boxer-punchers(outside heavy where great defence was rare or traditionally not needed as much as durability and power) have been notably ordinary or flawed defensively and often had issues integrating a seamless slip and counter game.


Tito
Mosley
Pac
junior jones
Quartey
DLH
The mexican greats Barrera, Marquez, Morales
they make up for it in other ways but aren't as talented or well-schooled in that area as their predecessors were.Plus a host of other fighters who aren't on the level of these guys but were good fighters and generally worse defensively than their older counterparts in relative talent were.

I think the 70s and 80s were the best era's for defensive specialists, with the 30s\40s to 60s being the best for sheer amount of fighters with above average\very good defensive skill.

 

I think we need to define post pep...

 

A fine point, but still.

 

Aye. I'll petition McGrain to make that a permanent part of the scenery.

 

Looks like it's already been a thread:
http://www.eastsideboxing.com/forum/showthread.php?t=395095

 

Compare Pea vs DLH to Floyd vs a washed up DLH. The question doesn't even deserve to be asked.

:rofl Because Floyd didnt have the oppertunity to face better opposition..... His defensive inclination doesnt only apply when he's inside the ropes.

 

I give "Money" Mayweather the edge against "Sweet Pea" Whittaker in the department of defense given that Whittaker's been down just a few times in his career where as Floyd Jr has only officially been down once, whether you count the slip against Zab Judah in April of 2006 or the knee he took against Carlos Hernandez in his second to last defense of his World Superfeatherweight Championship in May of 2001.

Either way if I'm in either or both of these two corners managing them I wouldn't be too quick to put this one, F.Mayweather Jr. vs P.Whittaker, together unless I was sure that it would be a barn burner at the gate and of course the PPV buys!

 

I just don't see a fight between them being a barn burner... I may be in the minority.. but I see Pea making Floyd look average. It's one of those fights where, going in, people would be thinking this is the second coming of the FOTC. After it was over, people would be clamoring for Pea to be ranked in the top ten p4p of all time because of how convincingly he would win against an ATG