Hi Kurupt, I reckon Sweet Pea had the best jab p4p I have ever seen. Hearns and Foster had more dangerous jabs due to their height, power and speed but I reckon Pernell had the most versatile, busy and trickiest jab I have seen. Cheers.
what a tough question. I think Whitaker had a better jab. Floyd used range finders to be more defensive. Pernell was defensive, but he also worked he body and he kept JCC Sr. back with body punches and the jab... I like Pernell more than Floyd. obviously with my name here. He fought everyone and never handpicked.
Both guys were more defensive and could be compared in overall skills really. I think Mayweather had the better jab, but Pea probably was better overall defensively. Mayweather is very underrated fighter in my opinion because of his personality, but he would be hell for any welter in any era. He could fight, box, take a good shot and move very well. I think overall he was a better fighter than Whitaker, just never had the ATG to face in their primes to surpass his accomplishments.
Whitaker used the jab constantly though and it`s very hard to get set against a fighter that does that, SRR was another fighter who always through the jab, Floyd used it a lot less in his fights but used it great v Pac because it`s one of the few fights at welter when Floyd had a longer reach than his opponent.
Whitaker jab was very good, I'd say about even him and floyds. Both had a lot of success to the head and body. I do have some concernes with Whitaker overall career considering some people rate him number 1 all time at 135.. Chavez was well past his prime when they fought. He didn't fight everyone. Missed out on Edwin Rosario in the 80s, never fought meldrick taylor, never fought quartey or Trinidad in 93-94 when he still had something left. Whitaker is lacking a true signature win on his resume, unlike say a Roberto Duran. He's ranked very highly head to head here for someone who doesn't have a very impressive resume
Whittaker had the better jab which is odd considering he was a southpaw. He always managed to angle around the hand fight and snap a short jab in that southpaws traditionally don't land. But to be fair to Floyd he never really committed to jab his way into combos, preferring the feint to open up with a left hook or lead right hand.
I don`t believe Taylor`s performance against Chavez was as good as Whitaker`s, when looking at the jab situation, Taylor couldn`t jab or fight on the outside against Julio in the early rounds because everytime he Jabbbed Chavez started to catch him with the counter right, Chavez also cut the ring off on Taylor easily but he couldn`t do that v Whitaker because I watched a film study showing how Whitaker used the jab, he got his southpaw foot on the inside of Julio`s lead foot, making it easier for him to land is jab but to get out to his right he had to cross over his rear leg so he could circle right the same way Ali did in an orthodox stance and I don`t feel Mayweather used the jab with this kind of skill even though he used his jab well vs Pac that was easier than against a fighter with clever offensive footwork like JCC, I don`t think Meldrick was on the same level as these guys but you are right he didn`t have a great win he beat good opponents while fighting at a great level if that makes any sense.
Yes, I just watched a film study showing how Whitaker could land his southpaw jab like how you stated by keeping his lead foot inside the orthodox foe`s lead foot leaving an angle that`s good for the landing the jab, very tricky and not conventional thinking for the lead foot of a southpaw, interestingly Pac tried placing his lead foot inside Floyd`s but he couldn`t jab like Whitaker and got dominated by Floyd`s longer jab, thanks.
Whitaker had one of the greatest jabs of all time in any weight class, Floyd just had a good jab. Basically what JC and escudo said. It was mentioned Whitaker not fighting Rosario. Rosario got stopped on cuts by Juan Nazario and lost the WBA title when he was in line for a unification fight with Pea. Nazario rightfully got the shot instead and was bombed out inside a round. Rosario moved up to 140 straight after and removed himself from the picture. Any prior window for them to square off was virtually non-existent as far as I'm aware. Pea didn't beat Haugen while early 89 to snare his first belt after the Ramirez fiasco. Rosario spent two years treading water against journeymen after Chavez beat him before finally taking the WBA title from Jones shortly after Pea beat Haugen, spent 9 months inactive and then lost to Nazario whom he'd previously beaten. It can't be held against Whitaker, Rosario had no-one but himself to blame for not getting that fight. Not that he would've won anyway imo or come close.
