Craftiest fighters ever.

Just because he won't get mentioned.

The Byrd man. Most impressive in context of the size differential he had to work with in contrast to cuties from smaller weight classes.

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I'll throw out a couple of oldies. "Fearless" Freddie Pendleton, who was a throwback thinking fighter, and Emanuel Augustus, who drove other fighters batty with his "craftiness".

 

Archie Moore. He didn't get the nickname Mongoose for nothing.
http://www.nytimes.com/1987/11/24/sports/sports-of-the-times-secrets-of-the-mongoose.html

 

George Benton
Harold Johnson
Mike Gibbons
Jose Napoles
Hedgemon Lewis
Harold Weston
Wilfred Benitez
James Toney
Sumbu Kalambey
Jersey Joe
Duran
Andy Price
Benny Leonard
McCallum
Hopkins
Archie Moore
Willie Pep
Joey Archer
Giardello
Billy Graham
Orelando Canazales
Dwight Braxton
Eusabio Pedroza
Hilario Zapada
Tyrone Everette
Holly Mims
Albert Davila
Forgive my spelling but i think these guys are pretty crafty off the top of my head

 

Saoul Mamby gets overlooked too.

 

In his own way -- not really slick or a 'cutie' -- I'd say Dwight Muhammad Qawi was very crafty.

Looks like a face-first pressure fighter, gives that impression, but really more crafty like a less experienced Archie Moore.

I also think Eusebio Pedroze fits well in this category.

And you've got to throw Mysterious Billy Smith in there according to accounts and reputation.

Jack Kearns related this account of Smith to A.J. Liebling: "He was always doing something mysterious. Like he would step on your foot and when you looked down he would bite you in the ear."

 

Mamby and Fernandez,yes! Byrd too, and Jimmy Young! Goerge Chaplin.

 

Jersey Joe. Could watch him all the time. How he moves and lulls you in then strikes. Did it against Louis, Charles and marciano and dropped em all. Doesn't get much better than that. And bomber graham, he was a marvel. Came so so close to beating Jackson and took mcallum to a split decision.

 

Another smart guy in there from recent times not mentioned yet is Canizales.

 

Archie Moore

 

C above

 

As much as I dislike him, Sugar Ray Leonard. One of the craftiest, most intelligent fighters I've ever seen. If he hadn't changed his tactics against Tommy, he would have lost a decision by being outboxed.

 

Good call on Mamby!