Footwork - the best ever?

I think this is a meanginless question these days.

Ali has had a few mentions in the thread, and rightly so. He's a good pick. But his footwork is not economical. I read that Ali was preparing a variation on the rope-a-dope as early as Liston I, becuase he knew that he couldn't box in his natural style for 15 rounds against a predator. The reason is flamboyant footwork where he takes many more steps than he needs to going backwards and sideways. So, brilliant footwork to see, in terms of technical difficulty executed with great ease and perfect footwork for enhancing his style (most important criteria) but - who's to say that it's better footwork than Joe Louis had?

Louis was easier to hit becuase of his footwork, often lablelled "shuffling". Nobody contrasts more violently with Muhammad, he is so inelegant by comparison. But Louis's footwork perfectly enhanced his style, also. It was economical in the extreme. Consqueuently Louis carried his power extremely late, and he devastated some of his trickiest opponents late in fights because of this. It worked beautifullly to tempt opponents just into his range whilst moving forwards, an absolute cornerstone of his style. A second cornerstone is that he was always in punching position. So brilliant footwork, that I would say is arguably better than Ali's.

So it's a a very difficult question with no right answer which is probably why nobody has yet offered up a single name. Your question is a bit easier because you want a guy who is more modern. I offer you Hasegawa. Here is a fighter that came up with slight balance issues, corrected them and started knocking everyone out. Beautiful, elegant footwork that is also non-showy and all about the next punch. It's enabled him to tear a huge whole in the division.

 

Ali is as good a pick for #1 as you are going to get.

Agree with you about cutting the ring off. I watched De La Hoya-Mayweather the other day and Oscar actually does this really really beautifully for rounds 2, 3 and 4.

 

He often varied his footwork though.

I think the best example are the two Godoy fights, he's very stationary in one (infuriatingly so in a dull fight) and then much more nible in two.

Blackburn was very keen to get him down off his toes, of course.