Great fighters that lacked both power and durability.

Perhaps Wilfred Benitez? Probably as close as you'll get to an answer, but I agree with pryorgatti, the real answer is none.

 

I actually hit the submit reply box last night and was going to submit Benitez. He's as close as i can think of offhand.

 

With wilfey though it must be recalled he knocked out world champ hope with one shot,went the distance with hearns and duran,and battled hard to 15 nearly complete rounds v leonard. Maybe a bit harsh to consider him as not durable or powerful.....
If we consider benitez lets consider sweet pea as well..........
(waits for avalanche of pea apologists. :yep .)

 

Patterson didn't lack power or durability. His biggest handicap was his deficit in size as a heavyweight. He went 12 hard rounds with Chuvalo, Machen and finished stronger in his two fights with Quarry than Jerry did. He also, in my opinion, won his 15 rounder with Jimmy Ellis in 1968, decking Ellis in the 14th round.

 

Well i was going to post him but thought he didn't quite fit, but still he is the closest i can think of. He went the distance with SRL and Hearns but rarely got hit, tho Leonard dropped him with a jab and Hearns with a grazing punch. Bruce Curry dropped him a few times from memory and gave many the impression he was a huge hitter, which he turned out not to be. I'd also say the Hope KO was very out of the ordinary for Wilfred and his punches also didn't worry Hearns.

Great fighter tho, and definitely not feather fisted. I think his incredible defence hid his chin problems, and even when hurt he could still avoid punches with amazing fluidity. Whitaker has a much better chin tho IMO.

 

Pernell Whitaker; soft chin, little power....

 

Probably doesn't qualify as a great, but Lionel Rose is probably another one that comes to mind. Was very chinny, and lacked power, but he possessed great skills.

 

Hard to argue. It's slim pickings tho isn't it.

 

You won't have to wait for long

Pernell didn't have an outstanding chin, but I don't see how it can be claimed that he wasn't durable (which is of course what the threads asks - not whether someone lacked a good chin, but durability. The two aren't identical, though they are interrelated).

Doesn't fighting with a broken jaw when you are way past your prime and above your best weight against a murderous puncher in Tito who is hitting you with flush shots prove your durability?

Doesn't fighting Julio Cesar Vasquez with a broken rib prove your durability?

Doesn't fighitng with broken hands (Ramirez I, Jones,) prove some durability?

Pernell lacked power, no doubt, but durability? I think not. He was resilient.

 

Sure is...

It would take an absolute magician to turn out great with those two inadequacies.

 

I agree SS,but in that respect benitez was durable against hearns,duran,leonard and others,and he arguably had better power than pea. He also started at 140 and went to 160.
I of course think pea was very durable,but i just wanted to show that picking wilfey is not logical unless one also picks pea by the same reasoning. I think both benitez and pea were durable in the sense of not being stopped often,even against great fighters....

 

The difference though is that Benitez didn't get tagged flush much in the Leonard, Duran and Hearns fights, as JT has already mentioned. And it's true, Curry had Benitez nearly all but out in their first fight.

In any case, I do think Benitez had a fair amount of durability, which is why I don't think he really qualifies. But in so far as HAVING to pick some one, I might pick Wilfred.

Benitez did have more power than Pea p4p though, I agree with you there.

 

I was racking my brain for someone who fit this criteria. I think your pick of Lionel Rose is brilliant, ss -- comes as close as I can imagine.

 

Tippy Larkin may not have been "great," but he was a helluva fighter -- a sweet sweet boxer.

 

Agreed, just pointing out he too had a soft chin and lacked power, which is the direction the thread has come down too.