Marlon Starling was a highly skilled boxer and arguably the best defensive fighter in the 80`s

Zarate's defense was really good IMO.

 

Starling was good, his dismantling of Honeyghan should be shown as the example of what happens when a fighter takes away another's will to fight.


Now the best of a generation? Its been a while since ive watched Starling, didnt he spend stretches not capitalzing as much offensively as he should have from his defense (more admiring making his opponents miss)? Maybe im misremembering

 

Whitaker, Benitez, and Zapata are laughing at this idiotic statement.

 

I don't think I've ever seen anyone mention Zarate as a great defender honestly. He's mostly known as a power puncher with great offensive skills and great body attacks. But never known for having a great defense. He does have a good high guard but didn't have much head movement, at least from what I remembered of him. Technically superb and highly underrated boxing skills though.

If anything I should have added Eusebio Pedroza to the list of great defensive fighters of the 80s. And I guess Gilberto Roman too.

 

In one of his fights I saw him (Zarate) block punches with his arms like a martial arts expert. Very subtle. but yeah he was Mexican style personified.

 

Whatever, Mark.

 

His second fight with Donald Curry is a clinic on infighting

 

All due respect to Starling, not the right decade or fighter about which to stake that claim.

 

Just adding to what i already posted, i think Starling would be competitive in almost any era. Dominate...probably not, but he would pick up wins against the best of most eras along with some losses.

Its too bad he dropped that decision against blocker in his last fight, would of been intereting to see how he would of done against a young Trinidad (instead of Blocker).

 

The best? Probably not, but he was exceptional.

I also think names like Pedroza, Galloway and Duran deserve to be in the debate and when Brian Mitchell came to London, he was cuter than I thought; although ultimately they do not top Whitaker.

 

Galloway?

 

Starling was a very underrated fighter .I hated him for beating Lloyd Honneygan [ the night of my 16th birthday) .But he was an excellent boxer one of my favourite fighters now. I don't know why he didn't go up to light middle . I'd give him a good chance of beating Jackson baring a sucker punch .Nunn was way to bit for him .