How highly do you rate the chin and punch resistance of the great Matthew Saad Muhammad After seeing the awesome barrage of punches he received in round 8 of Yaqui Lopez 2, and the constant left looping uppercuts of Marvin Johnson he kept taking flush without flinching, I'm inclined to rate him very highly in this category. Thoughts?
In my book, Saad was exceptionally capable of withstanding power punches and of recuperating after being hurt. I rate him as one of the best in these categories while he was in his prime.
Saad's chin was very good, but he could be hurt. His recuperative powers were clearly elite, though. There aren't many fighters who could take a beating like him and come back to win.
He could be buzzed fairly easily, but was great at keeping his composure and recovering well. He took insane beatings in a lot of fights, and still came out on top in most of them. Tough as Hell, like putting Julio Cesar Chavez's will to fight/win on Don Curry's body!!!
Very good chin. Unfortunately, he relied on it too much - and even the best chins have a breaking point.
I think it must of been a case of very good chin allied to unbelivable will I remember seeing Matt get flattened by Richie kates, he should of been out ! he looked out ...Poleaxed at the end of the 5th and saved by the bell, but it was almost terminator'ish Red eyes start to glow again...he gets up ...next round he takes more of a beating ..then he turns it around and wrecks Kates ! (some of it is on you tube ) its one of matts early classics that rarely gets a mention these days. Kates was a very classy boxer-puncher, it was a good win for Matt.
i don't think it was as much his chin as it was his recovering abilities .. some folks have awesome chins but once you crack them they can't recover well .. but then you got guys who lack a little in the chin department but make up for it by rising from the ashes many times through a fight ... that's saad... the phoenix of the boxing ring!
As has been pointed out already, while his chin was pretty sturdy I think it was more a case of Matthew`s indomitable will to win and warrior mentality that allowed him to come roaring back whenever he got his bell rung. He was that rare breed of fighter who relished a battle of wills as he knew he would never be subdued in the ring by anyone, beaten perhaps, knocked out maybe, but no man would or could ever make him yield or break his will and he made his opponents know it in the ring. The man is a legend and an all-time great lightheavyweight as far as I`m concerned and on his best day he gives ANY other great lightheavyweight the fight of their life win, lose or draw I don`t care who they are.