Most complete fighters in boxing history

Unbeaten and ultra-exciting Yuh could do a lot.

 

Hopkins.

He can fight on the outside on his toes utilising a tight defence, good footwork, the jab and counter punching ( Trinidad ).

He can be an attacking Sugar Ray Robinson type boxer throwing many , many punches and relying on speed, the jab and aggressive boxing skills ( Glenn Johnson )

He can fight as a bull rushing swarmer trying to make the fight in a proverbial phone booth by backing his opponent against the ropes ( Keith Holmes ).

He can be patient and stay outside conservatively but then use the lead right, left hook to the body type combo then clinch ( Tarver ).


He can be a dull spoiler using the straight right lead and clinch as well as rough house tactics on the inside to outsmart and outbox his opponent ( Winky Wright )

He could be an aggressive " hunt you down n waste you " stalker type when he was an up and comer facing average fighters.

I don't know a more versatile fighter.

 

Yep.

 

I love Duran but he cant box on his toes on the outside using circling footwork and the jab like Robinson, Hagler , Leonard or Hopkins. He didnt have that kind of footwork.

Ray Leonard could actually fight in more styles than Duran in my opinion.

Hagler was actually VERY versatile as well. He could fight as a bull ( Hearns ) or as a counter punching boxer with a great jab ( Sibson and Hamsho ).

James Toney was another guy who is versatile and I would deffo rate Holyfield as the most rounded heavyweight I have seen. Evander could fight in every style. Slugger, swarmer, stalker or boxer.

Cheers All.

 

Roy Jones cant fight as a swarmer or a stalker, much like my idol Ali he had a very unusual style that was all his own.

Ali and Jones are much more in the " really clever guys with unique abilities and styles " than classic all round types.

Floyd Mayweather, as much as I loathe him is a well rounded fighter too but nowhere near as expert at all styles as Hopkins.

I dont think "Money" could stalk against a proper , world class boxer though. If he tried to fight like he did against the MMA bloke versus someone like Errol Spence he would be smashed.

Cheers All.

 

Salvador Sanchez was a complete fighter. He was probably more natural as a counterpuncher but I saw him defend his title coming forward and pressing the fight as well. He got the job done regardless.

Azumah Nelson was a complete fighter as well. I loved the way for example he baited Fenech down in Austraila by laying on the ropes and waiting for Jeff to make a mistake.

 

Azumah is a great example. I reckon there are definitely more all round, complete type fighters between bantamweight and lightweight then above lightweight.

Chavez was also a very skillful guy who could pretty much use any style.

 

I dont think anyone has mentioned Aaron Pryor yet. He could pretty much utilise any style necessary.

He could box on the outside using his foot speed and jab but he could also attack like a swarm of bees.

 

Ruben Olivares could pretty much do it all . He could pretty much fight any way he wanted. JMM Marquez is also VERY versatile.

Cheers All.

 

I I

I disagree. Duran could definitely box. He had the quickness and the skills. Duran could use angles and footwork was good enough. He wasn't a dancer but he could box.

 

Hi ETM, I agree that Roberto was a great fighter at range, you just have to see the way he dropped Moore and Barkley with the right hand over the jab despite their size n reach advantages to know what a clever fighter he was.

My point was that Roberto was incapable of getting on the bike and using the jab and hand speed as well as the clinch to try and outpoint his opponent in the manner of De La Hoya vs Trinidad , Leonard vs Duran 2, Ali vs Norton 2 and Frazier 2 or many of the young Mayweather's fights.

Cheers Mate.

 

This has really turned out to be a great thread. We've had it plenty of times over the years but it's great to see the newer posters and their input. Some great mentions and i love the way things have branched out.

I'm going to throw forward Jeff Chandler as well. He was an extremely well rounded fighter.

 

When I think of complete boxing performancs one of the fights I think of is Duran's rubber match with DeJesus. ar
Arcel told him "patience, patience, patience, box, box, box. When it' time to go for the kill you'l know. He made it an easy fight. Remember DeJesus had dropped Duran twice with lefhook counters

 

3 pages and barely a mention of a heavyweight hahaha