Most Technically Perfect Boxers

I go out of my way not to be a nuthugger, but in all seriousness, Salvador Sanchez is a true candidate here. There was absolutely nothing he did badly. Everything was textbook.

Jose Napoles was another one, although he did hold his hands low.

Ruben Olivares (when he was in form) was as close to a complete fighter as you could find.

 

Ricardo Lopez
Joe Louis
Alexis Arguello
Juan Manuel Marquez
Miguel Canto

 

........That's the thing; no punch really stood out more than any other. No one has ever said about him, "oh, his hook was a little wide," or, "his jab wasn't particularly sharp." They were all delivered perfectly.

If there was just one trait that shone through, it was that stamina that allowed all these tools to shine through at a top level into the late rounds.

If there is a knock against him, it's that he did seem a little uncomfortable in the role of aggressor. But when push came to shove, he did it, and always won.

 

Mike McCallum.

Has all the skills a fighter needs. Nice form, nice combinations. Good counter puncher, so also good defensively.

 

1. Marvin Hagler
2. Sal Sanchez
3. Eder Jofre
4. Carlos Zarate
5. Joe Louis
6. Floyd Mayweather
7. Alexis Arguello
8. Packey McFarland
9. Jose Napoles
10. Bernard Hopkins
11. Wilfredo Gomez
12. Ricardo Lopez
13. Mike McCallum
14. Carlos Ortiz
15. Ruben Olivares

 

I like Joe Louis for a HW example.

Stable base, incredibly powerful short, neat punches, all mixed into text book combos.

Winky Wright might be a good one for a technically superb defensive fighter, and Hagler for a textbook southpaw?

Having said this I most enjoy watching the creative geniuses who do things there own way, often writing their own textbook - Hamed, Ali, Duran...

 

Floyd does things that aren't that technically great defensively. If he didn't have his speed, he would've been knocked out long ago...

My choices:

Ray Robinson
Ezzard Charles
Ricardo Lopez
Mike McCallum

 

Funny. Both Robinson and Charles were a lot more flawed in defense than Mayweather.

 

Floyd Mayweather Jnr.

An example of fighters using reflex/speed to avoid being hit would be Muhammad Ali and Roy Jones Jnr, displayed by the very "untextbook" but incredibly effective way they leaned their heads back and away from straight punches and got away with it. As they got older and their natural gifts diminished, their fundamental technical flaws were exposed, though. Ali dealt with it a lot better though, given his astonishing toughness, astute strategic thought, and mental fortitude.

Floyd has good reflexes, but clearly these are only part of the package in his case, and not the basis for his evasiveness. His footwork is sensational which helps him keep out of range of his opponents, and he uses the shoulder roll perfectly - Furthermore, the way he all but nullified De La Hoyas body barrage in their bout showed how well he could parry punches to the body.

He's demonstrated his superb infighting defensive ability against Burton, and against Castillo in patches.

Steward has commented on his ability to negate the effect of punches that connect by turning his head with the punch. Be it parrying, slipping, ducking, or controlling range, Floyd is a "how to" on how to defend. His ring "awareness" is unreal also - He uses the ring to great effect and doesn't allow himself to be trapped.

I actually think on a technical level his punching is pretty good too, at 130lbs anyway. He could knock you at at this weight (his most comfortable). At the higher weights however he tends to throw quicker less effective punches and less combinations.

 

Floyd vs Roy, a couple of things (out of many more where Roy showed better skills or abilities than Floyd, even though Mayweather is as skillful as they come, All-Time Top 5 easily)

Floyd is more vulnerable when throwing combinations, as he doesn't know how to place his arms in front of him during this to deflect or block the counters.

At the ropes, Roy is much better at using body movement, blocking and parrying punches and countering, than Floyd has ever showed.

 

Harold Johnson
Roberto Duran
Joe louis
Benny Leonard
Carlos Ortiz
I wont say Arguello because his foot work was a little ponderous.
Marvin Hagler
Ray Leonard
Ray Robinson took too many punches he could have avoided
Willie Pep
Jimmy Mclarnin.

 

Tommy Loughran is an interesting case to look at.

Here you have a pound for pound great who really didn't have anything outside of technical briliance.

He had no power, a frail constitution and poor recuperative powers. He got as far as he did entirely through technical superiority over his opponents.