Name the fighters that never impressed you on film, despite being considered very good/great

Jack Johnson, Jack Dempsey would lead the pact,
both may have been great for their time. But they
both were often off balance.
Greb and Walker theirs not enough film on them to
get a real analysis on them, basically everything on them
is what a writer wrote a 100yrs ago, where the probably
were the best. But does that automatically make them competitive
with M.Hagler?
Carlos Monzon. Looks very stiff, robotic in the ring. Best
competition were Natural welterweights that were long in
the tooth.
D.Wilder can't spell a proper jab, flails with his right hand
when he hurts a opponent, is he a great puncher,or poor
competition?

 

There is a lot of footage on Walker and he looks great. He can do it all. He can box on the back foot, he can slug, he can punch, hes strong, athletic, and has good reflexes and timing. He is durable and has a huge heart. I dont think you can say enough about Walker.

 

Know that one well. The way Liebling mixes humor with observation is god-tier.

Everything I ever read by him contains at the very least flashes of brilliance. Much of it is simply brilliant all the way through.

One phrase I recall came from his essay on Marciano-Archie Moore, where from his seat he sees Marciano’s face as he turns to go back to his corner after the referee’s instructions and has an expression (I paraphrase the best I can) like “a Great Dane who has just heard the word bone.”

 

Most boxers pre 1930/1940

 

Gotta say I've always never found Andre Ward that impressive, let alone that appealing in the eyes. I can respect him as a great, effective fighter. But his dirty tactics, constant clinches, and boring style just makes him too unwatchable.

 

Archie Moore

 

Ron Lyle
David Tua

 

So it’s not just me ? Lol

 

I don’t think anyone considers these guys very good/great

 

then you have not read very many threads on here through the years. They have both accomplished more on this forum than they ever did in real life.

 

Glad you like it, Pat. My two favourite sentences were when he describes Jersey Joe, after that right hand of Marciano's, 'going down like flour out of a chute'. And my favourite ...

He also comments on the Moore-Johnson fight in which ''Archie landed a left hook that it is a pleasure to remember not having received'.

A man on the tube as he was headed to the Robinson-Maxim fight was wearing a pistachio coloured tie he had to refrain from licking. He could write for pages, essentially saying nothing, and it was a joy to read. I have a real visceral feel for the 50s through him; I could describe smells, sights, noises. It's a book I would confidently tell a non-boxing fan to read, as long as they appreciated good - no, make that great - writing.

The nearest we have come since for me is Bert Sugar. I found him irritating to watch and listen to but he could turn a phrase with the pen. He said of Camacho 'he has a fondness for red leather suits. It is not reciprocated.' and 'he looks like he has stepped out of the pages of a fashion magazine .. at the publisher's request.'

Perhaps my favourite was his review of the Holyfield-Foreman fight. George, he says, was 'at an age when all he should have exercised was caution, but he threw that to the wind...' then he went on about the punches George had thrown. Great segues.

Hugh McIlvanney was a far better sportswriter but even Hugh lacked that bit of wordsmithery that Sugar had.

 

Bert was always cute with the quips. AJ was more cerebral relating his experiences and understanding of the sport and able to do so in a way that was accessible to the masses.

Liebling liked to say he was better than any writer who was faster than him and faster than any writer who was better than him. He conveyed, better than anyone, what it is like to actually go to a fight and experience it — from the fans to the guy selling programs to the wait for a beer at the concession line.