Non-Greats Who Possessed Sublime Skills

We had a light heavy over here by the name of Len Harvey. He's not a great but his jab was said to be a thing of beauty, up there with the very best.

More recently, Robbie Sims had some skills but couldn't fight his way out of a nightclub or Marvin Hagler's shadow.

Without the inevitable comparisons to his half brother, Sims would be judged as a decent near contender with enough skills, if they could be matched with more commitment, to have been close to the top of the pile.

 

Marion Wilson. Emanuel Augustus.

 

I'd put Benitez well into the "great" category.

 

Hey, guys, not to take any sides, but I do want to add something to the Danny lopez discussion. You're both right. Whether he is a banger or displaying deft skills, there was one area I was never impressed by lopez and that was his jab. Well, it shows how little I know. I was talking to a couple of guys on the coast who sparred extensively with Lopez and mentioned I was never impressed with his jab and that it was like an awkward point-getter from TV. Well, both their eyeballs grew wide and they had the most feared look on their faces. They explained to me, "Oh, man, you had to experience it to know what that jab was like. It was like a 2 X 4 poking into you repeatedly throwing you off your game." So...maybe Danny did possess a sublime skill outside of just slugging.

 

How could I have forgotten to include Vilomar Fernandez? Couldn't bust a grape but what a cutie.

In a completely odd way as he was a short-armed aggressor (and arguably a borderline great so might not completely fit the definition), but Dwight Qawi deserves a mention here. While it's easy to think of him as a wade-in slugger, at his best you couldn't hit him with a handful of salt even though he's right in front of you.

 

Tippy Larkin

He had everything, minus a chin. He outboxed Billy Graham clear enough and out-jabbed a great jabber in Willie Joyce, but he couldn't handle the bangers.

 

Ike Quartey, one of the best jabs I've ever seen in my life time.

 

My Dad was a big fan of Len Harvey, always talked him up, saying he had all the moves.

 

I forgot to add Ronnie Harris and Marvin Johnson.

 

Alberto Davila, a 1970s and 1980s bantamweight contender, had a beautiful boxing style.

- Chuck Johnston

 

Paulie Malignaggi

Sublime skills but not elite... I give you a featherweight champion who probably won make most fans top 10.. Awesome power, reflexes, confidence/ arrogance, involved in a classic with Kevin Kelly, the one and only Prince Naseem Hamed

 

Did he ever see him live, Cecil?

He is the subject of another trivia factoid. He boxed at every weight division from fly to heavy, I think I'm right in saying.

 

Of the non-greats who were active during the last two decades, both Emanuel Augustus and Clarence "Bones" Adams had boxing skills that you don't see very often in this day and age.

- Chuck Johnston

 

Do you consider Ricardo Lopez a non-great?

 

Luis Collazo... Good Skills. All around good fighter. To me hands down beat Prime Ricky Hatton and Andre Berto.