Smoothest fighters by weightclass.

Benitez has a shout at 140 I'd say.

 

how far would you agree with this definition of smooth

'the ability to seamlessly change from offence from defence and vice versa'

 

good oint Mcgrain

but what are those certain tics?

would seamlessly blend offence and defence be a better description

 

thats a good one

but i would say Willie Pep is the most gracefull fighers that ever lived but i wouldnt call him the smoothest

 

Why not? I thought his every move was smooth. His footwork, feints, and slips (often shown at the highest level in succession) particularly.

 

just wasnt smooth in the sense i though Napoles was

Napoles just combines everything together well (offence and defence) ditto with Duran just never saw that same level of Offence and defence blending in pep

 

Duran mixed rugged with smooth in a way I've never seen before, but I wouldn't consider him out and out smooth in the way Napoles and Pep were. Combining offense and defense isn't necessarily what I think of when I talk smooth fighters, it's more of what McGrain said in regards to the fludity of their movements and the grace in which they carry them out. Either way, Pep's abilities to glide in and out, feinting and countering his opponents while avoiding their touch certainly qualifies as an effective mixture of offense and defense to me.

 

Jersey Joe Walcott looks so smooth, he must be God.

 

I only saw Ocasio/Stephens when it aired live, but I was startled at how much more fluid and mobile Jaws became after he'd shed over 25 pounds to become a cruiserweight. (Another impressed and surprised observer was former opponent Larry Holmes, providing color commentary from ringside.) DeLeon is probably the correct answer here, but I don't think the gap between him and Ocasio at his cruiserweight best is quite so pronounced.

Sometimes, it seemed like jabs just streamed, flowing out from Joey Archer's left. There were moments where it didn't matter how Griffith moved his head to try avoiding them, Archer would connect with all of a succession anyway.

 

No, you got that backwards. Ali is much smoother, more natural, almost like floating in the air in terms of his style and dancing to other Heavyweights and JJW. Jersey Joe has the herky jerky, unpredictable non-rhythm style.

I would say Walcott is more smooth in the figurative sense. Ali's dancing is just remarkable and marvelous to watch. Jersey Joe style is much more erratic and non-predictable looking with his style.

I guess a younger HW James Toney could get the smoothest award for the HW notch but that's really reaching. But no mention of Toney at SMW? I think Moore could get a mention at LHW maybe.

I think Pep and Nicolino Locche are masters at this category.

I don't think Tunney is a good mention as he danced and bounced around but didn't have rythm and didn't really like quite pretty when doing it. I don't think he was smooth. Ali said he was modern but criticized this element too.

 

suppose your right there

yeh Pep is smooth

 

How about Sal Sanchez? He looked a bit more awkward against fighters that didn't come to him or employed unusual tactics, but there was just something about him when he countered an opponent and put those cool, accurate combos together. Now that I think on it, 'cool' might actually be the better adjective concerning Sanchez. Amidst other superlatives.

I'd also like to nominate Walter McGowan.