styles of various defensive masters

Nicolino Locche - his strength was his speed, reflexes, timing, anticipation. His headmovement is one of the best. His mastership could be seen against dangerous Antonio Cervantes which is on YT.

I think that it was due his natural talent to defend himself the way he did. Just like Ali Locche didn't follow textbook moves.

 

Putting it roughly, there's four categories for me. The ones that are most archetypical are listed bellow:


Fencers:
These type tend to rely on their foot movement to make much of their defensive moves, especially with regards to moving in and out of striking distance.
E.g.
Jim Driscoll
Benny Leonard
Tommy Loughran
Johnny Famechon

Intuitionists:
Fighters with the 6th sense, they seem to see punches before they are there and have uncanny reflexes.
E.g.
Wilfred Benitez
Pernell Whitaker
Miguel Lora
Hilario Zapata


Tight Gaurds:
Through dint of strong arms, these guys are able to barricade their heads and body and not let anything through.
E.g.
Marlon Starling
Winky Wright


Fundamental soundness:
These guys thrive through not making any mistakes. It has more to do with discipline, concentration and accurate positioning than it does with any of the features listed above.
Bernard Hopkins
Harold Johnson
Billy Graham


Then you have fighters that are more a mixture:

Locche (intuitionist & tight guard)
Pep (intuitionist & fencer)
Mayweather (fundamentally sound & fencer)

 

I would add Duran to this list. His defense was the most effective, because it became offense so effortlessly and dangerously.

Mayweather's defense is the sense of effective in not that good. Sure he can avoid shots, but his tucked in left hand leaves him with one punch. Had he been facing men the Duran's, and Basilio's this would have been more of a problem than a help.

 

Good post.

I tend to think of defence primarily as three areas inter joined: Head movement, foot movement and hand movement (blocking etc...)

These three things are the pillars of which every defence is made from. Most fighters, including the great defensive boxers, only combine two of the pillars. Take Willie Pep for example he mainly combined foot movement and head movement.

The most complete (in terms of my three pillars) defensivly are Wilfredo Benitez and Hilario Zapata, both used all three pillars to great effect.

 

Cheers. :good

I think if someone wanted to, they could break those styles down further and talk about all the facets of defence (e.g. parrying, bob'n'weave, shoulder rolling etc.), but most defensive fighters seem to fall into those rough and ready categories I feel.

 

That's a good basic way of putting it. You could maybe add body movement to incorporate things like shoulder rolling into the mix. :good

 

:good

WHat about CHarley BUrley?

 

I would put that under head movement, but yeh. This is just the most simplisticc approach.

 

very good thread Red Cobra, and an interesting breakdown SweetScientist.

And would Burley be placed in the fencer and intuitionist category?

 

He definitely had those aspects to his defensive game. Burley had a bit of everything really. He definitely can't be pigeonholed in just one of those categories.