Top 5 Best Footwork of Heavyweight Champions All Time

lefthook31 · Apr 8, 2009

Axe Man said: ↑

Lewis?
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Yeah Lewis looked like me on roller skates in most of his fights.

MRBILL · Apr 8, 2009

I never thought the great Lenny Lewis was a gifted mover......... Lewis could move, but it was structured.... Lewis' best display of boxing was against a bloated "Tuaman" in 2000...... Cheers......

MR.BILL

Bummy Davis · Apr 8, 2009

1)JJW
2)Ali...the older version drops...60's version could dance
3)Tunney
4)Charles
5)Vlad...dont laugh he cuts off the ring and has learned how to move in and out pretty good

mcvey · Apr 8, 2009

SuzieQ49 said: ↑

1. Jersey Joe Walcott

- Maybe the best footwork in history p4p. Walcott not only had incredible footwork, he INVENTED incredible moves with his footwork that still have yet to be duplicated to this modern day. God gave Walcott a gift, and Walcott made the best of it. The way he does that Walcott Shuffle and at times seems like he is doing the moonwalk in and out is fascinating. His feet go one direction and his body goes the other! There is a sparring clip of him training for marciano and he pretends to move to his left, then slides to his right and the way he slides with his feet it looks like he is on ice or something. Unbelievable. In the ring, Walcott would do his famous "Walcott Waltz". He would pretend to go forward then all of a sudden pivot on his left foot and walk back over his right foot at the same time turning his body 180 degrees..He would repeat this over and over again..switching it up by instead bringing his left foot back under his right foot giving a change of pace..the last one he would do is dance up on his toes and then fake his upperbody to the left then in one fast transaction pivot both feet to the opposite side(check round 11 vs Louis 1948) When an opponent tried to land a jab on this last shuffle it would be impossible to land cleanly for walcott's whole body including head would move along with his feet. Overall, this footwork would cause Caos to the other opponent and they would walk right into walcotts traps. The greatest heavyweight of all time joe louis, had no idea how to deal with walcott's footwork, he walked into one hundred traps. he missed many punches. Louis said later "Walcott was so tricky with his feet, he would be on the inside popping me so i would go to tee off on him then all of a sudden he was gone out of range, then a split second later he was back in range slugging on me so I would go to tee off again and all of a sudden hed be gone!" The way Walcott casually walked in on charles like he was going for a stroll in the park then BOOOM still lives as one of the greatest plans ever executed.

2. Muhammad Ali

- By far the fastest feet in heavyweight history. Ali could dance on his toes for 15 rounds then go to he local club after the fight and dance on his toes another 2 hours. There was no stopping with this man. His feet were pure lightning, he could go in and out faster than anyone. He could circle his opponents faster than anyone. And to make things even more incredible, he was a 6'3 212lb man. That is a big heavyweight, to move like that faster than any sub 200lb man is godly. Yet he pulled it off. Sonny Liston the Big Bad Terror who chased everyone down could not catch Ali even if he had brooks robinsons glove on. Ali was so fast with his feet that he was able to get away with not so perfect fundamentals like pulling his head back and low gaurd...Fastest footwork in history.

3. Jack Dempsey- You would think a man with a lean forward bend at the waist Swarmer style would never be able to fight on his toes, too much grind. Yet Jack Dempsey somehow pulled it off. The best footwork for any swarmer style who ever lived, the only swarmer I have ever seen box on his toes while leaning forward...You know how much strain that puts on your calves? :-( Even with the Botchy Film, you can still see the Skill in Dempseys footwork...He was soo graceful the way he bounced on his toes, and he moved in and out in and out so side to side so unpredictable, he is the only one i seen besides walcott who could go in and out of range by going sideways with incredible precision footwork. Dempsey's footwork was impossible to Time. Dempsey sparring with Big Bill Tate a 6'7 coloured fighter, his footwork in that picture is a thing of art. For a heavyweight who fought in a era before proper boxing fundamentals and techniques were developed, dempsey sure made Footwork very modern. no modern heavyweight has been able to surpass dempseys footwork.

4. Ezzard Charles- In his prime, he had the most elegant and smooth footwork I have ever seen. The way he bounced on his toes, it was like the way a musicionist plays the violin, so smooth. It had a rythm to it that could sell # 1 on box hits today. The way he went in and out of range he looked like a ballerina. Unbelievable poise, balance, and elegancy. Pat Valentino watched charles put a footwork clinic on him for 9 rounds. Charles in the late 1940's Charles still had good footwork all the way through 1954, but it was by 1950 that his footwork began to slip a bit. People tend to not watch enough film of 1940's charles footwork.

5. Gene Tunney- Very similiar footwork style to Ali. Like Ali, he had such fast feet that he got way with not proper fundamentals(hands low, chin out, lean back to avoid punches), but he was so fast that no one caught except one man for one round in 82 pro fights. Tunney shuffled sidewats faster than anyone I have seen, that was where he was at his best, circling his opponent sideways shuffling. Tunney was great at getting himself off the ropes using his fast feet to shuffle out of harms war. Dempsey tried to get into range, but tunney was so fast with his feet he kept him at long range for 19 out of 20 rounds. He could also dart in and out pretty quickly too, when he went on the offensive.

* Sorry Old Time fans, we dont have adaquete film of Corbett, so we can't make that honest assessment. I refuse to buy into the sensationalism.
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Tommy Burns had underated footwork,he glided in and out of range very well ,until he met a man whose judgement of distance was uncanny for his times.George Foreman does not have pretty foot work but it was effective,he understood how to cut a ring off on an opponent, and was allways back in your face by virtue of his lateral steps ,unlike Liston who plodded round after you. Louis did not have great foot work but has anyone ever seen him off balance after missing a punch ? He understood the basics very well, the trick with him was to throw his timing off by doing the unexpected as Godoy did,Louis was a rythmn puncher, allow him to settle into his groove and you were in for an early shower.

SuzieQ49 · Apr 8, 2009

Just imagine if norton young lyle etc fought Ali with 60s footwork, he would have killed them

SuzieQ49 · Apr 8, 2009

Louis did not have great foot work but has anyone ever seen him off balance after missing a punch ?
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Yes, why do you think James Braddock knocked him down

mcvey · Apr 8, 2009

SuzieQ49 said: ↑

Yes, why do you think James Braddock knocked him down
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Braddock knocked him down because he hit him with a right hand to the upper chest which means what?

McGrain · Apr 8, 2009

Q, i agree with your 5, and I almost agree with your order - i'd move Tunney to #4, posisbly #3, otherwise, snap.

SuzieQ49 · Apr 8, 2009

Braddock knocked him down because he hit him with a right hand to the upper chest which means what?
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He hit louis while louis was OFF BALANCE missing a punch

McGrain · Apr 8, 2009

Louis has brilliant footwork for his style.

SuzieQ49 · Apr 8, 2009

Mcgrain,

Believe it or not, me and you share alot of the same opinions. Are top 10 heavyweights is very similiar, and we both think very highly of liston.

SuzieQ49 · Apr 8, 2009

Louis of the 30s specificully had very good footwork, checkout the max baer fight. louis would be in the top 10.

McGrain · Apr 8, 2009

I want to say a little bit more about this. My picks, which almost match Q's are based upon traditional appreciaton - guys who move well, who place themselves properly, who are balanced, who are evaseive, etc. That makes a guy like Walcott a lock for 1 and Ali a lock for 2 IMO.

But there is also a relative appreciation, appreciating footwork relative to a fighter's style. The footwork that most facilitates a fighters style. Again, Walcott would be one, and Ali would probably still be #2. But Louis ranks very, very, very high on such a list. He uses economy and balance to hold his power late and make his punches lethal.

MRBILL · Apr 8, 2009

I say the Ali of '74 against Frazier BOXED very well at age 32 and won 8 of the 12 rds against Joe........... Ali's legs looked great at MSG in 1974....

Ali also boxed well against a hungry Earnie Shavers in '77 at age 35 at MSG, too... YES! Ali was rocked 2X by Shavers, however, Shavers was pumped and psyched and in great shape........ The hell do the detractors expect?? 'Twas a great fight altogether...... And Ali's last great effort on a supreme level.......

Screw the '78 fights with Leon Stinks..... YAWN!!

MR.BILL

Rock0052 · Apr 8, 2009

SuzieQ49 said: ↑

1. Jersey Joe Walcott

- Maybe the best footwork in history p4p. Walcott not only had incredible footwork, he INVENTED incredible moves with his footwork that still have yet to be duplicated to this modern day. God gave Walcott a gift, and Walcott made the best of it. The way he does that Walcott Shuffle and at times seems like he is doing the moonwalk in and out is fascinating. His feet go one direction and his body goes the other! There is a sparring clip of him training for marciano and he pretends to move to his left, then slides to his right and the way he slides with his feet it looks like he is on ice or something. Unbelievable. In the ring, Walcott would do his famous "Walcott Waltz". He would pretend to go forward then all of a sudden pivot on his left foot and walk back over his right foot at the same time turning his body 180 degrees..He would repeat this over and over again..switching it up by instead bringing his left foot back under his right foot giving a change of pace..the last one he would do is dance up on his toes and then fake his upperbody to the left then in one fast transaction pivot both feet to the opposite side(check round 11 vs Louis 1948) When an opponent tried to land a jab on this last shuffle it would be impossible to land cleanly for walcott's whole body including head would move along with his feet. Overall, this footwork would cause Caos to the other opponent and they would walk right into walcotts traps. The greatest heavyweight of all time joe louis, had no idea how to deal with walcott's footwork, he walked into one hundred traps. he missed many punches. Louis said later "Walcott was so tricky with his feet, he would be on the inside popping me so i would go to tee off on him then all of a sudden he was gone out of range, then a split second later he was back in range slugging on me so I would go to tee off again and all of a sudden hed be gone!" The way Walcott casually walked in on charles like he was going for a stroll in the park then BOOOM still lives as one of the greatest plans ever executed.

2. Muhammad Ali

- By far the fastest feet in heavyweight history. Ali could dance on his toes for 15 rounds then go to he local club after the fight and dance on his toes another 2 hours. There was no stopping with this man. His feet were pure lightning, he could go in and out faster than anyone. He could circle his opponents faster than anyone. And to make things even more incredible, he was a 6'3 212lb man. That is a big heavyweight, to move like that faster than any sub 200lb man is godly. Yet he pulled it off. Sonny Liston the Big Bad Terror who chased everyone down could not catch Ali even if he had brooks robinsons glove on. Ali was so fast with his feet that he was able to get away with not so perfect fundamentals like pulling his head back and low gaurd...Fastest footwork in history.

3. Jack Dempsey- You would think a man with a lean forward bend at the waist Swarmer style would never be able to fight on his toes, too much grind. Yet Jack Dempsey somehow pulled it off. The best footwork for any swarmer style who ever lived, the only swarmer I have ever seen box on his toes while leaning forward...You know how much strain that puts on your calves? :-( Even with the Botchy Film, you can still see the Skill in Dempseys footwork...He was soo graceful the way he bounced on his toes, and he moved in and out in and out so side to side so unpredictable, he is the only one i seen besides walcott who could go in and out of range by going sideways with incredible precision footwork. Dempsey's footwork was impossible to Time. Dempsey sparring with Big Bill Tate a 6'7 coloured fighter, his footwork in that picture is a thing of art. For a heavyweight who fought in a era before proper boxing fundamentals and techniques were developed, dempsey sure made Footwork very modern. no modern heavyweight has been able to surpass dempseys footwork.

4. Ezzard Charles- In his prime, he had the most elegant and smooth footwork I have ever seen. The way he bounced on his toes, it was like the way a musicionist plays the violin, so smooth. It had a rythm to it that could sell # 1 on box hits today. The way he went in and out of range he looked like a ballerina. Unbelievable poise, balance, and elegancy. Pat Valentino watched charles put a footwork clinic on him for 9 rounds. Charles in the late 1940's Charles still had good footwork all the way through 1954, but it was by 1950 that his footwork began to slip a bit. People tend to not watch enough film of 1940's charles footwork.

5. Gene Tunney- Very similiar footwork style to Ali. Like Ali, he had such fast feet that he got way with not proper fundamentals(hands low, chin out, lean back to avoid punches), but he was so fast that no one caught except one man for one round in 82 pro fights. Tunney shuffled sidewats faster than anyone I have seen, that was where he was at his best, circling his opponent sideways shuffling. Tunney was great at getting himself off the ropes using his fast feet to shuffle out of harms war. Dempsey tried to get into range, but tunney was so fast with his feet he kept him at long range for 19 out of 20 rounds. He could also dart in and out pretty quickly too, when he went on the offensive.

* Sorry Old Time fans, we dont have adaquete film of Corbett, so we can't make that honest assessment. I refuse to buy into the sensationalism.
Click to expand...

Props for mentioning Jack Dempsey, who I also think had the best footwork out of all the great swarmers and who doesn't get recognized for it near as often as he should. As you also pointed out, it's an extremely demanding style physically to do it like he did, as well. There's a reason none of the other guys took it to the extreme Dempsey did.

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