Walcott: the most skilled HW ever?

What makes Walcott so great?

His Footwork: ability to slide in and out of range in some of the unpredictably slickest motions ever produced in a boxing ring. Ability to use body misdirections like no other fighter before or since him. Ability to use uncanny switching angles with his feet to lure opponents into huge counter traps.

His sharp fast powerful jab: which he can throw in triple combinations to the head AND body mixing it up. Not many fighters in history could do this.

His ability to use fantastic head movement to make opponents miss jabs by inches leaving them in perfect target range for Walcott's counters. Joe Louis a big man at 6'2 213lb with an ATG left jab, walcott made him miss the whole fight with swift head movement making louis miss by only inches.

His amazing ability to counterpunch and lay traps- No one could trap like Walcott. He perfectly designed and executed one of the greatest traps of all time, as he watched Ezzard Charles(a top 5 p4p fighter of all time) walk right into a one punch knockout counterpunch trap...The way Jersey Joe walked down charles was like a old man calmly taking a stroll in the park knowing everything was going to work out fine...and it did! He didn't just lay it on a gooftrooper, he laid it on Ezzard Charles of all people!!! Other hall of famers, Jimmy Bivins, Joe Louis, Harold Johnson, Joey Maxim all walked into big right hand and left hook counter traps and found themselves on their asses.


This is why Walcott is so supremely skilled

 

I think Walcott's chin seems to be underrated or labeled as sort of chinny because Louis and Marciano knocked him out. No shame in that, but I think the thinking is wrong. Wasn't like Louis KOed him with one shot, and getting KOed by Marciano or Louis is no shame. Even Marciano in the post fight interview praised on how Walcott "Surely takes a good punch, doesn't he."

 

Depends what you want to some extent.

Charles was a more versatile package, but perhaps not the deffensive specialist that Walcott was. Walcott did things with movment feinting and use of angles, that I dont really see any other heavyweight doing.

 

Am I the only one that thinks Walcott may (Note I say "May") have tanked the Layne fight. Walcott was leagues ahead of Layne talent wise. Layne was being hyped as the next Dempsey from the west and even had Dempsey in his camp and I'm sure the press would've loved Layne to live up to the hype. Walcott did not look in particularly great shape for that fight either. Not the rock hard body he had for the Charles and Marciano fights. Layne was a decent fighter but he really didn't display many great attributes.Just a thought...and a nagging one at that,

 

Skill-wise, J.J. Walcott prolly ranks upward in the top-10 with ease..... As a champion, I place him in the top-15........
:deal

MR.BILL:good

 

I actually think Walcott was the more versatile package, as you explain... it's just Charles was better technical. Where am I wrong? Walcott punched better, was craftier, sneakier, better footwork, etc.

 

Agreed

 

all good points Suzie...Layne was 34-1-1 when he fought Marciano and was touted as the next Champ, his fight against Satterfield showed, heart,power and a good chin...Many people remember him after the Marciano fight and that RIGHT hand 6 inch freaky Marciano punch ruined REX because he was never the same but then again none of Marciano's opponents came out of a Marciano fight the same, even though Moore went on to fight 38-4-2 after the Rock, that beating took its toll on the Mongoose

 

:good:good

 

"Most Skilled ---- Ever" is a bold claim so I have no objection to one disputing such a statement. However, this is not the best constructed argument against Walcott. Looking at the footage of the Layne fight its clear he was one of the elite defensively as he is rarely hit with anything clean. However, he isn't looking to counter and seems content with playing spoiler to Layne's antics, costing him a clear decision. I wander if this was a problem for him in his less inspired efforts. I can certainly see why a volume puncher like Ray might have hustled a decision against him on the right night.

[ame]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kJP3UXzLPTg[/ame]

 

Walcott claimed to have injured his right hand in the early stages of the Layne fight.

 

Unfair since Charles started at about MW, was known as a LH great, and only fought at HW because of the era was basically an under 200 pound division. We are talking about some LH who were fighting as HW. Some started below that originally.

So yes, it is easier to say a smaller guy is the most skilled than a 200+ pounder.

But hey, Roy Jones jr. then is them most gifted, most athletic, fastest HW I've ever seen.


For Walcott, he was certainly crafty and skilled.

 

Walcott IMO was one of the most skilled spoilers and had pin-point punching ability and could flatten you with either hand but when he got to aggressive he paid but did well against 2 of the best finishers in the Heavyweight division Louis and Marciano. JJW was erratic but on a good night could upset anyone of the ATG's

 

Roy Jones is more gifted, more athletic, and faster than a prime Ali?

I think you could say Spinks is one of the most skilled HWs, too. There's more of a product of that in the lower divisions, I don't find it unfair as much as I find it the truth.