Which fighters were great at fighting off the ropes?

Who could work there effectively, staying relaxed and keeping composure?


Ali will inevitably get mentioned, and rightfully so, but let's discuss some others.

 

Azumah Nelson isn't very fashionable but i will mention the man straight up.

 

Lou Ambers.

 

James Toney

 

Wilfredo Benitez was the best I ever saw at fighting off the ropes. His performances against Palomino and Chiaverini were classic in that regard.

Victor Galindez would brawl off the ropes, countering to the body, and winging shots upstairs.

SRL could fight very well off the ropes when the situation called for it.

Ron Lyle set up Earnie Shavers for the knockout by counterpunching him off the ropes, after Earnie had briefly floored him.

Mike Weaver was laying back on the ropes, feigning distress, when he came over the top with a devastating left hook to flatten Carl Williams for the Truth's first stoppage defeat.

Alexis Arguello destroyed Roberto Elizondo fighting off the ropes. Bodypunching specialist Elizondo went right after Arguello, who let his challenger back him to the ropes, and then stood tall as he winged heavy blows up from underneath, fracturing Elizondo's jaw, and sending him to the deck.

This is a somewhat overlooked part of Dempsey's game, but he was captured on film knocking out Firpo with a right uppercut bomb off the ropes, a rocket launcher of a blast which sent Luis down for a good deal longer than the count of ten.

It's a great question, and I'll try to think of more names, but Benitez is the first to immediately come to mind.

Now, if you want to discuss who was best at fighing out of the corners, Larry Holmes gave a clinic on that approach against Mercer. ("Come on in!," said the spider to the fly. Against Mercer, Holmes was as much of a spider as any boxer to lace on the gloves.)

 

I knew i was forgetting someone, Benitez made his reputation off the ropes, unbelievable.

 

Excellent call

 

In terms of staying relaxed and composed. James Toney would be my pick, no assault ever seemed to faze him he just took it in his stride, lent back and waited for the perfect opportunity to fire back with wicked counters.

 

He was certainly very relaxed there wasn't he, totally at ease.

 

Toney.

 

Yeah he just seemed as cold as ice even in the heat of the fiercest exchange, it was unreal. If Toney were a soldier. I picture him on a battlefield casually walking towards the enemy, bullets flying all around, while his comrades in arms are running for cover.

 

Johnny Dundee made his living countering off the ropes.

Saoul Mamby was very good at this, and so was Eusebio Pedroza. For that matter, his counterpart, Salvador Sanchez, put on a clinic against Wilfredo Gomez during the course of their fight.

These days, I'd say Floyd Mayweather is the best at using this tactic to his advantage.

 

Can you just imagine what a heavyweight version of Benitez might have done to peak Foreman? (Very different from Ali. I don't think a heavyweight Benitez would have been urinating blood, but he would have had George sucking wind, as Foreman kept swatting at air.)

In addition to picking apart Palomino off the ropes, Wilfredo also dissected Duran in the same way. This is especially remarkable when considering the all time bodypunching prowess of both Carlos and Roberto.

Although Benitez was outboxed and outfoxed handily by Hearns, Tommy wanted no part of El Radar lying on the ropes, and wisely kept it in ring center. (As fast and long-armed as Tommy was, he had a devil of a time trying to land on Wilfred. To me, that's the match which made Hearns an ATG.)

 

Pedroza, Galindez, Benitez, Toney, and Chacon.

 

Holmes in his 'second' career did some quality fighting off the ropes.
Against Mercer is the best example, but also that second round against Holyfield as another. Holy got wind of what he was doing pretty quick though.