Who was harder to hit: Pep, Locche, or Whitaker?

I think Robinson gets underestimated defensively often.Maybe because a lot of the most widespread footage is him as an aging middle against some really awkward offensive fighters.

he's very hard to hit twice in a row for the kind of offensive brutality he's often dishing out.

 

In my view the guy in your avatar was even closer.

 

He's either underrated defensively or he's got one of the greatest sets of whiskers ever...cause just look at his record..only stopped by the heat vs Maxim.

 

Maybe, but being an obvious fan, I usually leave Roberto out unless the convo is about him directly. Otherwise it looks like I'm just promoting my guy...which I suppose I have been guilty of.

 

I don't think Robinson's defense is quite on par with the three fighters under discusion, but if you watch fights of him in his prime (try his 52 title defense against Graziano - it's on you tube) you see a lot of Willie Pep in the footwork, combined with a superior jab...then of course, his offense was better than any of the three, so he didn't have to call on that defensive skill as fequently.

 

s like Robinson, Monzon, Sanchez, etc., were not known to be typical defensive whizzes maybe, but the longevity of their careers (SRR and Monzon anyway) and the fact that they were never stopped...shows great defensive prowess in my book.

 

Ray Arcel endorsed Locche over Pep, Benny Leonard, Robby and all the other old timers he witnessed that one might expect him to favor as the greatest defensive specialist of all time. He had to study Locche closely to design the successful challenge of Peppermint Frazer in dethroning El Intocable.

 

I heard that before.

I've also heard other trainers put Pep right at the top and other having prime Sweet Pea as the best of them all.

 

I can imagine Willie being extremely hard to catch with his legs and his quick hands, which would keep the opposition weary of leaping in on him.

Locche had the most theatrical defense, but I think you'd find good body punchers finding him pretty consistently.

Whitaker was pretty solid when he wanted to be, but he was often prone to letting shots get through due to his arrogance and bravado.