Create the perfect boxer per division

Heavyweight

Jab - Holmes
Punch - Shavers
Heart - Frazier
Ferocity - Dempsey/Tson
Chin - MacCall
Footwork - Ali/Foreman
Defense - Jack Johnson(?)

Feel free to add more categories.

Forget Cruisers and the junior/super divisions.

Over to you guys.

Light-heavyweight: The jab of Ezzard Charles, the right cross of Ezzard Charles, the left hook of Ezzard Charles....oh, bugger it, Ezzard Charles.

I like your heavyweight set-up, particularly your highly accurate footwork division, although I'll take Louis' punch. Men got up from prime Shavers punches and came back to beat him. Not with Joe, they didn't.

Maybe because Joe was a better boxer and finisher who could put away a hurt opponent.

It's interesting that The Ring made Joe their greatest puncher of all time when they listed the top 100 at the end of the 90s. I didn't agree with all their relative rankings (thought Jackson, at 25, was too low, for instance), but with Joe, I could see their point. He knocked them down or out with a single blow, and then never let them off the hook. Shavers did from time to time.

Punch power is difficult to guage in that sense. Tyson knocked people with one punch and hardly let anyone off he hook once hurt. He was a terrific and accurate puncher. From memory Shavers was not that accurate a puncher but when it does connect you felt it. I recall Holmes saying that Shavers was the hardest puncher he ever met. Ditto Ali.

So what we have with Louis is a skilled puncher and finisher against a puncher.

Marciano's power for me.

Tyson is very close to Louis for me, az, in the punching power stakes. I'd probably go something like: 1) Louis 2) Tyson 3) Shavers 4) Liston 5) Foreman 6) Dempsey 7) Marciano) 8) Lewis 9) Lyle (a bit left-field, I agree, but not, I think, ridiculous) 10) Frazier.

At heavyweight I'd be inclined to go for a slow footed, slow armed, stumpy armed plodder. Any suggestions?

Lyle isn't left-field. Huge puncher. Are you forgetting Wlad? Your number 7 is very left field.

superflyweight wrote:At heavyweight I'd be inclined to go for a slow footed, slow armed, stumpy armed plodder. Any suggestions?

Wimpy Helstaed?

Alright, for these purposes, let's forget Marciano, or put an asterisk by his name, if that makes you happier, az. Yes, Wlad is a fair shout. So is Max Baer, now I come to think of it.

Elmer Ray is often quoted as one of the most murderous punchers, however he doesn't have that A class name on his record to be considered I guess.

Cheers Rodders

I'd say Lewis was ahead of Tyson in terms of one punch power. Tyson the better finisher.

Who to put for best defense?

Jimmy Young

Ali is the obvious one, but he could be tagged by left hooks, so perhaps we have to look elsewhere. Jersey Joe's was famed; he did keep your favourite at bay for a good while, az. Perhaps Jack Johnson is the answer here. Untaggable, at his best.

Will have a go at my favourite division, the Light-Heavyweights. Will stick to the areas highlighted by your good self, Az.

Jab - Ezzard Charles
Punch - Bob Foster
Heart - Matthew Saad Muhammad
Ferocity - Got to be Foster, again
Chin - Young Stribling (ok, very left field, but the man was only ever stopped once and that was by a 190 lb Schmeling)
Footwork (and speed) - Roy Jones Jr

You can't have the speed of Jones Jnr and the power of Bob Foster. Foster stood straight up and used his reach for power Jones was a pot shotter

Would be tempted to go for Grebs chin at light heavyweight Chris but think we should also include ring intelligence where it's Tunney all day everyday.

RJJ had phenomenal footwork but watch Galindez and how he cuts off the ring. Superb.

Would suggest Tunney for chin at light heavy, Chris. Survived a Dempsey combo and otherwise never off his feet.

superflyweight wrote:Would suggest Tunney for chin at light heavy, Chris. Survived a Dempsey combo and otherwise never off his feet.

Thats because he ran or got on his bike for his fights. His chin was not tested as his style was so weird back then.

azania wrote:RJJ had phenomenal footwork but watch Galindez and how he cuts off the ring. Superb.

Galindez is my all time favourite fighter probably, Az, so I'd have loved to include him. But he was always vulnerable if the fight was at range - he relied on the other man meeting him head on so that he could open up with that terrific counter punching. He had good legs, but not quite good enough to feature here, I don't think. Gregory (aka Eddie Mustafa Muhammad) totally confused and dumbfounded him and Galindez, aside from the knockdown, had a terrible time getting to him.

But yeah, I love me some Galindez!

True to a certain extent, onetwo but Tunney was tough and he took plenty of punishment at times. The fact he was still standing at the end of the first Greb fight is testament to that.

Fair points there, Superfly. Go on then - Stribling out, replaced by Gene.

Talking of Stribling, a very under rated boxer, almost a forgotten man of his era.

Imperial Ghosty wrote:Talking of Stribling, a very under rated boxer, almost a forgotten man of his era.

Seconded, Ghosty. Campaigned in a great era for the Light-Heavies and more than held his own. Remarkably busy career, too. Well over two hundred fights despite his career being cut short.

OK, middleweights now please.

Erm.... Carlos Monzon

For everything?

Monzon v Burley

Pure strength: Monzon; Power: Julian Jackson; Jab: Robinson; Heart: Greb; Chin: Hagler; Footwork: Nunn; Defence: Hopkins; Ferocity: Probably Monzon again, albeit a rather impassive ferocity.

Would you include Hearns as a MW? If so, then jab goes to him.

Swith hitting: Marvin Haglar
Toughness: Monzon
Skill: Micheal Nunn

Monzon was the perfect package as a middleweight, wouldn't change a single part of his game.

Hearns? Not a lot of fights as a middle, although point taken. On second thoughts, with Monzon, I think ruthlessness was the proper word, rather than ferocity. I'll give the ferocity award to Ketchel instead.

No such thing as a perfect boxer.

Monzon can have the jab and chin departments here, I think. Hagler the heart. Nunn the speed / footwork, Walker the ferocity, Fitzsimmons the punch. Would love to put Toney forward for defence but, as he managed to get countered to within an inch of his life by Tiberi at 160 lb, he'd have to make do with a place in the Super-Middleweight list, where he looked a bit more comfortable. So I'll give the defence nod to Hopkins.

Good call with Fitz for the punch winner, Chris. Jackson will have to make do with light-middleweight honours in that category, after all.