A highlight of some of the greatest defensive boxers in the history of boxing. Part 1 includes Willie Pep, Nicolino Locche, Wilfred Benitez and Pernell Whitaker.
Nicolino Locche fought 136 pro fights & lost only 4, what a record that is. Jimminee crickrets!! Along with an amatuer record of 122 fights lossing only 5. Of course Willie Pep's record is just as nuts.
And of those only 4 pro fight loses, only one was by ko, that is tko. His corner threw the towel, even though he wanted to keep fighting. What impressive record!
Excuse me if English is bad but I'm using Google translator: Nicolino Locche won the matches making the opponent get tired of throwing blows into the air, talking to the public while fighting, not training, smoking, drinking alcohol, taking a nap and smoking a cigar before a fight and in its beginnings was criticized for boxing just dodging and hitting very few punches. He was the first Argentine boxer to win a female audience to watch boxing in Argentina. He was simply incredible. 136 fights= 117 wins 4 defeats
Red Destroyer I live in Argentina and he is quite well-known here. Perhaps not in the US, but worldwide he is considered one of the best defensive boxers in the history of the sport.
George Benton should be added to this list. To me he was the beautifully balanced defensive masters of boxing. A true great that never got a shot at the title.
Agreed. Locche just uses economy of motion just moves his head enough to avoid the punches and even more impressive considering he didn't have good power to get his opponents hesitating.
Man, this video should be placed in a MUSEUM. Seriously!!, the background music compliments the video. Should be played in a museum on repeat mode all day long
Joder con Wilfredo Benitez, me ha dejado helado como detectaba los golpes de Hearn y Duran entre otros, va ser cierto que tenia un radar incorporado. Estos hombre son todos portentos de la naturaleza, es evidente que para hacer esto hay que nacer, no basta con entrenar, solo una palabra IMPRESIONANTE
Wilfredo Benitez is one of the greatest defensive fighter I have ever seen without a doubt. He was incredible! I would have to say the best defensive fighters of all time for me are 1) Willie Pep, 2) Wilfred Benitez 3) "Sweet Pea" Pernell Whitaker 4) "Pretty Boy" Floyd "Money" Mayweather.
Watch the fight again round by round with slow motion during the exchanges. You may come to change your mind and also have a greater appreciation of the subtle things Castillo did to win his first fight against Mayweather.
Oh yea, I also have to mention. Wilfred Benitez slipping David Moore's punches while on a broken ankle was one of the most amazing things I've ever seen.
nicolino locche, el mejor!! te ganaba sin tirar un golpe si queria jaja aparte hablaba con el publico mientras boxeaba, en el boxeo de hoy seria muy pero muy popular!! gracias nicolino!!!
This is a great video. This is really boxing, not being hit while being able to counter your opponent after he misses. Pep was a marvel. Loche was incredible. But the young Benitez could have been a great one. What a waste of talent.
What a great video! I watch it often. These are some of the best of the Best defensive boxer ever. And you put my two favorite ones back to back: Nicolino y Wilfredo. Your second video is very good too. But I like this one better. These guys are artists. They have me bobing & weaving in front of the screen. Thanks for this great video!
WILLIE PEP is a phenomenal defensive fighter, I have to say he is th best.......he won a round without throwing a single punch!! This guy can stand right in front of u and not get hit
finally someone with some sense, and man. when i read about you mentioned Sanchez vs. Arguello jesus christ! i would sell my house to see that fight lol. Sanchez is no doubt among the top 15 all time imho. But he simply died way to young. (which in a way is a testament to how great he was as well), he is certainly to me the most complete fighter to come out of Mexico ever. He would've schooled a prime chavez (who is also great btw).
Waching Withaker fighting is true poetry,boxing at its finest,that is what boxing is all about,just like Cus said u need to be clever u need to be smart and not to take hit when u able to do this u are fighter
Floyd Mayweather is a spinning image of all these fighters in todays modern age and he does it with beauty and finesse and gets hated on all the time. Its ridiculous. The "philly shell" Mayweather uses is so well performed. He makes people miss and has the best accuracy in the game. Nice video!!!
Nicolino got my vote followed by Benitez as both did not have to use their legs to avoid punches. Pep and Pernell are more of runners. Moving everything.
@cursed1you Heres my guess at your question, because the opponent must have thought I'm missing by a millimeter and split 2nd no way I cant get to that head its right in front of me. Its like kids playing keep away, the illusion that you've got a chance. Either way its pretty great.
His opponent was Paul Fuji, Japanese champion who actually quit the fight because he couldn't hit Nicolino......lol masterful defense artist!! Who ever keeps bringing up Floyd doesn't know anything about boxing, pure fact!!
Marlon Starling should be on every list of top defensive fighters of All Time. Moochie would stand right in the pocket and not get hit , not a dancer but an inside in your face counter-puncher with a great uppercut and peek-a-boo style. Should be Top 5 , period.
... the GOAT we cannot ignore this facet of his legacy. He has only faced one unbeaten promising fighter in his prime and his own weight class and that is Diego Corrales who Mayweather destroyed in perhaps a career best performance, but no-one describes Corrales as a great fighter, and there has been 5 years since his untimely death so there is no lack of hindsight. compare this to the greats outstanding performances ( Ali vs Fraizer and Foreman, Leonard vs Hagler Hearns Benitez and Duran ect)..
I love defensive wizards! :D I can relate a little. This list is very right on the selections. Although I might consider Sergio Martinez as well. maybe.
Floyd still used his left some in that fight. I give Floyd props for hanging in there in that fight cause Castillo was really giving him an ass whupping. He contrlled the pace and the tempo in that fight. It was a clear victory for Castillo.
These are great punch slippers. But Sugar Ray Leonard should definitely be here as well. Ray could slip punches and utilize other elements of defense forgotten here too such as foot movement and picking off punches with the gloves.
.... joined on the pantheon of greats by the likes of Marciano or Calzaghe. In fact it could be argued that being undefeated takes away from the greatness of a fighter as we do not know how he will respond to the fact that he isn't as great as he thought he was. Don't forget Prince Naseem Hamed, who seemed to be building up a hall of fame career when he was world champion but when he was beaten by Barrera he just faded away, never looking for a rematch and retiring shortly afterwards...
When I hear people talk about JT, B-Hop & FMJ's 'old school skills' often wonder whether the people using that term knows what era and which fighters it refers to. The golden age of boxing(1920-1950) was choc-full of fighters with ridiculous defensive skills. It was the norm and fighters without this skill set would not be put on bills, let alone fight for titles If you are curious as to why boxing was infinitely more refined in this era,read Mike Silvers 'The Arc of Boxing' it's a masterpiece
Each of these legends fought the best of their time. Look videos of Locche against Cervantes (defense of the title in 1971). Cervantes is also a Hall of Famer & Nicolino in the last round turned sideways and looked away. Yet Cervantes hesitated and did nothing: a postcard of frustration and impotence. Locche fought 136 fights, lost only 1 by KO (actually TKO) and 3 by points. Inferior class fighters, you say. That’s subjective & impossible to demonstrate. There isn’t such a thing as Best Ever.
Yeah, I have't seen him get stunned and go (pardon the pun) defensive. There was some video where he constantly got punched really hard and never went down or got stunned for that matter, he has a great chin though
... simultaneously far more impressive an achievement, as is Joe Louis holding the world heavyweight tile for 12 years making 25 successful defences and Harry Greb having beaten a total of 18 world champions across 3 weight classes. And now we will look at his level of opposition. You quite rightly said that all of the greats competition is questioned during their careers it doesn't mean that all of them are thought better of over time, and as you boldly proclaimed him to be ...
