Why didn't these great athletes use more footwork?

I have never understood why guys like Zab Judah, RJJ, Shane MOsley, and even Floyd Mayweather never used more footwork as they neared their prime.

I think it makes life so much easier for a fighter to simply move out of the way. Mayweather did well against Corrales partially because he was effective of staying outside Corrales' range, and moving well off the ropes, but he hardly ever uses lateral movement anymore to avoid the incoming. Against HAtton very rarely did he try to use lateral movement to avoid being caught on the ropes, and even less did he try to make an effort to actually get off the ropes. Roy JOnes Jr. used to also have amazing lateral movement, he used to be very tough to pin on the ropes, but as he reached his late 20's he all the sudden was allowing guys to pin him up against the ropes and hit him to the body.

Zab Judah hardly ever used a lot of movement, but he has such quick feet and reflexes that he could have been virtually unstoppable if he moved more like Leonard used to. I mean Zab's biggest problem is he doesn't open up enough to bang, and he stays far too flat footed in fights which allows his opponent to either get him to the ropes or even hit him in the middle of the ring, but if he was lighter on his feet or moved more he is fast enough that he would have been able to stay out of Baldomir's, Kostya Tszyu's, and Miguel Cotto's range all night, and when they would open up too much that is when he plants himself and lands that left hand.

I just don't get it. You don't even have to move as much as Ali or Leonard, but they should watch Hopkins who isn't the quickest guy, especially when it comes to footspeed, but he is always moving laterally, and he is always finding the right moment to counter, and he was able to nurf Calzaghe, Trinidad, Taylor, and Winky's offense by doing so(along with many others like Howard Eastman, etc.) I just think fighters no matter how athletically gifted need to move if they are pure boxers. If you are in great shape it isn't nearly as hard on your body as being hit on the ropes even if nothing is hitting you cleanly.

I think it's because if you notice something about all them is that they all had blazing hand speed. So they rellied more on the handspeed then footwork.

I understand handspeed is great thing to have, but look at this
1. Andre Berto: great handspeed, but he gets hit a lot.
2. Yuriorkis Gamboa: great handspeed, he gets hit a lot
3. Mosley: great handspeed, gets hit a lot
4. Meldrick Taylor: ""
5. Ray Robinson: ""
6. 70's Ali: ""
and the list go's on.

Handspeed, reflexes, even footspeed don't matter defensively if you don't use them. Prime Roy is one guy who got away with it because he amazing power, amazing speed, and he did move more in his prime. Floyd is just a really technically great defensive fighter who used technique along with physical attributes to make himself difficult to hit.

Guys should be looking at young Whitaker, Willie Pep, Hopkins, Oscar in a few fights, a guy I have been mentioning GUillermo Rigondeaux for guys who move, counter, can stop on a dime, etc. Mayweather might have a lower % of being hit, but guys can throw more punches against him because he is there to be hit, and even though he isn't getting hit solidly its still worse than not getting hit at all.

Zab is probably the worst offender out of the bunch, he's way too flatfooted for a guy that doesn't have great defensive skill, he can't do what James Toney, Floyd Mayweather do defensively.

Floyd can get away with it. Roy I think at least lately started to lose his legs, there definitely gone now. The first fight I really noticed Roy laying on the ropes too much was David Telesco but he may have started doing it earlier and I just didn't notice.

Its just not Shane's mindset, never has been. Sometimes we assume that because you're fast you're automatically a defense first boxer but Shane didn't just try to outbox you, he tried to out fight you.