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I would put top 10 Foreman, Tyson, Roy Jones Jr., Floyd Mayweather Jr., Ray Leonard, Ray Robinson, Muhammad Ali, Gerald Mclellan, Nigel Benn with Roy Jones Jr. first and Mike Tyson second.
Others guys are Thomas Hearns, Shane Mosley, Zab Judah, Earnie Shavers, Willie Pepp, Lennox Lewis, Michael Grant.
Who would be your top ten?
Definitely Roy Jones Jr. He just has to be on the Best Athlete list.
I suppose that I would use the following criteria in judging who the best athletes in boxing have been:
(1) speed of both hand and foot
(2) power: the ability to hurt or knockout an opponent with 1 blow or a short combination
(3) defence: the ability to evade punches without clinching
(4) variety of punches
(5) coordination and balance
Using the above criteria, these would be my choices:
Sugar Ray Robinson
Roy Jones Jr.
Floyd Mayweather Jr.
Sugar Ray Leonard
Muhammad Ali (a bit short on pure power but has everything else)
Mike Tyson
Evander Holyfield
Thomas Hearns (not the greatest balance or defence but overall he belongs)
Sam Langford (from what I've read and studied he can't be left off)
Terry Norris
Julian Jackson (not great defensively but exceptional in all other ways)
Marvin Hagler (speed was not exceptional but he had everything else)
Michael Nunn
Naseem Hamed
very close but not quite on the same level:
Donald Curry
Pernell Whitaker (not enough power)
Meldrick Taylor (defence was suspect)
Harry Greb (too wild; weak on defence)
Willy Pep (not enough power)
Julio Cesar Chavez (too slow to make the list)
Aaron Pryor (similar to Harry Greb)
Emile Griffith (lacked power after the last Benny Paret fight)
Felix Trinidad (defensive shortcomings)
Lennox Lewis (defence suspect; clinched too much)
Lloyd Honeyghan
Marlon Starling
Sonny Liston
George Foreman (too slow; defensive shortcomings)
Joe Louis (defensive shortcomings)
Alexis Arguello (footspeed not exceptional)
Roberto Duran
That's enough for now. I'm sure I left off some great ones.
Micheal Grant in pure power and body. But he cold not box at all.
Micheal Grant??Quote:
Originally Posted by MikeTysonKnockOut
Are we basically deciding on athletes from whatever level of boxing, because if thats the case there are probably thousands, Carl Thompson is another.
Chris Eubank developed good reflexes, he might deserve a mention.
how the hell could you not have Holyfield on there and have Zab Judah???Quote:
Originally Posted by Taeth
all the following were amazing athletes that always came to the fight in great shape
Trinidad, Hopkins, Quartey, Barrera, Chavez
This is quite funny because,when you talk about 'athletes' i think of all rounded sportsmen.In the UK there was a program years ago called 'Superstars' and they made a new series last year.What happened was that they got sportsmen from all different disciplines competing against each other at various sports and without fail,much to my surprise,the boxers did pretty crap! ???I can't really explain why,unless they train so exclusively for boxing their bodies can't adapt to other regiems.
Wasn't Hatton on one of them?? Missed it but i think i remember the pictures, i think he did the show out of shape where did he come?Quote:
Originally Posted by gogs67
George Chuvalo for having such a good chin
No athletic ability goes by the criteriaQuote:
Originally Posted by mokele
strength
balance
speed
reflexes
, and with the set up you picked how can you say that Sugar Ray Robinson was a better athlete than ROy JOnes Jr.? He was hit more, he had less power and speed, and Roy hit more angles of punches... not to mention he had as good of balance, and better coordination than anyone else who's ever fought except maybe Floyd Mayweather Jr.
How can you consider Carl Thompson one of the best athletes unless he was in the olympics or something and I didn't know about it.Quote:
Originally Posted by skel1983
Athletic ability isn't having a good chin.... David Tua has a better chin and hits way harder than Chuvalo regardless.Quote:
Originally Posted by The_One77
I'm talking about guys with balance, speed, strength, reflexes, but yeah for the most part in terms of athletic ability even Roy Jones Jr. wouldn't be in the top 150 athletes in the NFL today, and I am being considerate.Quote:
Originally Posted by gogs67
Great shape isn't being a great athlete, and no Chavez, Trinidad, Hopkins, Quartey, and Barrera were not great athletes... They are relatively slow punches while two or three of them have power its not to same degree of something like George Foreman, and Zab Judah is faster than Evander Holyfield P4P, hits about as hard p4p, and has much better reflexes.Quote:
Originally Posted by ElTerribleMorales
RJJ
PBF
EVANDER
HEARNS
MELDRICK
SRL
MARVIN
NAZ
:coolclick: Agreed. Thanks for doing the work. ;)Quote:
Originally Posted by CutMeMicK
Unbelivable....Quote:
Originally Posted by CutMeMicK
;D
;D You bastaig!!!!!Quote:
Originally Posted by wacko3205
I give credit where credit is due......That doesn't mean he was great or nothing.Quote:
Originally Posted by The_One77
It means he was a very good all around athlete. ;)
2 different things.......
Roy Jones Jr.
Ray Robinson
Ray Leonard
Muhamed Ali
I forgot about Meldrick and Naz... I guess Jermain Taylor is an exceptional athlete as well... Marvin Hagler however wasn't all that strong, fast or had very good reflexes... He had good endurance, technique, and chin.Quote:
Originally Posted by CutMeMicK
Totally disagree about Hagler. Hagler had a hell of a regiment & he was always known for his atleticism & devotion to training.Quote:
Originally Posted by Taeth
Agree 100% on Taylor. :coolclick:
Someone that I did forget to mention was Hopkins. That fwocker was always fit & stayed very near his fighting weight on the street.
Felix Sturm is pretty fit too & constantly stays in the gym...to my knowledge.
speed
strenght
stamina
pac
floyd
roy
hatton
ali
vitaly
tyson
zab
a few more but i don't feel like thinking much moRe...those came to mind quick so they are suRely top atletes woRldwide...
In terms of best athleticism over all, the names the come to mind are RJJ and Mosley. Also Hagler and PBF are up there.
Speed strength Hatton doesn't have all that much of either, Pac I could see being up there, but compared to the best.Quote:
Originally Posted by babyboNe
CC back, but I'm talking about RAW natural ability not work ethic.Quote:
Originally Posted by wacko3205
This one is easy - Roy Jones Jr.
Lennox Lewis was supposed to be very athletic for a big man apparently