The Feather Fisted Greats

[marbleheadmaui]

I should begin this by saying I don't really believe one can be both truly feather fisted and great. If one is fighting top guys one must be able to punch enough to make the other guy think before just rushing in. Any fighter must be able to punch enough to control the ring. But there are men who clearly have shown the ability to win fights against top men without focusing on power punching. In chronological order here are some of them.

Johnny Kilbane-Decade long, WWI era featherweight champ. Kilbane had an exceptional jab, unusual reflexes, exceptional feet and understood the ring like few have. The list of people he defeated is astonishing. Abe and Monte Attel, Johnny Dundee, Rocky Kansas, Benny Leonard, KO Chaney and Freddie Welsh. 25 KO's in 142 fights.

Fidel LaBarba-1920's flyweight champ. Strangely enough LaBarba was a bob and weave attacker with absolutely magical feet. But even on the attack he was very tough to hit. How good was he? In his eleventh pro fight he won the undisputed flyweight title. He was 19 years old. He never lost the crown instead giving it up to go to Stanford. That didn't work out and he ended up fighting for several more years. 16 KO's in 95 fights.

Jack Britton-Three time undisputed welter king is the quintessential guy for this list. Nearly 350 fights and only 30 KO's and yet he defeated HOFers over a dozen times. How good was he defensively? He was KO'd in his second pro fight and then never again. Think about this. He was so hard to hit he was able to fight on average every three and a half weeks for 24 years.

Maxie Rosenbloom-Light heavy king of the 1930's. "Slappie Maxie" was a long distance guy who made the older Joe Calzaghe look like Ernie Shavers. In 300 career fights he KO'd only 19 men. But look at who he beat! John Henry Lewis, Mickey Walker, Tiger Jack Fox, Jimmy Slattery, Ace Hudkins, Jimmy Braddock and Tiger Flowers.

Lou Ambers-Two time lightweight king of the late 1930's. Perfectly nicknamed Lightning Lou was slick, crafty and speedy and oddly, another attacker. 28 KO's in over 100 fights and was only KO'd at the end of his career. So what you say? How about beating Armstrong and Canzoneri and Bummy Davis and Baby Arizmendi and Pedro Montanez and Fritzie Zivic.

Emile Griffith-Three time undisputed welter champ and two time undisputed middle king. It is strange to have a man infamous for killing Benny Paret on a list for being feather fisted, but he really does belong. Griffith was a truly exceptional mover, defender, technician and thinker. The thing he wasn't? A big puncher. Twenty four KO's in 112 fights.

Miguel Canto-Undisputed flyweight champion of the 1970's. He's on this list because he defended his crown fourteen times with not a single KO. Pretty amazing huh? Canto was another of these light punching volume attackers. Canto was a tiny human being. Just five feet tall and a 63 inch reach.

Willie Pastrano-Light heavy champ of the 1960's. A superior jab and great feet. Known for being extremely slick and a wonderful thinker in the ring. Only 14 KO's in over 80 fights.

Sammy Serrano-130 lineal champ of the 1970's. 17 KO's in 56 fights. Not a great fighter, but one of those guys who could do a little bit of everything.

Pernell Whitaker-One of the ATG's. Only 17 KO's in 46 fights. But Sweet Pea is a beautiful example of what I meant in the first paragraph. Nobody EVER rushed Sweet Pea and ask Oscar De La Hoya if Pete could punch. It was like being in another universe when he turned stalker against Diosbelys Hurtado and landed seven straight brutal left hands to finish him.

More recently men like Iron Boy Calderon, Tim Bradley and Myung Woo Yuh would also fit in this category.

[boxingbantz]

One of THE all time great in my opinion. One I'll be telling my grandchildren about...

[armyash]

One of THE all time great in my opinion. One I'll be telling my grandchildren about...

LOL! i just watch that weigh in on youtube and cotto couldnt keep a stright face for the stare down!

I admit i'm a fan of malignaggi

[Nameless]

Greatest pillow fisted of all time? One of the top 4 greatest fighter of all time. One name: Willie "The WIll O The Wisp" Pep. Fact.

[marbleheadmaui]

Greatest pillow fisted of all time? One of the top 4 greatest fighter of all time. One name: Willie "The WIll O The Wisp" Pep. Fact.

Bzzzzzzzt. But thanks for playing!

Willie Pep KO'd 65 men. NOBODY can do that if they don't punch. In addition Pep is very unusual in one respect. His KO percentage in title fights is HIGHER than in non-title fights. Willie saved his hands in his stay busy fights, but when he had to in the big ones? Beware!

Great picture!

[Nameless]

Greatest pillow fisted of all time? One of the top 4 greatest fighter of all time. One name: Willie "The WIll O The Wisp" Pep. Fact.

Bzzzzzzzt. But thanks for playing!

Willie Pep KO'd 65 men. NOBODY can do that if they don't punch. In addition Pep is very unusual in one respect. His KO percentage in title fights is HIGHER than in non-title fights. Willie saved his hands in his stay busy fights, but when he had to in the big ones? Beware!

Great picture!

65 Ko's sounds great but when one have over 200 fights and that his KO ratio turns around 25%, can we really say that he had any KO power? I kind of think that 25% of KO ratio is quite poor. Sure, some like Paulie Malinaggi have even worst KO ratio but then again, if we talk about the "pillow fisted group", I think that Pep belongs to it otherwise, his KO ratio would be way higher than a mere "25"%.

[marbleheadmaui]

Greatest pillow fisted of all time? One of the top 4 greatest fighter of all time. One name: Willie "The WIll O The Wisp" Pep. Fact.

Bzzzzzzzt. But thanks for playing!

Willie Pep KO'd 65 men. NOBODY can do that if they don't punch. In addition Pep is very unusual in one respect. His KO percentage in title fights is HIGHER than in non-title fights. Willie saved his hands in his stay busy fights, but when he had to in the big ones? Beware!

Great picture!

65 Ko's sounds great but when one have over 200 fights and that his KO ratio turns around 25%, can we really say that he had any KO power? I kind of think that 25% of KO ratio is quite poor. Sure, some like Paulie Malinaggi have even worst KO ratio but then again, if we talk about the "pillow fisted group", I think that Pep belongs to it otherwise, his KO ratio would be way higher than a mere "25"%.

I think the telling stat about Pep and his punching power is the KO percentage in title fights. Against the top guys he was 5/14 or 36% and he lost three of those fights to Saddler. Of his wins he went almost a 50% KO ratio in his title wins. That to me clearly indicates an attitude about punching rather than a capability. In other words he saved his hands for when he needed them. You gotta remember that he fought 230 fights in 19 years. In other words he averaged a fight every month for almost two decades.

[greynotsoold]

It was Slapsie Maxie Rosenbloom, not Rosenberg. He called what he did "slushing", a mix between slapping and pushing.

[greynotsoold]

Also, Maxie started out like a killer: 11 of his kos came in his first 18 fights.

[GOAT]

What you call featherfisted is just saving stamina for the sake of quickness bro. Just sayin'.

[Dark Lord Al]

Wlad

[marbleheadmaui]

It was Slapsie Maxie Rosenbloom, not Rosenberg. He called what he did "slushing", a mix between slapping and pushing.

Geepers how'd I do THAT! Thanks!

[marbleheadmaui]

What you call featherfisted is just saving stamina for the sake of quickness bro. Just sayin'.

Some truth in that I think.

[El Kabong]

Wlad

Save a seat on the short bus for Al

[MMASUX]

While i think it will forever be debated if he was great or not, what about Calzaghe.