The Feather Fisted Greats

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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.

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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.

I kind of disagree here; Over 240 fights, the Pep had a Ko ratio of only 26.97%, so let's say 27% (according to Boxrec). I don't think that we can state that 27% is great by any mean. I disagree also with the idea that we have to compare the title fights from the non title fights. We have to consider the whole of his career. Vitali Klitschko has a ko ratio of over 97%, title or not title, that says how much the guy can bang. But when overall, the best you can do is 27%, I hardly see how it could indicate any "pop" at all in the punches.
Also, consider this: among his KOs percentage, many of those did happen against questionable opponents that have been knocked out many times already and who did have quite glass jaw. a few examples:

Ray Coleman: 10-21 knocked out 12 times

Sergio Musquiz: 1-7 knocked out 5 times

Tommy Haden: 12-12 knocked out 4 times

Willy Little: 9-7 knocked out 5 times

Manny Castro: 5-9 knocked out 3 times

Don't get me wrong, the Pep is my all time favorite boxer, he had speed, movement and a defense that only ghosts to possess (and no, i don't mean Pavilk), but in term of power, he was quite questionable. Sure, some other boxers have even less power (which says a lot) but PEp with his low KO ratio still belongs to the category of the guys who did lack in power but who could compensate with all his other skills.
NOt the most feathered fisted boxer ever but definitely the most successful and most legendary pillow knuckles of all time. I also remember an interview with Bert Sugar in which he said that Pep was one of the greatest of all time but could not be considered the greatest because, among other things, of his lack of power. Will try ot find it back.