Pernell "Sweet Pea" Whitaker was unbelievably good at avoiding being hit by anyone in the ring. Sweet Pea would not only make fighters miss, he would make them miss bad...and often.
When I was younger watching him fight, it seemed as if he knew where the next punch was coming from before it was thrown - he simply was too fast to hit.
Sweet Pea was and is one of the best defensive fighters, not only in my lifetime, but in boxing history.
Being a southpaw fighter may have made it tougher for other fighters facing Whitaker; however, Whitaker's boxing mind and physical quickness obviously played into the factor as well.
This fact was never more apparent than when he shut down Julio Cesar Chavez in 1995, without even breaking a sweat.
Before 1995, Sweet Pea also beat one of the trainers and uncle (Roger Mayweather...the original "Black Mamba") of another great defensive fighter that I have had the luxury to see fight in my lifetime - Floyd ("Pretty Boy") "Money" Mayweather.
"Money" constantly avoids abuse in the ring by either using his quickness or by blocking, or guarding himself against opposing fighter's punches with his left shoulder - this shoulder roll is a technique he learned from his father, Floyd Mayweather Sr, who was also a solid defensive fighter during his time.
Mayweather Jr may be the best fighter ever, depending on who you ask.
But as a fan of the sport, I will definitely say that he is one of the best defensive fighters I have ever seen in my lifetime - although there have been better offensive fighters in boxing, Money still remains undefeated and shows how good his defensive skills are every time he sets foot in the ring.
Notes:
- Willie Pep and Sugar Ray Robinson are also great defensive fighters; however, this post is about the two best in my lifetime.
- Pep is famously known for winning a round without throwing a punch, showing how great his defense was.
- Robinson, maybe be the greatest boxer ever, is known for winning 100 fights in a row, which ultimately shows how good his defense was as well.
