Best offensive fighters of all time

My top 5 (not really in order):

Tyson
Robinson
Louis
Arguello
Duran

Honorable mention: Lopez, Pryor, Hearns, Leonard, Foster, Manny, Tito, Gomez.

 

Duran, Duran, and Duran.

 

1. Tyson
2. Duran
3. Pryor
4. Chavez
5. Manny
6. Tito
7. Louis
8. Frazier
9. Marciano
10. Olivaras

 

Looks like there is some confusion between being a GOOD offensive fighter with a one-sided focus on attack (Trinidad) and a genuinely GREAT offensive fighter (any of a hundred guys who would place above him).

 

A young, pre Steward Wlad should be on most lists. Guy had every punch in the book, and threw a left hook to the body followed by a left hook upstairs like he was a 147lbr from Tijuana. Rare blend of fluidity and size.

Naseem Hamed was a very offensive fighter who sought, almost at all times, to be taking people out. He was so offensive minded that it cost him in the end, it even cost him when he was winning, with multiple knockdowns and close-calls along the way.

Romanza is right......there is a difference between being a one-gear plodder like Tito who seeks to attack cos he can't do anything else, and a true "offensive" fighter. Hamed would be backing up and showing defense, when really the only reason he would do so was to try and snare his opponent with one heavy shot to the chin.

He showed more offense backing up from Wayne McCullough than Tito did in a night of plodding vs Stinky Wrong. He was backing up, running even from Paul Ingle when he uncorked a single massive left to end it. Not a desperation shot, a hail mary shot, but a deliberate, well timed punch designed to take advantage of Ingles late charge.

Part of what causes people to get enraged over Wlad is that they know, if he just lets his hands go, that he would be killing some of these guys. People know he would be destroying guys if he went onto the attack. Its as much an admission of his offensive skills as anything else.

"Offensive Fighting" is a state of mind, not a state of affairs. Guys can be backing up, doing the rope-a-dope, and its great offensive fighting. A lion laying downwind in the long grass is a pretty offensive creature with only one thing on its mind. Ali laying on the ropes vs Foreman was pretty offensive, and showed more offense in the end than George did.

 

pacquiao
pryor
tyson
duran
robinson

 

Good List! I have Tyson #1

 

Great choices. I'd put Tito instead of Arguello and Wlad Klitschko definitely should get a mention.

 

I don't know.... it depends on what ingredients go into making offense "great". If you count power as a factor, you could rule out a Juan Diaz type fighter, and Tito definitely then fits the bill, as he had not only aggression, punch volume, could punch with both hands, but also had devastating power.

I consider JMM an offensive genius, but I'd rather stand in front of him than a Felix Trinidad.

It is a matter of perspective.

Who would you say are the top 5 best offensive fighters of all-time? Or maybe even top 3?

 

Wlad's problem, though, is that he can't walk and chew gum at the same time. He's a great offensive fighter in that he completely shuts you down. But pre-Steward, he couldn't fight in both directions. The moment you fought back, he just completely stopped punching. That's what made it "easy" for a guy like Corrie Sanders to just bum rush him the way he did.

He and Vitali today are unmatched (at HVY anyway) in their ability to shut you down, hence the monotonous nature of most of their fights.

 

1- Tyson
2- Robinson
3- Louis
4- Duran
5- Pryor
6- Hearns
7- Leonard
8- Pacquiao
9- Chavez
10- Mayweather

Honorable mentions- Trinidad, Jackson, Gomez, Arguello, Lopez, Jones, Curry, Norris, Foster, Corrales, Rosario

 

Robinson

 

True...but in terms of punishment delivery...Wlad can administer the hurt unlike any heavyweight in history not named Louis or Tyson.

 

Roy Jones?

 

marcellus johnson!

 

Agreed determinedly that Wlad was an excellent offensive fighter. Heavy, (fairly) accurate, pulverising jab, with plenty of range on it, a brutal right hand, a left hook that could hurt anyone.

That said? If he's among the top-5 offensive fighters of all-time, so is my 7-year-old nephew. He is not even in the top-5 offensive Heavies of all-time, Irish.

 

This is why I'm on this forum. I'm the only person here that doesn't let people get away with the kinda bullshit seen here in the highlighted section.

You're just trying to be clever here and lots of idiot sheep around here would blindly agree with it as though it's wisdom.

When we're talking about offensive fighter we're talking EXCLUSIVELY about ability to dish out punishment. Nothing else. No fucking thing else.

For example...Ali doing rope-a-dope is fucking irrelevant here.

We're talking about accurate punching, ambidextrous punching, varied punching, powerful punching. We're talking about the offensive arsenal.

In terms of offensive arsenal, Tito is a legend. He could hurt you with either hand, varied his attack..blahblhablha. Of course he wasn't very smart and couldn't adapt tactics mid fight..but that has nothing to do with what he could do offensively to a fighter.

When we're talking about the offensive prowess of a fighter we're not talking about their desire to hurt the opponent we're talking about their ability to put hurt on their opponent...if given the opportunity to do so.

 

Name five heavyweights in history that had greater punishment delivery ability than Wlad...when you consider a combination:

Power
Ambidextrous power
Punch repertoire
accuracy
handspeed

Even his reach helps him in this regard.

 

kirkland? LOL

 

Do you agree with Irish Wlad ranks among the five greatest attacking fighters in ALL of history, irrespective of weight? LOL.

BTW...

Louis
Liston
Foreman
Tyson
Dempsey
Bowe
Lewis


Wlad was a great offensive fighter...but he is no closer to the level Irish is talking than my kid nephew. And whats this about Trinidad over Arguello, Sly? Thats a crime ::

 

Robinson & Louis stand above the rest. Archie Moore was exceptional, too.

 

:bears:

 

In fairness, that WAS his biggest strength... he was a great offensive fighter... just had a shit chin and no brains

 

ian gardener springs to mind

 

whitaker

 

Joe Louis is the greatest ever. Perfect punching machine, uh yee

 

what about Calzaghe used to throw a thousand slaps a fight

 

word.

Perfect punching technique. Pleasure to watch.

I can't remember what fight it was (and there have been many similar) where a considerable bigger man was just opening up on Louis with extreme agression and Louis didn't cover up, duck, dodge or run, he merely just punched back...and his faster, more accurate and crippling punches, seconds later, rendered the agressor horizontal.

The message was clear:

Punch with Louis at your own risk.

 

I think it was against Max Baer but not sure.

 

I don't know, Max went pretty meekly

Perhaps it was his brother Buddy?