We all know Sweet Pea was the slickest southpaw of all time, but who comes close when it comes to being hard to hit? Who would you say is second to Whitaker defensively speaking? For me it's between Michael Nunn and Hilario Zapata. If I were to pick it would probably be Zapata.
Due regard being had to everybody else bar Floyd that fought Canelo, Lara's been pretty bloody slick by comparison. And that includes other southpaws like BJS.
Hard to pick between these 2 honestly, these guys were the real "Matrix" of boxing. Only wish they had the consistency of Pernell Whitaker. I do think that Zapata was more 'technically' sound than Nunn, while Nunn was more athletically talented and relied more on Ali-esque reflexes.
I can see Rigo being in the equation as well. The guy really was a defensive specialist. If only he had the capabilities of mixing his offense with his impeccable defense well, he really could have been so much more.
At what point do people take into account Michael Nunn's absolute knockedthefuckoutedness vs Toney ? Or do we just say "He was so slick apart from that one time ..."
Kind of weird actually that the "slick southpaw" is such a templated stereotype in boxing, but yet there isn't a wide array of elite-level examples, at least in the last 30-odd years.
They're just hard to fight. That's why they are "slick". Augustus Burton Emmanuel or whatever his name was slicker than all of these cackhanders and he'd more losses than United.
Are you forgetting the fact that he got stopped by James fucking Lights Out Toney? The same Toney who is arguably an ATG fighter and also the only man to stop Nunn? A lot of slick fighter gets KO’d, it happens.
I think Ivan Calderon deserves a mention when it comes to slick southpaws. Iron Boy had some great movement and defense in his prime. He was Puerto Rico’s version of Miguel Canto.
If we're limiting "slickness" to defensive prowess i guess Winky could get a mention somewhere on the lower tiers.
What do you mean when you use the term slick? I think there is one of two things going on here...First, the definition of "slick" has really changed over the years. Second. the way that boxing guys use the term is different than it is used online. In my generation, it really wasn't possible for a southpaw to be slick. They could be awkward or smooth, and smooth and slick do not mean the same thing. Hilario Zapata moved smooth and he punched smooth but.... A few years ago somebody posted a video of Ralph Dupas v Charley Scott- the commentator made reference to veteran and slick moves by Dupas and the OP didn't see it. What Dupas did was so simple that it was brilliant. He was fighting a bigger, stronger guy with a booming left hook that wanted to fight inside. So he let him fight inside. But every time they got close, Dupas slipped into a southpaw stance. This put his right shoulder right on the left shoulder of Scott and took away his hook. That is slick.
I agree with grey that it's not always clear what the term means, it seems to have different connotations for different folk. I tend to think part of it is as Flo mentioned, being able to roll defensive and attacking moves quickly and smartly into each other. I don't think I'd class any fighter that can't do that as being slick tbh. For that reason I've always thought that Rigo was more elegant and sharp than slick. I sort of identify it a certain range of techniques carried out with a certain aesthetic that eludes easy definition for me without resorting to circular description. The manoeuvres and punch technique have a distinct lack of rigidity and a fluid, slippery quality that looks stylish but isn't usually excessive or superfluous and is smart in it's application with sound technical underpinning. But with room to break the rules for those of a special reflexive disposition. But mostly I just watch a slick fighter and think they look slick, . Just instinctively. Anyway, no-one has mentioned Luis Ibarra.
