The last line of defense for a boxer is the durability of his mandible. Here are the 12 best chins in boxing history, the men who faced the heaviest artillery but rarely, if ever, went down. And never took the count.
12. Carlos Monzon: One of the toughest of middleweight champs, the Argentinian had 100 bouts and was down only once, courtesy of a Rodrigo Valdez right cross in “Escopeta’s” final fight.
Monzon battles Napoles.
11. William ‘Gorilla’ Jones: In 144 bouts, Jones was off his feet a single time, courtesy of great middleweight champion Freddie Steele.
10. Carmen Basilio: The rugged “Onion Farmer” was on the canvas just once in 79 fights against some of the best welterweights and middleweights in boxing history. When he narrowly beat Robinson in their first epic battle, it was reported he “shook off punches that would have knocked down a horse.”
Basilio takes a heavy shot from Gene Fullmer.
9. Panama Al Brown: This great bantamweight champion was knocked down on a single occasion in a grand total of 168 bouts. ‘Nuff said.
8. Barney Ross: In a Hall of Fame career that featured dozens of matches with numerous fellow greats, Ross was decked just once in 79 contests, that knockdown courtesy of the great Jimmy McLarnin.
“Homicide Hank” tried but failed to put Ross on the canvas.
7. Pancho Villa: 104 contests in the ultra-competitive 1920’s — never knocked down.
The great Pancho Villa.
6. Muhammad Ali: What champion ever faced more heavy artillery? Liston, Foreman, Frazier, Bonavena, Norton, Lyle, and maybe the hardest puncher in boxing history, Earnie Shavers — all tested Ali’s chin. As Frazier said after their third battle: “Man, I hit him with punches that’d bring down the walls of a city.”
Ali took Shavers’ best.
5. Billy Graham: 126 fights including battles with Joey Giardello, Kid Gavilan and Carmen Basilio. Never off his feet.
4. Marvelous Marvin Hagler: Hagler was the best middleweight in the world for almost a full decade and a host of terrific punchers could not put him down. Tasted the canvas only once, on a bogus knockdown to Juan Roldan.
Marvelous Marvin was rock solid.
3. Jake LaMotta: 106 fights, hit the deck on just one occasion. Fought Ray Robinson six times, and even the great Sugarman couldn’t put The Bronx Bull down.
Gavilan vs Graham: they combine for a single knockdown in 269 bouts.
2. Kid Gavilan: Against the likes of Ralph Jones, Beau Jack, Tommy Bell, Ike Williams, Carmen Basilio, and of course the great Sugar Ray Robinson, Gavilan proved his chin rock hard. Knocked down just twice in 143 bouts.
1. George Chuvalo: 93 fights in the most competitive heavyweight division in history. Took the best from Ali, Foreman, Frazier, Patterson, Bonavena, Quarry, Yvon Durelle and Cleveland Williams, among others. Amazingly, he was never off his feet.
Two of the toughest: Ali and Chuvalo.
Honorable Mentions: Rocky Marciano, Julio Cesar Chavez, Randall “Tex” Cobb, Juan LaPorte, Oliver McCall, Salvador Sanchez, Sugar Ray Robinson, Marion Wilson, Oscar Bonavena, Harry Greb, James Toney, Johnny Risko, Juan Manuel Marquez, Jack Dempsey, Joe Grim.
7 Comments
James Toney!
Rocky Marciano 49 fights, only kd twice, while off balance, by two known punchers.
Harry Greb 300 bouts, only stopped twice. Early and by broken arm.
They got it right. Nobody in history had a chin like George Chuvalo. The man took all that punishment and he’s still completely lucid. The man has the heart of a wolverine.
Before his tragic death in a plane crash, Rocky Marciano was quoted as saying something to the effect that if heavyweight title fights were scheduled for 50 rounds, George Chuvalo would have been the undefeated champion of the world.
Ggg never been down in his 345 ameteur career or his 30 odd professional fights how is he not on this list
Because 99.9% of GGG opponent’s were windowcleaners.
Julios César Chávez Sr had better chin than anyone except Jake Lamotta.