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Throughout the history of boxing, fighters have been glorified not only for their fistic prowess, but for their seemingly inhuman ability to absorb punishment. The Ring Publisher Stanley Weston, a keen observer of the fight scene for more than 50 years, compiled a list of the 10 greatest chins of all time (in no particular order). Joe Grim: Unquestionably the most durable fighter who ever lived. Though only a middleweight, he fought the top heavyweights of his era, including Jack Johnson and Bob Fitzsimmons, neither of whom could knock him out. Ad Wolgast: Only 5'4¼", 133 pounds, and usually undertrained, he appeared to be encased in cement as thunderous blows would bounce harmlessly off his head. Several opponents broke their hands on his skull. Battling Nelson: Nelson prepped for his ring career by engaging in headbutting contests. His nickname of "The Durable Dane" was perfectly suited. He thrived on punishment, and what was most remarkable about him was that the more he was battered, the more aggressive and stronger he became. Barney Ross: His superb boxing skills overshadowed his ruggedness. In 81 pro fights, he was never stopped, and never even knocked off his feet. And he fought some real hitters, like Jimmy McLarnin, Billy Petrolle and Ceferino Garcia. Jack Dempsey: Those two ferocious rounds with Luis Firpo proved beyond a doubt that "The Manassa Mauler" rates among the greatest shock-absorbers of all time. Only once was he stopped, early in his career by Jim Flynn. Jake LaMotta: During their six-fight grudge series, Sugar Ray Robinson was unable to drop "The Raging Bull." Most of LaMotta's foes punched themselves into exhaustion against what became known as "The Immovable Object." Although LaMotta was stopped four times during his 13-year career, only Danny Nardico managed to knock him off his feet. Carmen Basilio: What he lacked in boxing skill, Basilio more than made up with raw guts and an iron jaw. When hurt, he would stick out his chin, spread his feet wide apart. and defy an opponent to cut him down. Only Gene Fullmer stopped him. George Chuvalo: It took murderous punchers like Joe Frazier and George Foreman to stop the rock-like Canadian. If they paid off on durability alone, Chuvalo would surely have been champion. The Ring founder Nat Fleischer called Chuvalo the toughest fighter he had seen in more than half-a-century of covering boxing. Jim Jeffries: Disregard his historic bout with Jack Johnson in 1910, when he fell more from exhaustion than blows. "Jeff" was knockout-proof and indestructible. From the standpoint of brute strenght, he was the strongest heavyweight champion of all. Marvin Hagler: The first round of the Hearns fight is all the evidence needed. Hagler fought all the hardest 160-pound hitters, from Briscoe and Hart to Roldan and Mugabi, and was never legitimately dropped (Roldan was credited with a knockdown, but Hagler actually slipped). |
From: The Ring, Nov. 1990
