Thread by @JoshuaMMang

Left Hooks: Who Was The Best At It?
Part Four: Final Post.

2. When opinions on who had the best Left Hook in Boxing names from the forties and fifties come to mind, Men such as: Benny Lynch, Tony Zale, Ray Robinson, Ezzard Charles, Willie Pep, Kid Gavalan, and Rocky Marciano.

3. Benny Lynch had a great left hook but it was wide and wild and he would get so aggressive you could see him turning Southpaw with it. He would move and circle while throwing it angling his opponent.

4. You can see Lynch’s punches being big and round but because he was moving off to the side of his Opponent the left hooks became shorter and not so easy to counter with a straight right hand.

5. Benny Lynch was great with his left hook another all time great Boxer out of the late 1930’s into the mid 40’s was Tony Zale. Many talk about his toughness and his right hand to the body.

6. However, Zale had a great left hook which he used to the body and head like Lynch he was very good at punching inside and around the right arm of his Opponent working the body and head.

7. Zale really should be remembered as one of the greatest Left Hookers in Boxing; his bout with Rocky Graziano shows why. He sets up the left hook with the right hand to the body and knocks Rocky out with it.

8. Who was better the Zale? Another Boxer who doesn’t get remembered for having a great left hook is Willie Pep. The Featherweight was great at hooking with his left hand he, like Lynch, could move while throwing that punch.

9. Pep was fast and had great defense, he was one of the best at stepping inside with the left hook and doubling it up to the body and head. He really should be remembered more for his Left Hook and how diverse he was with it.

10. I don’t think anyone would doubt Sugar Ray Robinson as being a great Left Hooker he’s one name that comes to mind as he used that left hook of his to knock Rocky Graziano out in their bout.

11. Grazino was following Robinson and Sugar Ray drew him into a two punch counter using his left hook to knock Graziano’s head off to the side right into his straight right hand that ended the fight violently!

12. Robinson had such a great left hook he used it to knockout Gene Fullmer so most Boxing People remember him for his left hook but not so many remember Sandy Saddler who had a great left hook as well.

13. Sandy Saddler was a big Puncher who hit like hell but one of those punches he was effective with was his left hook to the body. He shot that long arm of his out into the gut like a harpoon.

14. Saddler used that left hook to stop offense from aggressive Fighters or slow down the legs of quicker Opponents who were trying to use speed and angles to keep him off balanced and squared up.

15. Another great Boxer who had an outstanding left hook was Ezzard Charles. He was great at setting that punch up with a straight right hand. He would use his jab and straight right hand to get his Opponent to block or slip it.

16. As the Opponent blocked or slipped the right hand Ezzard Charles would step in with his left hook towards their head and knock them out. You can see how he did that to Bob Satterfield making he stand up right and exposed for the left hook.

17. Charles’s win over Lloyd Marshall shows how diverse his left hook was as well as he knocked out Marshall with a shot to the liver dropping him in the center of the ring. He was one of the best at using the left hook.

18. Rocky Marciano was one of the best Boxers to hook off the jab, he had a hard stiff jab that drove his Opponents backwards and then he would hook off it hitting them as they retreated. He knocked out Harry Matthews this way.

19. Finally the last name I’ll mention is Kid Gavalan and how good he was with his left hook. He was one of the best at stepping in with it working the body and head punching inside and around the right arm of his Opponent.

20. Watch Kid Gavalan’s rematch with Tony Janiro and you’ll see how effective and creative he was in using the left hook. You’ll come away with having him ranked high on your list of great Left Hookers.

21. All the Boxers I named in the last four part series have been forgotten for their left hook and how diverse and effective they were in using it. I wrote these series as a tribute to those great Boxers and their deadly left hooks that were as diverse as their personalities.