Left Hook! The Best Southpaw Boxers of All Time
Kings of the Southpaw’s: The greatest left-handed boxers of all time
A left-handed boxer is a rarity, but it has been an attribute of some of the sport’s finest athletes. Some of the biggest boxing stars and world champions have had a southpaw boxing stance.
Many fans even say that the stance provides you with an advantage.
Southpaw boxers tend to keep their right hand and foot forward when they box. They deliver right-handed jabs to their opponents but they tend to finish with left cross-right hooks.
Are Southpaws Better Boxers?
Yes. There’s a belief that southpaws have an advantage, and there’s a lot of truth to it! They are favoured by the angles and footwork, along with several other pros of the stance.
Southpaw fighters are able to use both of their hands powerfully, and they even fare better at long-range punching.
A major factor in the success of southpaws is that they’re used to fighting orthodox fighters rather than vice versa. This experience always works out in their favour.
Hence, southpaw boxers are able to win even if they lack the speed and power that their opponents possess.
So, who are the greatest southpaw boxers of all time? Find out below.
The 5 Greatest Southpaw Boxers
The following are the best southpaws to ever grace the boxing ring:
1. Pernell Whittaker
We begin this list strong with an Olympic gold medalist and one of the lightweight GOATs. The late Pernell Whittaker is not only one of the fastest boxers ever, but he’s also one of the most famous southpaw boxers in the sport’s history.
Whittaker was famous for his combinations and using his speed and size to get out of harm’s way. He is considered by many boxing experts to be the greatest defensive boxer in history.
A world champion in four different weight classes, he still holds the record for the longest unified lightweight title reign.
Whittaker was considered to be the best P4P boxer in the 90s and he retired with a gleaming record of 40-4-1.
2. Marvin Hagler
You just can’t have a list of the best southpaw boxers without arguably the greatest fighter to use the stance. Marvin Hagler is one of the greatest middleweights in boxing history.
He competed during the 1980s and dominated his weight class as its champ during a highly competitive era.
The “Marvelous” one was famous for being able to switch back and forth between southpaw and orthodox stances during fights. He was a brawler with a lot of power who could take just as much punishment as he could deliver.
Hagler was a knockout artist and he held the MW title for 6 years, defending it successfully a whopping 12 times. He retired with a record of 62-3-2 and passed away in 2021.
3. Manny Pacquiao
This left-handed fighter may have the best resume on this list and in all of boxing; so, he really doesn’t need an intro.
One of the greatest draws in boxing history, the “PacMan” has held the world championship in a record eight divisions. He’s also held the lineal title in five different weight categories.
Pacquiao is one of the quickest and most elusive boxers in history. He is also famous for bombarding his opponents with his spectacular knockout power.
He is the only boxer in the game who has defeated father time as one of his opponents- he’s held world titles in four different decades.
Pacquiao has earned victories of some of the best ever to put on a pair of boxing gloves. He retired after amassing a record of 62-8-2.
4. Joe Calzaghe
Joe Calzaghe is another boxing legend who brought pride to the southpaw boxing stance. Calzaghe is a former world champion in the super-MW category, a title that he held for a whole decade.
He became the first person to unify the WBA, WBC, and WBO titles in the division.
Calzaghe’s fighting style included him dazzling his opponents with punches from every single direction and dimension. He was also known for his resilience and his mindset of not giving up.
This mindset may be responsible for him being the only undefeated fighter on this list. He also made it as a top-ranked P4P boxer during his glory days.
Calzaghe retired with a stellar record of 46-0 and with the reputation of being one of the European boxing GOATs.
5. Tiger Flowers
Tiger Flowers is the one of the most underrated southpaw boxers, particularly because none of us were alive when he was in his prime.
Flowers fought in the early 20th century and was instrumental in breaking barriers for African-American boxers.
He was known for his high speed as far as dodging and punching were concerned. He also had a more defensive fighting style, which was uncommon back in the day.
Flowers’s biggest accomplishment is the fact that he is the first black middleweight champion ever. He picked up more than a hundred wins in just 10 years and his boxing record is 135-17-8.
Known as "The Georgia Deacon", he passed away at the tender age of 32.
Honorable Mention: Hector Camacho
Here’s a boxer who lived a wild life both outside and inside the ring. Hector Camacho is one of the best ever to possess a southpaw boxing style. He is a legend who won world titles in three different weight categories.
Camacho is also the first boxer to win gold in seven divisions.
He has some of the best highlight reels due to his flamboyant fighting style. He used to dance around his opponents and use his speed and power to knock their brain cells out.
Camacho has victories over some of the biggest names in boxing. He competed for about 30 years and his final record stands at 78-6-3. Camacho was known for his run-ins with the law and violence, which led to his untimely death.
Other great southpaws include Vincente Salvidar, Young Corbett III, Gabriel Elord, and Ronald Wright.
