The primary aim in boxing is to hit and not get hit.
But when all else fails a fighter’s final line of defence is their chin.
McCall’s chin was so good he was drafted in for 350 sparring rounds with a prime TysonGETTYIn a sport of such fine margins; the ability to withstand a heavy blow is a crucial component for a successful, or at the very least, lengthy career.
In the words of Rocky Balboa: “It’s not about how hard you hit.
“It’s about how hard you can get hit and keep moving forward.”
And these five boxers are a testament to that statement.
5. Oliver McCall
McCall boasted a bullet-proof jaw that not even a prime Mike Tyson could blast his way through.
At the peak of his powers, Tyson was knocking out sparring partners left, right and centre but McCall was able to take ‘Iron Mike’s’ best shots and keep walking forward during the 350 gruelling rounds they shared together.
His chin also held up under the bright lights, with McCall having never been knocked down during a 74-fight career (60-14), which included tussles with Frank Bruno, Larry Holmes, Buster Douglas, and Lennox Lewis (twice).
His inaugural encounter with Lewis, in 1994, saw him snatch the WBC heavyweight title away from the Brit in a shock upset after connecting with a punch from the Gods in the second round.
He ended up dropping the green and gold strap to Bruno a year later and was then defeated by Lewis in their rematch in 1997 when McCall had a breakdown in the ring and refused to fight.
4. Marvin Hagler
‘Marvelous Marvin’ is one of the greatest fighters to have ever graced the ring and had a legendary chin to boot.
Hagler’s outstanding durability was on full display against HearnsGETTYThe long-reigning undisputed middleweight champion was only dropped once during his illustrious career by Juan Roldán in 1984, and that was more of a slip than a knockdown.
Hagler stood up to thunderous blows from John Mugabi, Sugar Ray Leonard, and Roberto Duran.
But what really punched his ticket for a space on this list were the massive shots he took from Thomas Hearns during their barn-burning three-round war in 1985.
Hearns landed several lumps that should have rendered Hagler unconscious.
But somehow, someway, Hagler soaked them up and pressed forward to eventually flatten his adversary.
3. Gennady Golovkin
Golovkin never touched the canvas as an amateur or a proGETTYWhen Gennady Golovkin passes away, his chin should be studied by scientists.
The Kazakh hitman was a force to be reckoned with when he ruled over the middleweight division during the early to mid-2010s.
Not only could he take a punch, but he could dish out an almighty dig in return.
David Lemieux, Daniel Jacobs and Kell Brook all found this out the hard way.
However, it is Golovkin’s trilogy with Canelo Alvarez that truly tested his toughness.
During their first fight, Canelo realised the scale of the task in front of him when he watched Golovkin shrug off a picture-perfect right hand that had previously left Amir Khan snoring on the canvas.
“I remember that punch,” Golovkin told DAZN. “I let it get through. It wasn’t, I don’t what to call it – it wasn’t hard.
“It felt kind of like a slap, I guess. Or a sliding punch but it didn’t hurt too much.”
2. Jake Lamotta
No list of the best chins in boxing is complete without Jake Lamotta.
Few men could have stood up to the hellacious beating he received at the hands of Sugar Ray Robinson during the ‘Saint Valentine’s Day Massacre’ in 1951.
But Lamotta is cut from a different cloth.
The Bronx Ball was never counted out during a punishing 106-fight career (83-19-4) and only ever touched the canvas once, when he was floored by Danny Nardico way above his natural weight.
The only thing that stopped Lamotta was superficial damageGETTY1. George Chuvalo
George Chuvalo isn’t a name that many young fans will be familiar with but the boxers he duked it out with certainly will be.
The durable Canadian went the distance with Floyd Patterson and Muhammad Ali (twice); outlasted Jerry Quarry and remarkably stayed on his feet when being stopped by George Foreman and Joe Frazier.
In 93 fights (73-18) contested in the consensus best heavyweight division of all time, Chuvalo was never lifted off his feet.
Explaining the secret behind his legendary chin, Chuvalo said: “Physically, when I look at myself and I try to analyse it, one of the reasons is I have a very short neck.
“When you have a short neck that works to your advantage. If I had a neck like a stack of dimes and I got hit by a punch my brain would be more likely to reverberate, more likely to be rattled.
“Having a short neck gives me that distinctive edge. Also, I still have a thick neck but when I was younger I had an even thicker neck.
Chuvalo went toe to toe with the best heavyweights of his generation and was never lifted off his feetGETTY“I used to work a lot at developing my neck muscles and my whole shoulder girdle…
“As much as I worked on my hitting muscles, I also worked on my muscles that helped me absorb punishment.
“I used to stand on my head for half an hour and move my head forward and backwards, side to side.
“Sometimes I’d be on my phone for half an hour while doing my neck exercises.
“I also used to chew a lot of bubblegum and I used to have protruding jaw muscles when I was younger.”
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