By Paul Strauss: It makes sense to hold off on this list until early next year, and then limit it to fighters currently active in 2012, but the hell with that. Live a little and have some fun doing it now. Step up and give us your list of fighters who you believe have the best jaws. Think of it as being boxing’s version of Madden’s Team.
As you’re making picks, think about what makes for an iron jawed hero or better yet the ability to remain conscious when struck? Does it have something to do with the way the jaw looks or is structured? In other words, does the jaw have to be chiseled and strong looking, such as a comic book character? Does it require a thick neck? Are tough guys smarter or less smart? Are their brains wired differently? The answers have always been debatable and somewhat of a mystery, at least for the general public. It’s kind of like trying to figure out why someone gets air sick or suffers from motion sickness when others don’t? Can you explain why a fighter pilot can withstand tremendous amounts of “G Force” when the rest of us pass out? Is it an inner ear problem? Is the ability contained in part of the brain or bone structure? Some unfortunate folks actually suffer from a medical condition called a “rock slide”, which is a type of vertigo problem. Most of us don’t. Why? Can the reverse of problems like that be related to “good chins”?