No. 3: Charles Oakley
Summary: Initially starting out as an enforcer for the 1980s Chicago Bulls, Charles Oakley was a key protector for a young “Air” Jordan inside of the paint and helped harden supporting cast members like Scottie Pippen before later mentoring other defensive standouts like Ben Wallace down the road.
Charles Oakley punks rookie Scottie Pippen:
Talk about a natural fighter – just look at the way Oakley grips the lapel on Pippen’s polo in order to gain some solid leverage and land his version of Stockton slaps. I mean, could you imagine unleashing a prime Oakley into the early days of MMA to grab onto gi collars in similar ways?
Oakley wasn’t just about brute power in close either, as he also seemed to cleverly enter space in scuffles by sneakily utilizing hand-fighting variations. Akin to a Daniel Cormier or Tony Ferguson, Oakley will almost-blatantly extend his arms out in order to bait opposition into exchanging with him on his terms.
Heck, even the “elder statesman version” of Oakley terrifies me, as the former New York Knick still finds himself amid altercations in The Garden as recently as 2017. Regardless if you were a fan of his or not, it’s hard to deny Oakley a high spot on this list.
Charles Oakley fight compilation: