Top 3 Fighters... In Last 30 Yrs ?
 

After long consideration & having to leave out great boxers who some of you will no doubt mention, here is my final 3.............

(In no particular order)

sugar ray leonard
roberto duran
julio cesar chavez


Ps. Whitaker almost edged out jc based on getting the better of the head to head & winning the 4 titles in 4 divisions but my view is.... pernell was closer to his prime when they met....
chavez challenged the best (whitaker) when going for the 4th title compared to pernell beating vasquez.....
Lets not forget jc`s outstanding win/loss record, the most outstanding in the modern game.

:good

Re: Top 3 Fighters... In Last 30 Yrs ?
 

Yeh I would agree with the three you picked.

Re: Top 3 Fighters... In Last 30 Yrs ?
 

Chavez

de la Hoya

Whitaker

Did not include Leonard or Duran as both began their career more than 30 years ago.

Re: Top 3 Fighters... In Last 30 Yrs ?
 

And let's not forget Whitaker challenged a guy naturally 19 pounds heavier than him in his 4th weight class, whereas Chavez faced a guy naturally 5 pounds (if that) heavier than him.

My list:

1. Roberto Duran
2. Sugar Ray Leonard
3. Marvin Hagler

Re: Top 3 Fighters... In Last 30 Yrs ?
 

Dont get me wrong, Im a huge whitaker fan but based on talent, whitaker was a much tougher fight at 147 than vasquez was at 154 for any fighter.

Whitaker cleaned up the 135 & 147 divisions, he only really beat pineda at 140 where as chavez cleaned up the 130 & 140 divisions but at least unified the 135 weight class... as I say, there is nothing between them & I love both guys but I had to choose 1 & when its very close you usually have to find the smallest of details to separate them, thats what I did.

:good

Re: Top 3 Fighters... In Last 30 Yrs ?
 

1. Pernell Whitaker
2. Roberto Duran
3. Marvin Hagler

Chavez and SRL are after Hagler.

Re: Top 3 Fighters... In Last 30 Yrs ?
 

The question is the best three fighters since 1977. So I'm going to pick fighters who's careers began around 1977 onwards, or at least won their first world title 30 years ago.

1. Sugar Ray Leonard
2. Pernell Whitaker
3. Marvin Hagler

Re: Top 3 Fighters... In Last 30 Yrs ?
 

I agree, I'm just saying the weightclass didn't have much to do with how tough of a fight it was for Chavez at 147. If you're just trying to say that Chavez shouldn't be downgraded compared to Pernell becuase Pernell won in 4 weight classes and Chavez in three, then that's fair enough.

Chavez did clean up 130 and 140, but his "unification" at lightweight was a sham, as Ramirez held the belt (that Chavez took) that everyone knew rightfully belonged to Whitaker.

Re: Top 3 Fighters... In Last 30 Yrs ?
 

Leonard
Hagler
Whitaker

Re: Top 3 Fighters... In Last 30 Yrs ?
 

Personally..... I wouldnt say marvin hagler was a better p4p fighter than julio cesar chavez..... 2 of the toughest guys of all time with skills to match but for me chavez was a bit better technically.

Im not slating hagler for staying at mwt but jc dominated at 130, 135 & 140.... he lost a lot of speed & reflexes after moving to 140 but adapted by becoming a harder puncher, very methodical.

In his prime jcc was a near perfect fighting machine.... maybe even a prime hagler didnt have the aura of invincability that jc had in the late 80s to early 90s.... an absolute superstar & he proved & earned every bit of it.

:good

Re: Top 3 Fighters... In Last 30 Yrs ?
 

I don't know about Chavez looking invincible. He looked pretty beatable against Lockridge, Laporte and in the second Mayweather fight, not to mention the Taylor fight which he just managed to salvage.

He had a lot of dominant performances in between, but so did Hagler. And when you consider some of the fighters Hagler beat, Duran, Hearns, Leonard (arguably), Chavez's best wins pale somewhat in comparison.

Re: Top 3 Fighters... In Last 30 Yrs ?
 

Since the title of this thread did not specify fighters who began their careers within the last 30 years, these are my picks.

1) Duran of Montreal and DeJesus III.
2) Hagler
3) Holmes

I'm sorry, but I simply can't bring myself to rate a non 15 round fighter.
I just can't.

Re: Top 3 Fighters... In Last 30 Yrs ?
 

You don't give Chavez and Whitaker the benefit of the doubt? These 2 both had exceptional stamina (especially Chavez). Whitaker maintained his high punch output through all the rounds and Chavez was known to get stronger as a fight progressed. I'd definently say that these 2 could do 15 rounds without too much hassle. In fact it'd be more beneficial to them, Chavez's win over Taylor wouldn't be tainted and Whitakers decision losses to Ramirez and De La Hoya would arguably never happen as he would have more rounds to cement the win.

Re: Top 3 Fighters... In Last 30 Yrs ?
 

If Chavez, Whitaker, and B-Hop had the opportunity to establish themselves as 15 round fighters (not their fault), then I would have to give them all very serious consideration.

Frankly, I can't bring myself to vindicate in any way what the powers that run boxing have done in ruining it this way. Another factor has to do with my only knowing of them primarily by reputation. I've described elsewhere on this forum how the abolition of the 15 round distance in professional boxing, and the imposition of headgear in amateur competition turned me off completely to both sports. (The wearing of mandatory headgear aggravates and accelerates the progression of brain damage by encouraging the tendency to accept a blow that would otherwise be actively defended against. It's nothing more than "feel good" regulation meddling and tradition tampering. As is often the case, the cure is worse than the disease. Want to magnify the speed with which boxers succumb to pugilistica dementia? Mandate 24 ounce gloves and more thickly padded headgear which obscures peripheral vision. Neurology would become the most popular specialty in medicine overnight!)

Re: Top 3 Fighters... In Last 30 Yrs ?
 

chavez

whitaker

hagler