..I think the intangibles in a Whitaker/Fenech matchup were Fenech's workrate and ability to cut the ring off...as well as he'd be showin' Whitaker no respect and be in there roughin' him up...the ultimate clash of styles really..
i missed this thread, glad i did not only is Sweet Pea far too big for a guy who fought at 130 and below, he is 5 levels above Fenech. Fenech would get peppered with left hands, hooks on the inside and not land a glove on Pernell. It would be embarassing
Thats the thing I don't get Buster. Fenech was well prepared for the rematch with Nelson on home soil, fit as a fiddle coming into that fight and was definately up for it mentally during the build up. I think he just got caught early & never recovered. Thats the only difference I saw in him.
:good Fenech never did anything different in the second fight than he did in the first. Up until the ko there was virtually nothing it. The difference in the second fight was Nelson. People use this ''Jeff was heart broken after the first fight'' That's bull****, Fenech's two biggest assets were his fitness and his mental toughness both of which he still displayed in the second fight. He just ran into the real Azumah.
u have no idea about fenechs mental state so don't comment like u know for sure. lets remember how bad his hands were, maybe he wasn't able to load up as much as he did in the first fight. that's not azumahs fault, no. but i think u people underestimate how rip-off decision in fight 1 affected jeff. again not azumahs fault. u think what jeff went through to the point of fight 1 up to the end of round 12. all the years of pain, only to get ripped off like that.
Whitaker was one of the best ever at his style of fighting...and Fenech was one of the best ever at his style of fighting...that clash would've been epic..:deal
Jeff Fenech never gave anyone an easy fight. Pernell Whitaker would likely have outclassed him but he would have got bruised along the way.
Anyone who thinks Fenech had a hope in hell against Pete is dreaming. Fenech was a fantastic pressure fighter. Pete was one of the top 3 ish defensive geniuses of all time. Now think about it. He utterly neutralized Chavez, who was better than Fenech. He survived the course when past his best against a peak Trinidad, so you think Fenech can stop him ? He ran a prime De La Hoya to the wire , again when past his best. He beat Nelson. He beat Ramirez. He beat McGirt. Fenech had no advantages over Pete. Not even chin, because no way in hell he goes 2 with Trinidad let alone 12. He held off 154lbers so he will hold off Fenech. This is not putting Jeff down. But its a bit like saying Lamotta beats Ali becsuse he had a good chin and closed the ring down well. Fenech is too small, slow, hittable, light punching etc etc to beat Whittaker .
yep that's your opinion and I'll respect that but I'm sure your opinion was formed with plenty of hindsight...but lets remember back to the day the fight was actually bein' touted...it was 'THE FIGHT'...maybe not as big as a Mayweather/Pacquiao but still a fight of similar proportions...now I'm not gunna disagree with anything you've said about Whitaker..that's true...but Fenech had that little something...he wanted it...he was a fighter and he forced fighters to fight his fight...I don't think the result was a foregone conclusion...JMO :good