The Buddy McGirt who outboxed Simon Brown in 91 would wax a 93 Tito. But a 93 McGirt who can't throw a left hook might find it quite a bit harder. Tito was still quite raw at this stage (even lost 3 or 4 rounds to a faded Camacho a year later) so Buddy could maybe still do it, but he'd have to survive a late round surge that could finish him off. Genaro Leon had McGirt in a world of trouble and Tito has better skills and power than Genaro (albeit Genaro is more your primitive Margarito aggressor, whereas Tito chooses to box a little more - imo this might suit McGirt). Gun to my head I'd pick Buddy 8 rounds to 4 and maybe surviving a couple of knockdowns late in the fight.
Whenever Buddy did not win a fight his shoulder issue came up. He would not beat Tito. Buddy was not a great fighter, he was a good fighter. Tito was much better.
I think McGirt would royally school Trinidad, Tito's size and power are the X factors but McGrt has a Hopkins level skillset to bring to the table Tito wasn't 'much better' he was just matched much better, he had many more flaws as a boxer
Tito is greater in my opinion.......But the best version of McGirt would beat Tito.....with great counter-punches...
A past prime McGirt (who was only a good fighter) dropped Pernell Whitacker several times and gave him two tough fights all while having a bad shoulder.
McGirt only had one real weakness and it was stamina. Tito fights an aggressive fight, but he is more measured than the likes of War.ren, Taylor and Leon, who gave McGirt issues. I still give Tito a good chance of stopping McGirt late (afterall a fast handed puncher like Baltazar were pretty close to doing McGirt in) but I'd favour Buddy to withstand what Tito can throw and hold on to win. 15 rounds and I'd heavily lean towards Tito. If it's a 97 Tito against a 91 McGirt, I may actually lean towards Tito getting the job done in 12, but a 93 Tito? Give me Buddy.
I never saw things like that. If he had a bad shoulder maybe he should have retired because when he signed to fight I assumed like most that he was in top shape. Most fighters have some injuries to overlook. Giving a guy two tough fights is not beating them. McGirt was never in Tito's class. His best win was against and old Howard Davis and a sick Simon Brown.
Maybe they should have retired because when they signed to fight I assumed like most that they were in top shape. :good
Yes Davis should have retired. The only thing he did at the time was get a gift draw against Taylor. He was washed up, and Simon Brown was not sick in every fight. But every fight for years McGirt had that excuse of the shoulder. They even had a fight with Meldrick on TV which I think might have been Davis vs. Taylor where Meldrick got a draw, and McGirt is at home with a camera on him holding an ice pack to his shoulder. How much can you use something like that? If you are damaged goods then boxing at a high level consistently will not happen, and it proved to go that route. That shoulder stuff was always nonsense. He was overrated I think. He was given credit for not beating Whitaker but giving him two good fights. Nor did he beat Meldrick when he talked a great talk going into that fight. When he lost or didn't look good it was because his shoulder was bad, well then maybe he wasn't up to the test of beating top guys. Like I said, the Meldrick Taylor fight he talked a good talk and gave Meldrick a good one minute of a fight and then tired out and was beaten up the whole way. He was a good fighter but not great. He beat a guy named Frankie waren (I cannot spell the whole name or ESB puts it in astericks for some reason) who first beat him, and then McGirt came back and beat Frankie up, but that might be because Frankie wore himself out with his whirlwind style, but I always remembered how he beat Frankie W.. Tito came onto the scene knocking out the champion in 2 rounds. Oba Carr, Campas,Vargas,Reid. 3 titles in 3 divisions. McGirt does not come close. Tito was a more dominant and clearly a better fighter.
Don't think anyone is arguing Buddy was on Tito's level in terms of ranking, but as far as styles go, a peak Buddy could definitely cause an early Tito problems. A shot and ****-scared Camacho gave a young Tito issues FFS.